Earlier than Clark Kent meets Lois Lane in Metropolis, he grows up with Lana Lang in Smallville. That is how Superman mythos goes, and nowhere was this romantic journey higher portrayed than in The CW sequence “Smallville.”
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Lana Lang, performed by Kristin Kreuk, is among the present’s most vital characters, serving not solely as a romantic associate to Tom Welling’s Clark Kent, but in addition as a pricey buddy to a few of the present’s most vital characters. Nonetheless, on the finish of season 7, Lana, in an effort to ensure Clark might be the perfect heroic model of himself, offers a heartfelt goodbye to him and Smallville, with Kreuk successfully leaving the present, solely to come back again for a five-episode stint the next season to present a second tragic finish to the Lana-Clark story.
Behind the scenes, it is broadly believed that Kreuk’s contract round this time was merely over and carried out. Upon her departure in 2008, the actor candidly admitted that whereas she significantly loved the sequence and the Lana character, it was merely time to department off to different initiatives. As she defined throughout a Metro interview:
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“I like the folks and it is a great present to work on, however I noticed there have been issues I could not do because of the schedule on Smallville. Lana has modified a lot for the reason that first season, so she was at all times enjoyable to play. I simply needed to attempt one thing else. It is not that I used to be tired of the present.”
All issues thought of, from a strictly story perspective, Lana’s departure felt pure, particularly as Erica Durance’s Lois Lane was turning into a extra distinguished fixture and the sequence was gearing up for its last chapters.
Kristin Kreuk wasn’t the one actor to depart Smallville across the seventh season
Kristin Kreuk was not the one actor to depart “Smallville” throughout this time. In truth, round season 7 is when a lot of the present’s authentic foremost forged departed the sequence.Â
Annette O’Toole (who performed Martha Kent) didn’t seem in seasons 7 and eight, and solely made minor appearances within the last two seasons. The seventh season noticed John Glover’s Lionel Luthor get killed off (although the actor would return as an alternate model of the character in season 10). Michael Rosenbaum, who performed Lex Luthor, left “Smallville” after season 7 (although got here again for an epic presidential cameo within the sequence finale) for quite a lot of causes, from his contract working its course to wanting to maneuver on to completely different initiatives to not being supplied a pay improve. (The departure of authentic showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar after season 7 additionally impacted Rosenbaum’s resolution.)
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As for Kreuk, the actor has not had any qualms about exiting the present. Throughout a 2024 fan panel, she gave thorough reasoning for why she declined returning for the present’s tenth and last season, and the way she was content material with Lana’s total character ending:
“There is not any filth. I simply needed her to be off in imaginary land. I needed her to maintain dwelling the life that she had gone off to reside and I did not wish to carry her again […] I actually struggled with all of the love triangle stuff […] I simply could not see how we come again and shut this — like, add one other closure to the story the place it wasn’t nearly Clark and Lois.”
For any longtime fan desirous to learn extra, make sure you learn how “Smallville” virtually obtained a “Justice League” spin-off sequence.
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