Although it was primarily a retelling of the Superman mythos, Smallville introduced a number of DC heroes and villains during its lifetime. One of the biggest was Justin Hartley as Oliver Queen, aka the Green Arrow. In a recent interview, Hartley discussed his tenure on the show and what he loved about playing the Emerald Archer.
Harley told Entertainment Weekly, "When you saw that show and you saw when Oliver came on and how he interacted with Clark and what he brought out in Clark and how he moved Clark in a direction where we know he's going -- Superman -- it became like an essential part of the show and I'm really proud of it."
"And also it was the first time I think on that show where you had a guy in a costume," he continued. "He's wearing the costume. I remember thinking, 'We have a show about Superman but we don't really have a character on the show that is in costume,' so it was kind of cool. And I always loved the fact that he was mortal. I loved the fact that when he got hit, he got hurt. And he could die."
Hartley also said that he was initially approached for a four to six episode arc, but the fan response was so great that he ended up becoming a integral part of the show.
Fans had a chance to revisit the world of Smallville during the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover event. While Hartley did not reprise his role there, Tom Welling and Erica Durance made a return as Clark Kent and Lois Lane, respectively.