Is Death Paying a Visit to Smallville?

Kristin Veitch at E! Online has announced that one of the four main characters (Clark, Chloe, Lana or Lex) will not be returning next season (this was also confirmed by Ask Ausiello), but according to KryptonSite this is not the death that will have another actor leaving the show.

At the 2007 Jules Verne Festival, creators Alfred Gould and Miles Millar were interviewed and they made some very fascinating disclosures about the future of Smallville:

Tom Welling (Clark) has signed on to Smallville through season 8, this seems to be where the show will end. Justin Hartley (Green Arrow) will not be returning as he is tied up with other projects. Aaron Ashmore (Jimmy Olsen) has been signed up through season 7 and there are rumors about him possibly starring in thirteen episodes. Last and definitely the saddest, Michael Rosenbaum (Lex) has only signed up through season 7 (for reasons unknown), leaving him as the one who will be leaving the show as reported on KryptonSite. We know Lex will not be leaving in a death scene as he is vital to the Superman mythology, so we're guessing if there is indeed an eighth season that Michael will be at least guest-starring.

But what about that big death in the finale? My guess is that it will sadly be Miss Chloe Sullivan who bites the dust this season. The big reason I speculate it's Allison Mack's character that will die is because Chloe was the only character in the main cast that was never in the Superman comics, she was completely fabricated for the TV Show, so no harm no foul right? Perhaps, but I know I will be a little on the gloomy side if this is indeed a correct hypothesis.

This season we have discovered that Chloe is actually one of those "meteor freaks" that she has devoted her life to uncovering, we finally met her MIA mother and we [Chloe fans] have been once again hoping that something just might happen between her and Clark as they have grown closer since she uncovered his 'secret'. The creators are finally showing more to her than just a bubbly sidekick to Clark Kent and now we have this looming over our heads.

We all know that Clark, Lois and Lex play major roles later in the Superman series so we can gather that they will be sound as a pound, leaving only Lana and Chloe and Lana's odds are way better than Chloe's. KryptonSite reported that on Wednesday, April 11, 2007, an explosion scene was filmed for the finale and chances are that it involved Lana and that Lois' survival will depend on Chloe's power, so might Chloe sacrifice herself for her cousin? As of right now, your guess it as good as mine.

As with every Smallville season finale, just about everyone is put in harm's way, so the beginning of the episode will have a very different outcome than the end per usual. All fans can do for now is wonder and speculate. Everything will be revealed in the season finale titled "Phantom" on May 17, 2007 at 8/7c on the CW, so set your Tivos.

As with all, this is a rumor, unconfirmed by official CW officials, please keep that in mind if the outcome of the episode ends completely different than anything reported here.

Sources: E! Online, E! News, TV Guide's Ask Ausiello, and KryptonSite