What's Tom Welling From 'Smallville' Been Up To?

I have a special place in my heart for Tom Welling, aka the first real Superman I got to know. When Welling started out on Smallville, he was an acting novice, and this made every episode all the cuter. Fans were part of a special journey as Welling grew more experienced as an actor, and his character Clark Kent got ever closer to becoming Superman. While 10 seasons of Smallville between The WB and The CW should be enough to keep me occupied, I'm still holding out hope for an eleventh season in which Welling gets to show off in all his superhero glory. But, while I wait for that to (probably never) happen, it's worth wondering: What has Welling been doing since Smallville ended in 2011?

Following 10 years as the star of a popular TV show, Welling has actually been keeping things a bit more chill the last few years. With some selective film roles under his belt, and plenty of continued interest in his career, it certainly looks as though this Superman's Hollywood journey could be on the upswing again. So, what has the actor been working on in the past five years, and are any of the rumors about Welling joining Supergirl true? I'm sure you'd all love to see him put in an appearance, so let's take a look.

But first, an updated photo break:

1. Parkland (2013)

The first project to be released post-Smallville for Welling was the movie Parkland. Based on the book Four Days in November: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Parkland follows the events which occurred following the death of President Kennedy. The movie was pretty star-studded, and its cast included Zac Efron, Colin Hanks, Paul Giamatti, and Marcia Gay Harden. This marked the most serious movie role in Welling's career (he previously co-starred in Cheaper By The Dozen 1 & 2, and The Fog).

2. Draft Day (2014)

Welling played a quarterback in this Kevin Costner-starring sports drama. Of the role, Welling told Delaware Online in 2014,

“The storyline my character goes through was very interesting to me. This guy’s job is in jeopardy. Sure, he’s an NFL quarterback who’s coming off an injury and his job is being threatened, but that’s the kind of challenge which a lot of people have to deal with. Even though he’s a big quarterback, he has to go home to his wife and say, ‘I might be out of a job.’ And that’s not an easy thing to do.”

It's exciting to see Clark Kent be given more serious and challenging roles on the big screen.

3. Guest Appearance On Cooking Show Man Fire Food

Welling guest-starred on an episode of Man Fire Food titled "Backyard Blowouts," which aired on the cooking channel in August 2015. According to the Cooking Channel, "Man Fire Food features the inventive ways people cook with fire. From small campfires to creative custom-made grills and smokers." I'd certainly like to be invited to one of Superman's barbecues.

4. The Choice (2016)

This was perhaps Welling's most exciting role since Smallville, as far as I'm concerned. The Choice is Nicholas Sparks at his best. While Welling might not play the main love interest (shocking), he definitely deserved to be cast in a film of this caliber — and he plays a doctor, no less.

5. What's Next?

There have been a lot of rumors that Welling might reprise his role as Superman on CBS' Supergirl. While nothing has been confirmed, Supergirl has a growing audience, and Welling would be welcomed by fans of both shows. Though it was revealed that the show was casting a young Kal-El — aka Kara's famous cousin — it was difficult not to hope that Welling would still be featured on the show at some point. Let's all keep our fingers crossed.

It seems pretty clear that Welling deserves the lead role in a brand new TV show, right? Whatever Welling does next, I will be watching.

Images: Warner Bros. Television; Giphy (3)