2006 TV Pilot by 'Smallville' Creators Never Aired - But a Hit Movie Came Later

While Marvel fans await the highly anticipated Avengers: Doomsday, the DC Extended Universe remains ever busy in Hollywood.

One beloved character amongst the rival spread is Aquaman, portrayed by Jason Momoa is multiple films dating back to 2018. But two decades ago, the creators of the nostalgic show Smallville took a stab at bringing the superhero to life on the small screen.

Millennials certainly remember the Tom Welling-led series, which arguably kickstarted the golden age of live-action DC television. As CBR puts it, Smallville took the long way in telling Superman's iconic origin story - and succeeded, presumably leaving DC and The CW confident that other characters could lead similar series.

Enter Justin Hartley, 10 years before This Is Us truly put him on the map. For the Aquaman pilot shot in 2006, he would fill the Aquaman "shoes" (or whatever the marine life icon dons) in a project that would sadly never see the light of day.

In the series that was tentatively called Mercy Reef, Hartley's Arthur Curry learns in the sole episode that his true name is Orin - and the rightful heir to the Throne of Atlantis, per CBR. His mother, Atlanna, was seemingly killed by a siren when he was young, leaving him to be raised by his stepfather, Tom Curry (portrayed by Lou Diamond Phillips).

Of course, The CW passed on the end result - but here's some good news for anyone interested. Episode 1 of Mercy Reef was later released digitally and can be viewed on YouTube here.

True fans of Hartley's might recall that had also appeared in Smallville as Green Arrow. And in the years since, he's starred in high-profile projects such as Tracker, in addition to NBC's This Is Us.

And then there's Momoa, 46, who has also kept busy with a variety of other projects these days. He has played a standout role in the Fast & Furious franchise, for example, and the original movie is actually heading to this year's Cannes Film Festival for an anniversary screening. Find out more here.

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This story was originally published May 8, 2026 at 12:26 PM.