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Smallville’s Aquaman spin-off sank without trace because CW execs believed Alan Ritchson couldn’t anchor his own show
Smallville was going to have an Aquaman spin-off starring Alan Ritchson, but the CW got cold feet when they looked at the actor’s resume
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Before DC Studios, before the DCEU, and before the Arrowverse, there was Smallville. The primetime superhero drama explored Clark Kent’s teenage years during a time when superhero media was still considered a niche thing. Some have argued that Smallville started the superhero television revolution, and if the WB’s original plans had came to fruition, it would’ve become a franchise.
In 2005 the Smallville episode ‘Aqua’ aired, which introduced Arthur Curry aka Aquaman. The character was played by Alan Ritchson, who is currently starring in Reacher. Aquaman’s debut was the highest-rated episode of the season, beating the season premiere, season finale, and the 100th episode milestone.
“I came onto Smallville in season five,” Alan Ritchson told Josh Horowitz during an appearance on Happy Sad Confused. “I didn’t know what I was doing. I was coasting on instincts. I got this role as Aquaman, and our episode set a ratings record for the show. And [when] you’re five years in, that doesn’t happen. And it wasn’t because of me. Nobody knew who I was. But people were interested in the character and they enjoyed it.”
Executives liked the numbers and began toying with the idea of giving Ritchson a spin-off. “I was asked to come back, and I was told they were treating that episode as a pilot for a spin-off. So, they made me an offer for my own show.”
Smallville season five was the last season to air on the WB. In 2006 the WB and UPN merged, becoming the CW. Ritchson’s Aquaman spin-off was a victim of the reshuffling. “The merger between Warner Bros. and UPN happened at the same time, creating the CW. The President of UPN takes over, and he looks at the slate of shows they’re developing, and he’s like, ‘Who the hell is this guy with no resume getting his own show?’ And they said, ‘Well, we looked, and his episode did well, and he’s great, and people liked him.’ And he’s like, ‘Nope.’”
“They ended up coming back at one point because they couldn’t find anybody else, and then Justin Hartley left Passions and he became free, and they were like, ‘Oh, that guy!’ And I love Justin, and I’m happy he got to do that. But losing what felt like a sure thing, that lesson that until you’re in front of the camera, and even then, sometimes they reshoot you, but until it’s done and in the can and in front of audiences, nothing is a sure thing in this business.”
A pilot episode was filmed for the Justin Hartley version of Aquaman, but the CW opted not to order a full series. Alan Ritchson continued to make guest appearances on Smallville and would later play Hawk in the DC Universe television series Titans.
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