When it comes to Superman movies, some cannot see anyone other than Christopher Reeves in the role, some who adore Henry Cavill, and some who have tried to forget Brandon Routh ever graced the screen in the red cape and tights. When Superman Returns arrived in cinemas in 2006, it was meant to be a big revival for the Man of Steel, but turned out to be anything but stainless when it came to its record. The film gained praise from critics for its CGI sequences, story and direction by Bryan Singer, but the film failed to perform anywhere near as well as hoped, pulling in $390 million from its $220 budget. This reaction led to the cancellation of a 2009 planned sequel and Superman was then rebooted by Zack Snyder in 2013’s Man of Steel. However, Routh did get another shot at Superman in the Arrowverse crossover Crisis on Infinite Earths, which the actor has revealed was an opportunity he was pleased to have received.
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Brandon Routh may have had a rough time with Superman Returns, with even movies like Seth MacFarlane’s Ted taking the time out to poke fun at the film, but he did not completely back out of the superhero genre. Routh returned to the DC stage playing Ray Palmer/The Atom in the CW’s series Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow and more. While this role certainly brought him more praise than that his turn as Superman, when the Crisis of Infinite Earths crossover event came around a whole 13 years after Superman Returns, Routh reprised his role as Metropolis’ hero as well as continuing to play The Atom. While speaking on the Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum podcast, Routh admitted that it was good to get some closure with the character. He said:
His appearance in the show helped heal several wounds from his time on Superman Returns, with the actor having previously been open about the difficulties he had working with director Bryan Singer on the movie and the heartache that the sequel was canceled, but the positive response his 2019 return received has also seen him express an interest in playing Superman again in a Kingdom Come inspired TV series.
While the upcoming The Flash movie is about to break into the DC multiverse, bringing Michael Keaton’s Batman back to the fold, could it also lead to an eventual return of Routh’s Superman in a follow up to his Crisis of Infinite Earths appearance? Only time will tell, but with Warner Bros desperate to create more buzz-worthy DC content for HBO Max, there is always a possibility of the door still being ajar.
