Clark Kent is sticking around for Smallville's upcoming ninth season, but will the show's original Lex Luthor ever return?

Sources are telling our friends at Airlock Alpha that the writers of Smallville want to bring Michael Rosenbaum back for season nine.

Rosenabuam left the show last May after seven seasons as the villainous Luthor. Rumors about the actor returning to the show have been floating around the Internet for months. This season, a stand-in whose voice and face were altered and hidden by a high tech-looking breathing mask – a la Darth Vader – appeared as Lex Luthor in a few episodes. The character apparently died in an explosion in the Feb. 5 episode "Requim," but that doesn't mean he won't reappear on the show, especially if Rosenbaum agrees to reprise the role.

In what world would someone choose the creators of Smallville over the writer of The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark to craft a big screen sci-fi epic? This one, apparently.

THR is reporting that former Smallville scribes Al Gough and Miles Millar, who left the show last season, are taking over scripting duties on producer Toby Maguire's upcoming live action Robotech movie. An original draft of the script was penned by Oscar-nominated writer/producer Lawrence Kasdan who, apparently, has been shown the door.

TV Guide reports what could be Smallville's biggest shocker of the season: creators Al Gough and Miles Millar are departing the show at the end of this season! This is no April Fools joke!

As soon as I read this, I went to one of Smallville's most popular website, KryptonSite, and found the open letter both creators sent to announce their departure. "After much heartache and debate we have decided it is time for us to move on," they say in their letter.