These are my thoughts, in a nutshell, on the idea of Tom Welling as Superman, as quoted from the Red Cape Gallery homepage.
I, for one, believe that Tom Welling would make an excellent Superman and that the qualms others may have about him assuming the role can be resolved simply by making a few minor adjustments:
1) On
Smallville, make-up is presumably used to make him look younger, since hes about 10 years older than Clark is supposed to be. In order for him to play a mature Superman, make-up should instead be applied only to accent his features or, at most, to make him look only slightly older. After all, Tom Welling is actually a few years older than Christopher Reeve was when he took on the role.
2)
Smallvilles Clark Kent usually wears his hair in a casual mop-top style. Although this look could work well for his civilian identity even in his adult career (Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter), Superman does not have bangs. His hair needs to be brushed back, with a distinct curl in the front that barely tickles his forehead. The style worn by Christopher Reeve in the movies directed by Richard Donner is a good example.
3) As an actor, Tom must adapt his demeanor so that his presence his more commanding and he appears more confident and resolved. The out-from-under-the-eyebrows look of determination we sometimes see on
Smallville should be one of his primary facial expressions. Folding his arms across his chest more often would also be advisable. At any rate, his performance on
Smallville leaves little room to doubt that he is perfectly capable of conveying such a commanding and determined presence onscreen.
4) He must be given a well-designed costume that is unique and yet true to the classic Superman look.
The challenge would not be making Tom Welling look and act convincingly like Superman. The challenge would probably be convincing him to take on the role in the first place, since highly substantiated rumors seem to suggest that he objects to the idea of wearing a Superman costume.