Hell may be freezing over! The one-time SMALLVILLE star is joining the cast of FOX’s LUCIFER and he’ll be giving the hellraiser a run for his money!
Marking his return to television, actor Tom Welling diverted course and accepted a role on FOX’s Lucifer based on the DC Comics | Vertigo imprint that stars Tom Ellis as the fallen angel on Earth. Welling who starred for 10 seasons on the landmark hit series Smallville as a young Clark Kent working to understand his place in world as his own superpowers emerged leading up to his finally becoming Superman, arguably the most recognizable superhero on the planet, took a decidedly different direction than some of his predecessors.
Tom Welling as he’ll appear in next season of the FOX series LUCIFER. The SMALLVILLE star returns to primetime.
Even after the actor had been reportedly approached to participate in one of Greg Berlanti’s CW DC adaptations, Welling has been quoted as passing on the initial role citing that he didn’t want to reinsert himself into the DC Comics TV universe as something fans might be anticipating. Many have speculated that Welling passed on appearing in Supergirl starring Melissa Benoist as the Maid of Steel’s father, a role which went to one-time primetime Superman, Dean Cain. Smallville alumni Laura Vandervoort did make an appearance the show as the villain Indigo.
Premiering in Season 3 of Lucifer Welling will be playing the role of a police lieutenant named Marcus Pierce, who may develop into a love interest for series regular Lauren German who portrays Chloe Decker, an ally of Lucifer who assists in navigating the supernatural anti-hero as he interacts with mortals and helps solve mysteriously supernatural cases in Los Angeles. The presence of Pierce will undoubtedly cause some friction between the police lieutenant and Lucifer, as both vie for Chloe’s affection.
Now entering into its third year, the series needed to inject some excitement into its development. The ratings for the FOX action drama/comedy dipped dramatically in its second season; in fact the other DC Comics based series Gotham also part of the network’s primetime line-up, both experienced a loss in their live audience broadcast that was almost immediately resuscitated in reruns and DVR viewing. Lucifer showrunners are confident that adding a face familiar to the genre like Welling will bring in a fresh perspective.
Lucifer returns with new episodes on Oct. 2 @ 8pm on FOX.
