Brandon Routh Superman Returning For Limited Series?
Brandon Routh may be suiting up as Superman once more. The actor first played the Man of Steel in Bryan Singer’s 2006 film Superman Returns. He later reprised the role in the Arrowverse crossover event Crisis on Infinite Earths. According to Arrowverse executive producer Marc Guggenheim, the pair has been working on ideas for a Superman Returns sequel series.
Superman Returns Sequel Series
“Brandon [Routh] and I have talked about a sequel series. We have some really exciting ideas,” Guggenheim said in a post on X. Responding to a few posts from fans, the executive producer expressed his admiration for Brandon Routh’s Superman, referring to the Arrowverse collaboration as the “coolest thing” he ever did. “I was very privileged to work with some very wonderful, very talented, very clever people,” Guggenheim said in a separate post.
Superman Returns Is A Direct Sequel To Superman 2
Superman Returns functioned as a continuation of the original Superman movie and its first sequel. Brandon Routh took up the mantle from Christopher Reeve in a story that sees Superman return to Earth after a five-year absence. Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) quickly comes up with a plan to eliminate the beloved superhero for good.
Didn’t Meet Studio Expectations
Despite its global box office earnings of over $391 million, the film fell short of Warner Bros. expectations. The decision to tie the Brandon Routh-led film to Richard Donner’s original Superman movies also proved to be divisive among fans. As a result, plans for Routh to reprise the role in additional projects were abandoned.
Zach Snyder’s Reboot
The failure of the Brandon Routh-led Superman Returns led to the character’s reboot with Henry Cavill in Man of Steel in 2013. Directed by Zack Snyder, the film provided fans with a fresh take on the iconic superhero, exploring Superman’s origin story. Forced to live on the outskirts of society due to his extraordinary abilities, Clark realizes that he must become a hero to protect his loved ones from danger.
Henry Cavill Lasted Three Movies
Cavill reprised his role in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016, where Superman’s clash with Batman became a central plot point. Despite mixed reviews, Cavill’s portrayal was generally praised. The actor returned in 2017’s Justice League alongside other DC heroes. However, several alterations to the film’s tone led to a somewhat disjointed narrative.
Brandon Routh As Kingdom Come Superman
Fans got to see The Last Son of Krypton once more in 2019 when Brandon Routh returned to the role in The CW’s Arrowverse Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event, where he played “Kingdom Come” Superman. The event drew inspiration from the iconic DC Comics storyline of the same name created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez in the mid-1980s.
Airing across multiple episodes of various DC Comics-based shows on The CW network, the crossover brought together characters from Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, and more. The story revolved around the impending destruction of the multiverse, with the villainous Anti-Monitor threatening to obliterate all parallel universes.
Brandon Routh Deserves Another Chance
With The CW’s discontinuation of new DC-based shows, the chances of Brandon Routh returning to his Superman role for a sequel project seem unlikely. Moreover, Warner Bros. Discovery reportedly had Superman and Lois axed to avoid James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy having to deal with competition from a different version of the popular DC superhero.
