The Surprising Reason Why Brandon Routh Is Returning As Superman

Actor Brandon Routh, who donned the red cape and proudly wore the "S" on his chest in 2006's Superman Returns, is flying back onto the small screen for the upcoming Arrowverse crossover event "Crisis on Infinite Earths."

Though Routh already has an Arrowverse role, portraying Ray Palmer, the Atom, as a regular on DC's Legends of Tomorrow, he'll reprise his role as Superman along with current Arrowverse Clark Kent-slash-Superman Tyler Hoechlin, who plays Big Blue on Supergirl.

But just how and why will he be wearing the red, blue and yellow again?

Routh's tenure as the silver-screen Superman was short-lived; he only appeared as the Man of Tomorrow in Bryan Singer's Superman Returns. Routh was just 24 when he auditioned, and Singer sung his praises, likening him to iconic Superman actor Christopher Reeve and describing him as the embodiment of the world's, quote, "collective memory of Superman" thanks to his physical appearance and his Midwestern upbringing much like Clark Kent's own. Critics largely agreed with Singer's assessment of Routh, praising his performance.

Yet Superman Returns underperformed at the box office. Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures decided that the sequel they had planned wouldn't happen after all. When Warner Bros. announced in August 2008 that the franchise would be rebooted, Routh hoped to hang on to the role. Even after his Superman contract expired in 2009, Routh still hoped to portray the superhero again. Ultimately, though, Routh wasn't asked to return: Warner Bros. instead handed Henry Cavill the cape for Man of Steel, which he followed with appearances in Batman v. Superman and Justice League.

When Arrowverse producers rang him up, the emotion hit him hard:

"I hoped maybe there'd be an opportunity sometime, but didn't really think that actually would happen, so I kinda felt like a little kid, very shocked and excited."

Sure, it was something he had hoped might happen, but was it too late? Would anyone even want to see him as the Last Son of Krypton again? And worse yet, would he somehow experience the same disappointment he had with Superman Returns?

In an interview at San Diego Comic-Con 2019, he told Entertainment Weekly he felt a "mix of feelings" when he was first approached about appearing again as Superman. But obviously, Routh accepted the offer. He said "Crisis on Infinite Earths" is his second chance at giving the superhero a proper send-off:

"It's an opportunity for me to kind of say hello and goodbye to the character in a way that I didn't get to do the first time."

"Crisis on Infinite Earths" will span five episodes of the various Arrowverse shows ⁠— Supergirl, Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and the new Batwoman ⁠— starting in December 2019 and ending in January 2020.

According to Deadline, Routh and fellow Superman Hoechlin will play versions of Superman, quote, "in different time frames," suggesting that they may not meet up on screen. But considering how the Crisis on Infinite Earths story played out in the comics, it's likely that the pair are playing Supermen from different Earths who will work together to save the universe.

If that's the case, "Crisis on Infinite Earths" will not only allow Routh the chance to say goodbye to Superman, but it will also give him the opportunity to team up with another Superman who will presumably keep the cape flying on television for years to come. And Routh is clearly stoked about the whole situation, writing to Hoechlin on Twitter,

"So excited to share the screen with you as Supes @tylerhoechlin! So fun! I'm so ready!"

But how will Routh's other Arrowverse character, Ray Palmer, fit in? Chatting with IGN host Max Scoville at Comic-Con, Routh said it'll be interesting if he gets to play both the Atom and Superman for "Crisis on Infinite Earths," because they're such similar characters.

"Ray is kind of modeled a little bit after Clark. There are definitely Clark...Clark energy in Ray. Um, so I'd say, you know, there's a fair bit of crossover."

See Routh finally return as Superman when the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" event beings this December on the CW.

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