Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for James Gunn’s Superman
There are a few things that some have taken issue with James Gunn‘s new Superman film. Although the film features an excellent cast, comic-inspired visuals, and plenty of heart, the film has been criticized (just as Man of Steel was before) for its portrayal of the hero’s parents, both biological and adopted. But when it comes to the latter, there is only one Superman adaptation that really takes its time with the Kents, exploring the ins-and-outs of rasing a child from another world and instilling within him the old-fashioned Midwestern values that the character would embrace for years to come. Yes, we’re talking about Smallville, and the show’s portrayal of Jonathan and Martha Kent, played masterfully by John Schneider and Annette O’Toole, is the best there is, bar none.
James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ Doesn’t Make the Kents Feel Very Important
If there’s one thing about Smallville that truly elevates the material, it’s the inclusion of Jonathan and Martha Kent. In a film like Superman, it’s hard to get the full picture of who the Kents really are. Sure, the film gets the basic idea that Jonathan and Martha (played by Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell, respectively) are supportive parents to their superhero son right. The end scene where David Corenswet‘s Man of Steel is seen watching home movies of the three of them in his Fortress is beautiful, but it feels a bit hollow. A bit incomplete. To be fair, the 2-hour runtime is nothing compared to multiple seasons of material. It was over the course of a decade on Smallville that audiences learned to better understand the kindly farmers who established the foundation on which the Man of Steel is built. For the first five seasons especially, the Kents guided young Clark (Tom Welling) through each one of his new trials, powers, and emotional struggles as he dealt with the news of his heritage and the questions that brought to his life.
Indeed, the show revolutionized the role of the Kents in live-action Superman media, making them the grounding force for Clark’s morality and drive to serve and protect those around him. This is not to say that their inclusion in films like Richard Donner‘s Superman or shows like Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman were not effective (they were), but Smallville‘s Jonathan and Martha were a cut above the rest, and inserted themselves into Clark’s heroics in a way others hadn’t before. Smallville crafted individuals who not only engaged with the shifting world around them, but who adapted to navigate it for the sake of their son.
Unlike many adaptations of the Man of Steel’s life as a costumed hero, the prequel series puts Jonathan and Martha square in the middle of the action, with each of them going to extensive lengths to protect Clark and his secret. They even pursue political office in order to get a leg up on any government interference or investigation into their son. Throughout the show, there is very little that Jonathan and Martha won’t do or sacrifice in order to protect Clark from a world that would otherwise use and abuse him. We see this especially in Jonathan’s clear distrust of the Luthor family, and even though Lex (Michael Rosenbaum) is one of Clark’s most supportive friends early on, the Kent patriarch sees the darkness of their family in a way that Clark refuses to for years. Superman just doesn’t have time for any of this.
Jonathan and Martha Were Portrayed as Real People With Real Problems on ‘Smallville’
The Kents’ role on the show was so vital, so important, that without his parents in his life, Clark struggled to come to terms with his destiny without them. It’s only with their help and influence, even from beyond the grave, that Clark could become Superman — and that’s a powerful role to play in the life and upbringing of the world’s first superhero. But more than simply being an inspiration and guiding hand to Clark’s life, Jonathan and Martha are portrayed as well-rounded and complex people. They fight over Martha’s job with Lionel Luthor (John Glover) despite the fact that they need the money. They struggle to make ends meet while competing with LuthorCorp. Jonathan struggles with an anger issue that ultimately factors into his death in the 100th episode, “Reckoning,” and Martha’s unwillingness to see the Luthors for who they really are takes its own toll until she’s proven otherwise.
This stands in stark contrast to Superman. While Vince and Howell’s versions certainly don’t approve of Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), they don’t offer much to the Man of Steel other than some kind words and a place to lay his head. Jonathan can’t even hardly remember Lois’ (Rachel Brosnahan) name, which is something that Smallville‘s Jonathan would have prided himself on based solely on principle.
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At different points, the series gave the Kents powers, pushed them into dealings with Jor-El (Terence Stamp), and thrust them into the hands of the Luthors — all in an effort to help push Clark toward his destiny. Jonathan and Martha had to make difficult decisions in order to keep Clark from being discovered, but they also had to make tough personal choices to secure the life that they loved. Martha gave up a promising career for Jonathan (much to the disappointment of her father) and Jonathan often lived in constant paranoia that someone would one day come for his son. Schneider and O’Toole play these characters so perfectly, so flawlessly, that they brought the Kents to life in a way most couldn’t fathom until seeing them on screen. It’s no wonder DC Comics writer Mark Waid would use Smallville‘s Pa and Ma Kent as his template for their characters (both physically and psychologically) in his beloved Superman: Birthright origin story.
‘Smallville’ Offered Nuance to the Kents That ‘Superman’ Struggles To Convey
What was always so great about Smallville‘s earliest years is that, although Clark looks up to his parents as his ultimate moral standard (and perhaps rightfully so), the trio is also able to navigate their own personal shortcomings. There are plenty of times that Jonathan is in the wrong, and he’s forced to make amends for his words or actions. While Pa and Ma Kent are traditionally seen as paragons of hope, morality, and good old-fashioned values (something James Gunn boils down to its essence in Superman), Smallville takes those ideas and runs with them in ways that prove they’re still human, just like Superman.
All of the kindness, compassion, and responsibility that Clark has comes from his parents, and there’s no better portrayal of them in superhero media. Smallville always did a fine job of using its time wisely, making the Kents far more relatable, well-rounded, and intimately involved in the choices Clark makes toward heroism. From beginning to end, there are no other characters more important to Clark’s journey than his folks, and it’s about time other adaptations understood that.
Smallville
- Release Date
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2001 – 2011
- Network
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The WB, The CW
- Directors
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Mike Rohl, Jeannot Szwarc, Glen Winter, Terrence O’Hara, Whitney Ransick, Mairzee Almas, Paul Shapiro, Rick Rosenthal, David Carson, James L. Conway, Chris Long, Michael Katleman, Morgan Beggs, Allison Mack, David Barrett, Marita Grabiak, Michael W. Watkins, Philip Sgriccia, Rick Wallace, Thomas J. Wright, Todd Slavkin, Brad Turner, Charles Beeson, Craig Zisk
- Writers
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Steven S. DeKnight, Holly Henderson, Don Whitehead, Caroline Dries, Mark Verheiden, Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, Philip Levens, Jordan Hawley, Kenneth Biller, Michael Green, Drew Z. Greenberg, Geoff Johns, John Chisholm, Drew Landis, Julia Swift, Doris Egan, Tracy Bellomo, Garrett Lerner, Greg Walker, Russel Friend, Shintaro Shimosawa, Tim Schlattmann, todd helbing