AceShowbiz - "Smallville", which ended its celebrated run in 2011, has left an indelible mark on fans and continues to thrive in their memories. Recently, the "TalkVille" podcast, hosted by two of the show's leading stars, Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum, has fanned the flames of that enduring love. The podcast even brought discussions of an animated TV follow-up. However, the cinematic universe seems to hold the show in its limbo.

Co-creator Alfred Gough discussed the situation with Welling and Rosenbaum on their podcast, revealing that plans for a new TV show are currently stalled. The delay arises as Warner Bros. focuses on rebooting Superman under the direction of James Gunn, with David Corenswet as the new Man of Steel for July 11 release.

Gough said, "Warners has obviously gone through a lot, and I think the fact that they are in the process of rebooting Superman again, kind of unfortunately, I think, keeps our thing off the table for a bit."

The animated TV show would continue the story of Clark Kent, which was originally played by Welling in the live-action series that aired for 217 episodes over 10 seasons on the CW.

Despite the delays, Gough remains hopeful. "Everything comes around in one form or another, I just read the other day that they are rebooting Buffy for Hulu,” he added.

One of the main hurdles for the animated project appears to be the recent regime change at Warner Bros. In 2022, Gunn and Peter Safran were appointed co-CEOs of DC Studios, a move that drastically altered the studio's focus.

"That is the thing, I think the problem with most projects in development in any studio and/or any network is regime change," Gough explained.

Rosenbaum, who portrayed Lex Luthor in the original series, had previously shared his excitement about the new series, noting that most of the original cast and creators are on board.

"All I could share is that it's a great idea. We have Al and Miles, the creators of Smallville, backing us up," he told Screen Rant. However, due to the strike and changes at DC, he emphasized that "right now is not the right time."

In addition to Gunn's upcoming Superman film, there's a long-gestating reboot from screenwriter Ta-Nehisi Coates and producer J.J. Abrams but the project has seen little movement since 2023.

Meanwhile, the CW's "Superman & Lois" ended its four-season run in December. Welling's Clark Kent made his most recent appearance in the Arrowverse's 2019 "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover event.

For now, fans will need to await further updates on the continuation of the classic "Smallville" as the revamped DC Studios charts its new course in the superhero landscape.