Smallville Execs Thank Star for Lex Appeal, Tease Doomsday's Arrival

• May 2, 2008 12:52 AM ET
• by TV Guide News

A joint statement from Smallville's new quartet of show runners, the CW and Warner Bros. Television pays proper due to Michael Rosenbaum, who won't be returning next season as a series regular. "It has been an honor and pleasure to work with Michael. 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," says the missive. "While... 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." (In comments: Michael Rosenbaum's letter to fans and friends.)

The Smallville bosses go on to tease a new breed of villainy for Season 8, including the arrival of Doomsday, "the legendary, unstoppable destroyer" who will present Clark with "his ultimate challenge." (Doomsday, of course, is the only character in the DC Comics universe to have killed Superman.)

Also to be cast for S8 is a female villain who "will be familiar to many fans and will set her sights on Clark in ways Lex never could. Intelligent, brilliantly manipulative, and dangerously sinister, [she] has one more weapon in her arsenal: Her mutual attraction with Clark may prove to be as deadly as kryptonite."

As for Allison Mack's own Season 8 status, sources tell me "Chloe" and the show are still in talks. - MWM