Smallville‘s recent rise on streaming in several countries makes the prospect of the DC series’ teased sequel look more promising now than ever before. Though Superman television showSmallville‘s initial run ended two full decades ago now, the series still has a passionate fanbase, and those involved with the original show have also discussed their hopes to eventually create a sequel series.
These points of context make the recent upswing in Smallville‘s streaming popularity even more interesting, since they could well encourage DC Studios to more actively consider following up on the iconic 2000s DC show. Whatever happens next, it’s clear there’s a continued level of interest in the series that a sequel would be perfectly primed to capitalize on.
Smallville’s New Streaming Results Mean It’s Never Been A Better Time For The Sequel Plans To Finally Take Off
2026 has seen a selection of older releases trend once more on streaming, with audiences either rewatching series they remember fondly, or delving into worlds they’ve never experienced before with the start of the new year. Smallville‘s new streaming success makes it one such series that’s seen a recent resurgence, hitting the top 10 most watched results for Netflix in several countries around the world in the past few days.
With a Smallville sequel project having been in the works thanks to the efforts of the likes of the show’s Superman actor Tom Welling and Lex Luthor actor Michael Rosenbaum – though it has yet to be officially given the green light based on the latest comments about the Smallville sequel series – this is also all the more notable.
Smallville‘s appearance at the top of 2026 streaming charts demonstrates the potential of a follow-up series, especially as the show hitting the top 10 in several different countries at once is prime proof of just how broad the appeal of the original Smallville is even all these years after its final episode aired.
The DC Universe’s Current Status Means A Smallville Sequel Could Be Perfect For It
A Smallville sequel getting the green light and going into production at this point in time would make a lot of sense given the clear continued popularity and success the original show evidently enjoys. That said, this move would also make sense for much more than this alone, as the DCU’s current setup arguably makes a Smallville sequel easier to integrate into DC’s wider release roster than before.
With the DCU’s Elseworlds line – which allows releases that aren’t a part of the main DC Universe timeline, like The Batman, to still be a part of the DCU release slate – having been established, there’s plenty of room for Smallville to get its own alternate universe continuation. This seems particularly true since conversations around the sequel have explored the concept as an animated release, ensuring it’s sufficiently different to the DCU’s live-action efforts with Superman, and thus can be released in this current era for DC more easily.
