Smallville creators Al Gough and Miles Millar have provided new insight into one of the most debated casting shifts in DC television history: the decision to replace Alan Ritchson with Justin Hartley for the 2006 Aquaman pilot. During retrospective interviews marking the show’s 25th anniversary, the duo clarified that the move was not a creative rejection of Ritchson’s performance, but rather a byproduct of corporate restructuring and network demands for established “star power.”
Following the high ratings of the Smallville Season 5 episode “Aqua,” the studio fast-tracked a spinoff centered on Arthur Curry. While Ritchson originated the role on the flagship series, the production landscape changed significantly when The WB and UPN merged to form The CW in 2006. This merger led to a shift in leadership that directly influenced the casting of the new series.
According to reported accounts of the transition, network president Dawn Ostroff pushed for a lead with more television experience. This led the studio to replace Ritchson with Justin Hartley, who was then fresh off his role in the soap opera Passions. This decision fundamentally altered the project’s connection to the existing The Nerd History of Smallville. While the pilot—frequently referred to as Mercy Reef—was initially intended as a direct spinoff, creators now clarify that replacing the lead actor forced them to pivot the project into a standalone universe to avoid confusing the audience with two different actors playing the same character in the same continuity.
From Mercy Reef to Green Arrow
Ultimately, The CW declined to pick up the Aquaman pilot for a full series. However, the project’s failure served as the direct catalyst for Justin Hartley joining the main Smallville cast in Season 6. Rather than returning as Arthur Curry, Hartley was cast as Oliver Queen, also known as Green Arrow. This move is widely credited with revitalizing the series in its later years, providing a new billionaire foil for Tom Welling’s Clark Kent and paving the way for the show’s version of the Justice League.
Alan Ritchson, who has since found massive success in series like Reacher and as Hawk in DC’s Titans, has expressed no lingering resentment over the 2006 recast. In 2022, Ritchson stated he was “not mad” about the decision, acknowledging that he was relatively inexperienced at that stage of his career.