Breaking: Michael Rosenbaum Has Left Smallville
Lex Luthor has left the building.
And while it might not be a surprise really (Michael Rosenbaum himself told us a year ago this season would be his last) it is still 100 percent sucktacular to the fans who've loved him so dearly.
This statement was just issued by Smallville's Powers That Be (producers, CW and Warner Brothers):
"It has been an honor and pleasure to work with Michael for the past six seasons. He is one of the best actors on television and has never failed to bring a new layer to the character of Lex Luthor in every episode. While Michael won't be a series regular and we won't have the pleasure of working with him on a weekly basis this fall, we like to think that we haven't seen the last of Lex Luthor. Stay tuned."
And Michael himself (always a classy guy) took the time to write the following letter to you fans:
Dear Smallville Fans,
Well, it's been seven wonderful years. Your support is what has made Smallville so successful, and I appreciate you all more than you know.
That being said, it is time for me to start the next chapter of my life and career. I hope that I gave you some enjoyment over the years, and that you found my portrayal of Lex Luthor to be satisfying. I am truly grateful, as Smallville fans are the best fans out there. I sincerely hope that you will continue to follow my career through my hair growth period and beyond.
I'm very excited about what the future holds, but certainly, Smallville will always be a part of me. I will definitely miss the greatest crew in the world, and the wonderful cast that has been like a family to me.
Thank you Al and Miles for creating the show. Thank you writers, producers, directors and editors. Thanks Tollin, Robbins and Davola for being there for the pilot. Thank you Peter Roth for employing me for ten years. Lisa Lewis, I miss you already. John Glover, thanks for helping me feel more comfortable touching other actors, while acting. Bizarre, but helpful.
Mostly, I want to thank Greg Beeman for directing the "Oh Sherry" video, by Steve Perry, back in the '80s.
Thanks crew. Thanks fans. Thanks Smallville.
I love you all,
Michael Rosenbaum
As for what lies ahead, naturally, the studio, network and creative heads want to make sure you fans all know that a Lex-less Smallville will continue. So they have released the following details about two villains who are currently being cast for season eight:
Doomsday: In season eight, Clark will face his ultimate challenge with the appearance of the legendary, unstoppable destroyer Doomsday, who appears on Smallville for the first time. As comic book fans know, Doomsday is notorious for being the only character in the DC Comics universe to have killed Superman.
Female villain: Doomsday won't be Clark's only nemesis in the upcoming season. The executive producers are tight-lipped about a new female villain they will be introducing, but they can say she will be familiar to many fans and will set her sights on Clark in ways Lex never could. Intelligent, brilliantly manipulative, and dangerously sinister, our gorgeous new villain has one more weapon in her arsenal: Her mutual attraction with Clark may prove to be as deadly as kryptonite for him.
The question, though, is whether any newbie bad guy can fill Rosenbaum's ginormous shoes? With him and Kristen Kreuk seemingly out of the picture, will you keep watching? Share your thoughts below…
And if any of you regular readers need a cyber-bear-hug (Jesse? Smallvillefan16?), I'm here with open arms.
Smallville Loses Its Big Bad
Lex Luthor apparently feels ready to exercise his evil tendencies on a bigger stage than Smallville.
The pre-Superman drama's producers have confirmed that Michael Rosenbaum, who has played the emotionally complex bald baddie since 2001, will be leaving the series at the end of the current season.
"It has been an honor and pleasure to work with Michael for the past six seasons," the CW and Smallville executive producers Darren Swimmer, Todd Slavkin, Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson said in a joint statement. "He is one of the best actors on television and has never failed to bring a new layer to the character of Lex Luthor in every episode. While Michael won’t be a series regular and we won’t have the pleasure of working with him on a weekly basis this fall, we like to think that we haven’t seen the last of Lex Luthor. Stay tuned."
Meanwhile, Rosenbaum, ever the gentlemanminus his onscreen shenanigans, of coursealso took time out to pen a personal note of thanks to his fellow cast and crewmembers and to all those devoted Clark, Lana and Lex fans out there.
"Your support is what has made Smallville so successful, and I appreciate you all more than you know," the 35-year-old actor wrote.
"That being said, it is time for me to start the next chapter of my life and career. I hope that I gave you some enjoyment over the years, and that you found my portrayal of Lex Luthor to be satisfying. I am truly grateful, as Smallville fans are the best fans out there. I sincerely hope that you will continue to follow my career through my hair growth period and beyond."
"Thanks crew. Thanks fans. Thanks Smallville," he concluded.
The CW announced in March it had renewed the cult-favorite series for an upcoming eighth season. Which, despite Rosenbaum's absence, doesn't promise to be a total letdown.
Per Swimmer, Slavkin & Co., two new villainsDoomsday and an as-yet-unnamed female nemesiswill be coming on board to keep Clark on his toes.
Smallville - Rosenbaum out, Doomsday in
We knew it was coming. At the end of February 2007, Smallville actor, Michael Rosenbaum, announced his intentions of leaving the show at the end of the 2007-2008 season in order to tackle new projects. For the past year, fans (I include myself here) hoped that the actor would change his mind. How can Smallville be, well, Smallville without Lex Luthor? Things looked grim when the actor reminded us last February that he was done with the show, come the Season 7 finale. And today, fans around the world must come to the realization that Rosenbaum wasn’t joking: he really is leaving the show “to start the next chapter of my life and career,” he says in a joint statement with The CW.
In his letter to Smallville fans, Rosenbaum thanks them for their support and making the show a success. He hopes that fans will follow his “career through [his] hair growth period and beyond.” The actor, who is excited about the future, also takes time to thank the people involved with making the show.
Having been involved at some point with Michael Rosenbaum’s official website, my support for the actor is undeniable. I support his decision to move on after seven years of shaving his head to portray Lex but I can’t help but wonder if I’ll tune in next season, now that both Luthors are gone. Michael Rosenbaum and John Glover were the best actors of the series and added a great evilness to the show. I guess only time (aka the summer break) will tell if I and the other Smallville fans regularly tune in next season. I say “regularly” because, let’s face it, we will watch the season premiere out of curiosity!
In the joint statement, The CW, along with the executive producers, thanks the actor for his great work in the past season. The network also reveals what’s in store villain-wise for next season.
Season 8 will introduce two new villains. One is the famous Doomsday, the only DC Comics character to have killed Superman. The second one is an unnamed female villain who is said, in the statement, to “be familiar to many fans.” The statement also says that she “will set her sights on Clark in ways Lex never could.” Could she be the person who’ll win Clark’s heart since Lana will be gone (Kristin Kreuk is said to appear in very few episodes next season)?
Michael Rosenbaum fans must watch the next two episodes as they will be Lex-heavy. The May 15 finale will be very important in Lex’s quest to find The Traveler. Let’s just hint that Lex will be traveling to the Arctic.