‘Smallville’ rocks receptive Comic-Con crowd
It’s the final day of Comic-Con 2008, but that hasn’t diminished the energy of the dedicated and rather raucous fans at the Smallville panel.
Two big announcements: Justice Society and Green Lantern writer Geoff Johns will be writing an episode. “I’m really psyched to work with everybody. I’m going to be introducing the Legion of Superheroes this season.”
Also, there’s a strong possibility that actress Allison Mack will be directing an episode, if not this season, very soon. “We’re talking. I would be honored to have the opportunity. Nothing is confirmed,” she says at first. Showrunner Todd Slavkin, however, interrupts and tells her, “Let’s make it official.” They shake hands as the crowd cheers.
A sneak peek at scenes from the upcoming eighth season also helps kick off the festivities. Some highlights: Chloe is hooked up to a device and she kicks a guy to get away; Green Arrow has a dramatic confrontation with Clark; first looks at Davis Bloom/Doomsday and Tess Mercer; Jimmy and Chloe share a moment; Tess is seen in Lex’s mansion; Clark carries Tess out of some unexplained accident.
While that’s all very exciting, it’s pretty vague on what exactly is going on, but the showrunners and actors reveal a few things for the upcoming season.
With our young man of steel, Kelly Souders tells us, “Clark is going to actively go out and seek his destiny as Superman and really take on The Daily Planet as his source to get involved and find the people who really need him throughout the city.” He also starts thinking about needing a dual identity.
Green Arrow will also do some deep thinking, questioning what he believes to be his destiny. The show will also go back and give us a little origin on him.
Mack reveals a bit about Chloe’s activities and how she feels about her powers.
“There’s a lot of struggle that [Chloe's] going to be having with trying to keep her personal relationship with Jimmy going as well as sort of trying to cut the apron strings a little bit with Clark and forge ahead into her own passions,” says Mack. “Like Clark, you’ll see Chloe step into her own and have a lot less fear about what she’s able to do now and start taking more responsibility for what she actually can achieve if she actually utilizes the powers that she’s been given.”
There’s new (bad) blood in town too in the form of Sam Witwer, who will play Davis Bloom/Doomsday, and Cassidy Freeman, who plays Tess Mercer.
“He’s paramedic, a really nice guy,” says Witwer. “Eventually he’s going to start blacking out, losing time. He’s going to wonder what’s going on during these blackout periods. What he finds out … it’s not great. Eventually the character will have to deal with that. The cool thing is we’re not trashing the Doomsday backstory. We’re adding to it and interpreting it. What we’re adding is sort of human consequence, not just the human consequence of the people he victimizes, but the human consequence for himself because this guy is actually a nice guy.”
Freeman also shares about her character: “Tess is kind of Miss Mystery. Like the Green Arrow, you’re going to find out her backstory and where she comes from. She’s the new girl at LuthorCorp and nobody really knows why, but she is. I think that she’s going to find some inner strength within herself to run this incredible company the best that she can.”
In addition, we learn that the Justice League will be “bubbling up” their activities and that other recognizable DC character will be visiting this season.
The session, however, is not just about sharing information. It’s about sharing the love. At various intervals, members of the crowd bellow out questions such as “Justin, will you give me your friendship?” or encouragement, like when Freeman says she’d like her character to kiss Chloe, one fellow predictably shouts, “Do it! Do it now!”
Two question askers are dressed up — one as pretty impressive Green Arrow complete with bow and another as Batman — and get to visit the dais. Also, each of the actors signs and then gives up their name plaque to fans who ask for them. It’s a very giving bunch here.
Other highlights/tidbits:
- The door is still open to Michael Rosenbaum, should he wish to return. One of the writers says they’ll consider one fan’s request for Sam Jones III to drop in this season since they’re only currently working on the fifth episode of 22.
- Allison Mack would love the show to crossover with Mad Men or Heroes, while two of the writers give their vote to a Supernatural crossover. Slavkin adds, “Jensen Ackles rocks!”
- There is a true ending planned. Slavkin says, “We’ve worked closely with [Al Gough and Miles Millar] for many, many years, and they’ve shared their ideas about the ending of the series. We’re hoping it doesn’t happen for quite some time. But when it does happen, I think everyone in this room will be very, very happy. We’ve got some awesome ideas that will honor the mythology in a really great way.”
- Mack doesn’t know who Chloe should be happier with — Jimmy or Clark. “I think she’d be lucky to have either of them. Clark’s really high maintenance. He takes up so much time.”
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