Brandon Routh is set to play Superman again as part of the Arrowverse’s 2019 crossover event Crisis on Infinite Earths. Back in 2006, Routh got the role of a lifetime on the big screen as he portrayed the second big-screen Superman. He was the star of Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns, but unfortunately, the film did not become the hit many imagined it would be.
Even though his days as a DC hero appeared to be behind him, Routh found another role as part of the Arrowverse. He joined as Ray Palmer aka The Atom in season 3 of Arrow. As part of The CW’s plans to grow their small-screen DC universe, he and many other characters were joined together to star in Legends of Tomorrow. Routh has continued to play Palmer in the series for four seasons, but will now get the chance to become Superman once again.
According to Deadline, Routh is going to play Clark Kent in the Arrowverse’s Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover later this year. He will be one of two Supermen to appear, as Tyler Hoechlin will also return for the event. Routh will also still play The Atom in the crossover. The news comes ahead of the Arrowverse having a big presence at San Diego Comic-Con 2019, where it is expected that this news will be confirmed. Ahead of such an announcement, Routh teased the research he’s doing to get back in the Kryptonian mindset with this Instagram post:
Routh reprising his role as Superman is only possible thanks to the Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline. In the comics, the crossover deals with several different realities of heroes banding together to try and stop The Anti-Monitor from destroying every reality except his own. With The Monitor introduced in last year’s Elseworlds crossover and his testing of the capabilities of the Arrowverse’s heroes, a similar story is expected for the Arrowverse’s adaptation of the story. The multiple realities aspect of the story will likely be how Routh’s version of Superman from Superman Returns makes an appearance.
Routh and Hoechlin suiting up as Superman is something Arrowverse fans have been hoping to see for a while. It will also be fascinating to see if the crossover mentions what the Superman Returns version of the character has been up to for the last decade. This could also be the first of many surprises as more details on the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover are revealed and when the event unfolds too. Who knows, now that the Arrowverse has two Supermen at their disposal, maybe they could try again to get Tom Welling’s from Smallville like many have been waiting for.
MORE: Supergirl: How [SPOILER]’s Death Ties Into Crisis on Infinite Earths
Sources: Deadline, Brandon Routh
