Smallville Star Had No Idea A Revival Was Considered

Justin Harley, who played Oliver Queen on Smallville, says he had no idea an animated revival series was in development.

By Matthew Creith | Published

Actor Justin Harley may have won a lot of hearts when he starred on the critically acclaimed television series This Is Us, but it was his turn as Oliver Queen on Smallville that first brought him to the viewing public’s attention. Harley co-starred with series regulars Tom Welling, Kristin Kreuk, and Michael Rosenbaum. However, in an interview with We Got This Covered, Justin Harley appears to not have known that an animated revival of Smallville might be in the works, seemingly iced out by his former co-stars.

During the interview, Justin Harley was asked about being involved with the animated series reboot of Smallville, and he was surprised that a series was even being considered. Welling and Rosenbaum are currently looking into developing an animated take on the stories of a young Superman. Even though Harley says that he talks to Rosenbaum all the time, it seems that the two haven’t discussed the former possibly reprising his role.

Justin Harley appeared on Smallville beginning in Season 6, appearing in a total of 72 episodes from 2006 to 2011. Smallville ran on The WB before the network merged UPN to become The CW; opening the door for other superhero television shows to join the network that would eventually become known as The Arrowverse. His appearances on Smallville took Justin Harley to a successful gig playing Adam Newman on The Young and the Restless, which eventually led to his primetime work on This Is Us.

just harley smallville
Justin Harley on Smallville

After Justin Harley completed work on Smallville and moved into critically acclaimed territory with This Is Us, the handsome actor earned a lot more exposure. This Is Us ran for six seasons on NBC and told the stories of the Pearson family, including an impressive cast of performers like Mandy Moore, Milo Ventimiglia, Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz, and Susan Kelechi Watson. The series was an instant success for NBC and became an awards contender every year it was on the air, including multiple nominations at the Primetime Emmy Awards.

The success of This Is Us has been a successful venture for Justin Harley, even if he currently doesn’t know about revivals of Smallville. The actor transitioned into more film roles, including a funny supporting appearance as a Santa Claus stripper in the hit holiday-themed movie, A Bad Moms Christmas alongside Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell, and Mila Kunis. Harley is currently promoting his newest romantic comedy called The Noel Diary that will be available for streaming on Netflix this week, where he plays an author who comes home for Christmas to discover a diary that might open up new worlds to love as well as his past.