Thanks to Smallville and the Arrowverse, there have been two live-action versions of Hawkman, a major DC superhero and longtime member of the Justice League. Both Hawkman and Hawkgirl are known for being reincarnated lovers from ancient Egypt in DC Comics lore.
The first actor to bring Carter Hall to life on the small screen was Stargate SG-1 actor Michael Shanks. He played Hawkman in Smallville season 9’s Justice Society special, and reprised the role in three more episodes; he met a sad end in season 10 when he died saving Lois (Erica Durance). As for the Arrowverse’s Hawkman, he was portrayed by Falk Hentschel alongside Ciara Renée’s Hawkgirl in the second crossover between The Flash and Arrow. Afterward, both characters were made members of the original Legends of Tomorrow lineup, but only for a short time. Carter Hall died early on, and was replaced with a reincarnated Hawkman from the future. He remained on the team with Hawkgirl until the end of season 1.
The DCEU’s Black Adam will give fans another new take on Hawkman, but until then, the Smallville and Arrowverse versions of Hawkman will remain the only live-action adaptations of the beloved DC Comics character. Both versions drew upon elements of Hawkman’s comic book backstory, but the two shows took the heroes in totally different directions. Smallville and the Arrowverse retained the most important aspect, which is the idea that Hawkman and Hawkgirl are involved in a reincarnation love story that goes back thousands of years. Also, the two iterations of Hawkman wore costumes that closely resembled the one belonging to their comic book counterpart. In fact, Smallville’s Carter Hall had what is arguably one of the show’s most comic-accurate designs.
One key difference between the two Hawkman versions is where they were in their lives when they appeared on-screen. In Smallville, Hawkman was an older, veteran superhero who had already lost his Hawkgirl and was now waiting to see her again in the next life. This Carter Hall, having led the Justice Society in the past, was someone who has already been through a long career as a superhero. His knowledge and experiences put him in a position where he was able to give valuable advice to Tom Welling’s Clark Kent, who was still growing into his role as the Justice League’s leader. The Arrowverse used younger versions of Hawkman, but at certain points, both had access to their old memories. Being deeply to Chay-Ara, he struggled greatly with trying to get her to remember their bond and the tragedies they had gone through together.
While Legends of Tomorrow delivered a memorable telling of their love story, the problem that some had with his character is that his arc was so focused on Hawkgirl and their connection, that he had little depth outside of their relationship. Michael Shanks’ character, on the other hand, received a great deal of praise and was widely regarded as a solid interpretation of the Justice League hero. His interactions with Clark made him a special addition to Smallville’s world, and his undying love for Hawkgirl and confidence that he would meet her again after reincarnating helped him come across as a sympathetic figure.
