Info for Season Nine from the SDCC Smallville panel blog below.
10:19
Ten minutes to go here. Room 6BCF is packed. Every seat filled; an overflow of people standing against the walls.
10:20
Smallville is evidently still a draw, going into its ninth (!) season.
10:26
As reported by numerous sources, Tom Welling is a "surprise" addition to this panel—and it's his first Comic-Con.
10:27
The big rumor is that Clark Kent is going to be finally wearing a costume this year, and they're going to be showing it off today. Maybe Welling will even be wearing it! (But probably not, that would be kind of awkward.)
10:28
Geoff Johns Twittered last night that he was going to dinner with the "Smallville crew."
10:29
He wrote an episode last season, "Legion," that introduced Legion of Super-Heroes characters Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl and Lightning Lad to the Smallville mythos.
10:29
Less than one minute till scheduled start time...
10:31
Don't think they're screening an entire episode here—just some clips from the new season.
10:33
Yeah, they haven't started yet.
10:36
Still no sign of starting.
10:37
They're playing "Big Mouth Strikes Again" by the Smiths on the speakers here.
10:40
Susan Kesser from Warner Bros. is welcoming us to the panel, reminding of the move to Fridays. Season premiere is Sept. 25.
10:40
Introducing an "exclusive, made for Comic-Con sneak peek" of season nine footage.
10:41
Superman "S" logo kicks off the footage.
10:42
Clark Kent talking to Chloe about having two separate identities, with Lois at the Daily Planet (these are all quick clips).
10:44
Think those were all clips from previous seasons...now clips showcasing Green Arrow, Black Canary, Aquman, Impulse, Cyborg, Zatanna, Martian Manhunter, Supergirl and the Legion. Chloe talking about the "Watchtower."
10:44
Words on screen: "KNEEL BEFORE ZOD."
10:44
Callum Blue plays Zod this season.
10:45
Clip of Brian Austin Green as John Corben.
10:45
(aka Metallo)
10:46
Ends with shot of Clark in a costume wtih an "S" logo. Looked dark, but it was a dark setting for the scene. Almost looked black with a black coat, and a dark blue Superman "S" shield.
10:47
Now Jeph Loeb is out, reminding the audience of his time writing on seasons 2, 3 and 4. "I am literally shaking," Loeb says, after seeing the footage.
10:47
Showrunners Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson are out. Loeb asking the show's writers to stand up and get recognized.
10:48
"There are some people here I know you want to see," Loeb says. Now bringing out Callum Blue, who plays Zod.
10:49
Next up: Cassidy Freeman, who plays LuthorCorp CEO Tess Mercer.
10:49
Justin Hartley, the show's Oliver Queen, out next. Loeb tells the crowd they have to behave themselves.
10:50
Erica Durance, who plays Lois Lane and Loeb calls "a friend of the show" and a friend to him and his family, next out. "Behave yourselves," Loeb repeats.
10:50
Loeb: "I don't have to say anything other than...Allison Mack."
10:50
"Is there someone else coming?" Loeb asks.
10:51
Nearly everyone is standing, cheering loudly for Tom Welling.
10:51
"Did you guys like that trailer?" Welling asks.
10:52
Welling says "I asked how many people were here, they said 5,000." The maximum occupancy, according to a posted sign, if 1,508. Loeb says they're actually 6,000.
10:53
Welling is talking about his new role as a show producer. Souders says he's been a "great addition" to the producing team.
10:54
"What's going on with you and Clark this year," Loeb asks Durance. "I think you guys are going to be pretty excited this year, all of the things you've been waiting for, you'll see a little of that," she replies. "Lois is dealing with being smitten with Superman. It's going to be a really great season, it's going to be really spicy."
10:54
Loeb asks Mack "what's it like being Watchtower?" "I love being in control," Mack says.
10:54
Loeb says to Hartley, "Didn't you throw down your bow?" "I like being told what to do," he says.
10:55
Freeman says her first nine months on the show "went like that."
10:55
Blue says he's having "so much fun" and he "loves playing an evil character."
10:55
In reference to his English accent, Blue says "It's actually an act. I'm from Texas."
10:55
"Thank you to the fans," Souders says, pointing out that a year ago, they didn't know if they would have a season nine. "We're gunning for season 10."
10:56
Peterson: "We do read what you write on the blogs, even if it's really mean. Regardless if you agree with certain decisions, you guys are there. Nine seasons, hopefully ten."
10:57
Peterson says he's excited about the move ot season 10, saying that some of the best sci-fi shows—X-Files, Battlestar Galactica—were on Fridays.
10:57
Audience Q&A time.
10:57
First question, from a fan in a Batman costume. "When am I going to be on the show?"
10:58
He also asked for Tom Welling's name placard. Welling signed it and shook the fan's hand. "And now, that answers the question, when is Batman going to be on the show," joked Loeb.
10:59
"Tom, thank you so much for coming," a female fan said. "You're really good looking." Turning to Durance, she said that she is "the best Lois Lane," and asked when Durance will be in every episode in a season. "You will be seeing more of Erica this season," Souders says. 18 episodes. She asked for Durance's placard.
11:00
"I just wanted to say, Allison, you're amazing," the next fan said. "Tom, you're just an excellent actor."
11:01
Question to Welling: "What inspired you to finally step in and audition?" Welling says that at first they weren't letting people who were auditioning see the script. "Sometimes in Hollywood, when they don't have a script to show people, it means they probably don't have one, which isn't a good thing," he continues. "At first, I thought it was going to be Superman in a cape and tights in television, and once I read the script, it was completely different than what I thought...something that hadn't been done before, and a lot of room to grow. It looks like that was a pretty good assessment."
11:02
Mack talks about her audition, saying that the part was originally intended for a different ethnicity. "When I first stepped in, I was the only white girl." She says she went in with "a little attitude," but the producers liked that for Chloe.
11:02
Freeman says she had "an idea" of who her character was going to be when she was auditioning.
11:03
Hartley talks about how he got onto the show, via the Aquaman/Mercy Reef pilot that wasn't picked up.
11:03
Durance says, like Mack, she was "trying to pretend she was too cool" for the part when she auditioned.
11:04
Blue speaking of how he got his role. "I found out, when I got to LA to test, that it was Zod," Blue says.
11:04
Back to audience Q&A.
11:04
"Is Lex really dead?" Peterson: "I think we know from mythos, that Lex is absolutely not dead."
11:05
Question for Welling. "What unique things from your personal life have you brought to the show?" Mack: "Tom is one of the most private people I know, so I'd love to hear this answer."
11:06
Welling answers, "the professional side of my life for the last few years have probably brought more to the table than my personal life." Loeb pointed out that Welling will be directing this year, which Welling confirmed. Two episodes. "I enjoy boyh sides very much," Welling says. "Tom is one of my favorite directors," Mack says, saying that he has "such a love" for the show and the characters.
11:06
Peterson says Mack will be directing this season as well.
11:08
"When's he really going to fly without a Red Kryptonite ring?" Peterson: "We actually do talk about that and address that in the season premiere."
11:09
Fan is rambling about Green Arrow and going to every Smallville panel. Loeb cuts him off.
11:10
Will we see a score soundtrack? "We've never thought about a score, I don't think," Peterson says. "We'll bring it up."
11:10
Loeb talking about the "Legion" episode, which brings Geoff Johns to the panel.
11:11
"I'm going to be writing another episode," Johns says. "Thanks, all the feedback on 'Legion' was great. This year it's going to be Justice Society of America."
11:11
Johns asks Blue to say "kneel before Zod."
11:11
"I can't wait to work with all you guys again," Johns says. "This season, everything I've heard about it, it's going to kick ass."
11:11
Souders says there's "someone else we'd love to come back and write one," referring to Loeb. "I would love to if we can work that out," Loeb says.
11:12
"Can we expect, maybe, Wonder Woman?" Durance: "Maybe Lois will dress up as Wonder Woman?"
11:13
A female fan asks Welling to give the "slowest answer ever" so he can keep looking at her. He plays along at first, and then seriously answers her question, saying that moving to the directing side has been very exciting for him.
11:14
"Who wants to see it go to season 10?" Loeb asks. Answer: just about every person in here. Enthusiastically.
11:15
"Because you're not so sure you can get to season 10, though I know you will, what are the challenges in deciding to stall a storyline or get to the endgame of the show?" Souders says "everyone's brain sort of functions on two levels when we get to that last part of the season."
11:16
Peterson: "We have pretty much two seasons worth of stories to tell at this point. We're not worried about stalling."
11:16
"Are we going to see anyone new from the DC Universe?" Peterson: "You're going to be seeing Metallo in the first two episodes, you'll be seeing the return of Toyman. You'll be seeing Roulette." Peterson says there's a couple more he can't talk about.
11:17
Hartley on Green Arrow: "He's struggling. He's really, really struggling. And that's going to go on for a while."
11:17
Peterson: "In the first eight episodes, we're going to see him hit rock bottom."
11:17
Loeb: "Would you guys like to see more Green Arrow?" Yep, they would.
11:18
"How is it you guys get into character every show?" Hartley joked, "Just drinking. A lot of drinking."
11:18
Hartley answers seriously, saying "my process starts from reading the script, obviously, and then I read the script for the character, and I keep re-reading it."
11:19
Durance says she's not unlike Lois. "What I love is how we all kind of work together, and try to find the truth of it. Take what the writers give us and make something real."
11:20
Welling: "(The producers), before we're even around, have to get into the heads of the characters, as well."
11:20
"I'm a super-collaborative person," Mack says. "The best way I get into character is by working with my fellow actors and the directors."
11:21
"I like looking at things from sort of a macrocosmic level," she continues, saying she's been playing the character for so long, it's a matter of putting the words in her head, and it's there.
11:21
"Tess is a lot different than I am," Freeman says. "Even only being on the show for a year, you start getting to know these people."
11:22
"This is obviously a new character for me," Blue answers, saying he looks for a certain intensity, listening to hardcore music and "punching himself in the face a few times," Blue says he's looking to get into the character's skin.
11:23
"If Lex isn't gone, is there any chance for Jimmy (Olsen) coming back?" Souders: "Aaron Ashmore was one of the greatest actors to work with. We love him," then pointing out that he wasn't the right age as the "mythology," but "strange things happen in Smallville." Loeb, dryly: "And as we all know from comics, dead is dead."
11:24
"The part of (Tess) that I pull from the most is her strength," Freeman says.
11:25
Question about the costume from the clip. Souders says "We know that there's a long, sort of arc, to become really who Superman becomes. For us, we know that it's a bumpy road, and he's not going to go straight to a tailor, probably, and figure it out the first time. So that's kind of where that idea came from. You'll understand it when you see the season premiere."
11:25
Loeb asking for quick questions.
11:25
"If there's going to be a season 10 what do you think about moving production from Vancouver down to San Diego," a fan joked.
11:26
Chance of a movie? "Would you guys like a movie?" Loeb asks. Everyone cheers.
11:27
"Is there still a chance between Clark and Chloe?" "I think Clark and Chloe might be dead in the water," Mack says. "For Chloe, you're going to see a lot of the process of healing the loss of Jimmy. I'm not sure she's going to have much time for a love interest in the first little while. But you never know."
11:28
Chance of a name change to "Metropolis"? "We've bascially become Smallville: The Metropolis Years," Peterson says.
11:28
"Is playing your character easy?" a kid asked Welling. The actor's answer: "No."
11:29
"What was it like to work with Kristin (Kruek) again?" Souders: "Wonderful."
11:29
When asked abotu Speedy, Peterson says they're exploring a Green Arrow sidekick story.
11:30
Last question.
11:30
"Are we going to have any more Justice League episodes?" Peterson: "If we pass the popcorn bucket around and collect some money right now. We're going to do our best."
11:30
Souders: "This is the hardest working cast you've ever seen."
11:31
Thus ends the panel. Thanks for reading all weekend!
Looks good!
