One of the best parts of the Arrowverse’s Crisis On Infinite Earths is that it vindicated Brandon Routh’s Superman, restoring his iconic version of the Man of Steel to his rightful prominence after the disappointment of 2006’s Superman Returns. The Arrowverse’s mega-crossover involved three Supermen from TV and movies, but the announcement at last year’s San Diego Comic-Con that Routh would don the red cape and blue suit again ignited the excitement for Crisis. Happily, Routh’s return as Superman delivered on every level and gave epic closure to the cinematic legacy launched by Christopher Reeve’s Superman movies.
In many ways, Brandon Routh was the “lost” Superman who has been finally found; the actor was cast by director Bryan Singer to be the new Man of Steel, and Superman Returns was a continuation of the story that began with Richard Donner’s Superman: The Movie and Superman II. Thanks to his resemblance to the late Christopher Reeve, Routh was able to convincingly step into the role of Superman and he conveyed the noble decency (and Clark Kent’s oddball charm) that Reeve did. Unfortunately, Superman Returns underperformed critically and at the box office, and Warner Bros. declined to move forward with a sequel, eventually rebooting Superman in 2013 with Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel.
For his part, Routh became a different superhero: the upbeat and loveable Ray Palmer aka The Atom on Arrow and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. However, few would argue that Routh was the brightest spot of Superman Returns and fans (as well as the actor himself) lamented that he was denied the chance to further grow into the role and continue as Superman. Then, unexpectedly, Crisis On Infinite Earths offered Routh the opportunity to be Superman again and set things right — which is exactly what happened.
Crisis On Infinite Earths even addressed Routh’s Superman disappointment on a meta-level. All of Routh’s Superman’s loved ones were murdered by the Joker, including his Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth), although thankfully, it’s implied Superman’s son Jason (Tristan Lake Leabu) is still alive. But the tragedy motivated Superman to change the yellow on his S crest to black — the logo of the Kingdom Come Superman — to remind himself that “even in the darkest of times, hope cuts through”. This powerfully communicated that Superman’s unwavering faith in good couldn’t be shattered even by his own personal losses, but it also could be read as the Arrowverse acknowledging that Routh’s tenure as Superman being cut short was an injustice that didn’t break the spirit of the actor or the hero he portrays.
In Crisis “Part 3,” Routh’s Superman was a properly inspirational member of the 7 Paragons — until Lex Luthor (Jon Cryer) killed him with the Book of Destiny and took his place as the Paragon of Truth. However, Superman’s job was far from done, and when the dying Oliver Queen (as The Spectre) rebirthed the Multiverse at the dawn of time, he thankfully restored Earth-96 and its greatest hero, Superman. One of the final moments of Crisis “Part 5” showed the Man of Steel flying above the Earth, looking at the camera, and smiling — a climactic and iconic Superman movie moment that Christopher Reeve began and Brandon Routh continued.
Most importantly, the yellow on Superman’s S shield was back, fully restoring the hopeful Man of Steel, at last. Essentially, Crisis gave Brandon Routh one more moment in the sun as Superman, which healed an old wound for the actor and his fans. Further, Crisis On Infinite Earths gave longtime fans of the Reeve/Routh films their beloved Superman back and reassured everyone that he is, indeed, “always around”, as the hero promised he would be at the end of Superman Returns. It was the best ending and resolution to Brandon Routh’s Superman journey fans could hope for — and it also leaves behind the hope that maybe one day, when the Arrowverse needs him, Brandon Routh’s Superman could return.
Next: Crisis On Infinite Earths: Every Single Cameo In The Arrowverse Crossover
