IMO, i would prefer Welling. I think Cavill did a fine job, but being a huge fan of Smallville i just would have preferred Welling. People gripe about Smallville all over here, calling it, Dawson's Creek superhero and the like. However, what most forget is that Smallville aired before it was cool to be a superhero show! I mean look around now, they're all over. It was breaking new ground, trying to find it's niche and having a WB/CW budget didn't help. It did what it could with what it had, and although it wasn't a perfect series, the majority was quite enjoyable and to this day still one of my favs!

Henry Cavill is hotter and better built and a better actor BY FAR. Though i like Tom Welling well enough. Henry embodies Superman.

I think Tom welling is hotter than Cavill but then again that's my opinion. I love welling the only reason I saw "Smallville".
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I don't think Welling is a great actor - but he was perfectly cast for this particular role. He was entirely believable as a conflicted budding superhero, and totally noble and likable, just as Clark/Superman should be.

Tom was a better Clark and Superman but I don't know if he could have made the movie any better.
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Welling's Superman seemed more like Superman than any of the other incarnations besides Christopher Reeve's, and more modern than that one. Welling is a lot better actor than people give him credit for. Consider the Red K episodes, or the one where he played Lionel Luthor in Clark's body very subtle and evoking the character.