Over the last two decades, WB has been adamant about bringing Superman back to its glory on the big screen with releases including Brandon Routh’s Superman Returns and Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel. Although over time, fans did come to love Cavill’s iteration of the character and have been vocal against the idea of him being axed from the role, Brandon Routh’s version of the character did lose into obscurity.
Following the 2006’s Superman Returns’ underwhelming box office reception, the ambitious plans for its future were eventually scrapped in favor of Zack Snyder’s version of the character. However, the disappointing reception of the movie came as a surprise to the cast, as the leads of the movie were captivated by Bryan Singer’s vision and didn’t even read the script before tuning in.
Brandon Routh didn’t read the script before agreeing to star in Superman Returns
The 2000s saw some of the most influential Superhero media of all time, including Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man movies and Christopher Nolan’s Batman movies, which reshaped the entire genre for the better. But among those major releases, there was another ambitious project led by Bryan Singer, who tried to take a different spin on the character of Superman. Engrossed in his grand vision for reviving the iconic franchise, the main cast, including Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane, and Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor, signed on without even reading a script.
Bryan Singer also explained why he chose Brandon Routh for the role ahead of other established actors at the time by stating,
“There was just something about one of Brandon Routh’s tapes that intrigued me. It wasn’t until I met him and we talked at length that I realized I would cast him, but I didn’t tell anyone. Two months later I told him.”
But despite his ambitious plans, the movie failed to hit the mark, and even though it was praised for its visuals and direction, it failed to leave an impact on the audience. But this wasn’t the last time we would witness Routh in the role, as the actor got the opportunity to reprise the role for a brief period in the Arrowverse.
Reprising the role of Superman healed Brandon Routh’s past wounds from Superman Returns
Although the underwhelming reception of Superman Returns did ruin the chances of the planned sequel, Brandon Routh did get the opportunity to get back in the tights for one last time. Considering the actor garnered success in the role of the Atom in the Arrowverse, during its biggest event, Crisis on Infinite Earths, he was allowed to reprise the role of Superman. The actor explained that returning to the role was a healing experience for the past wounds from the failure of Superman Returns. He stated,
“Even if this is the only scene I’m doing the emotional wound or scar that was left from my experience on Superman Returns was mostly healed because all the lead-up to that”
With Routh and Henry Cavill out from the Superman debate, WB has now approached James Gunn to revive the iconic IP and following his passion for the project, fans can be hopeful for the future of Kal-EL.
Superman Returns is available to stream on HBO Max.
Source: The Guardian
