Television

How CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS Redeemed Brandon Routh’s Superman

The CW’s Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover included many beloved characters from past DC films and television shows. One of the most significant was Brandon Routh’s Superman. Routh played the Man of Steel in 2006’s Superman Returns, which was intended to be a continuation of the Christopher Reeve Superman series. Despite positive reviews from critics, the film underperformed at the box office and received mixed reactions from fans. This led to sequel plans being scrapped and the franchise being rebooted. So, fans probably were not expecting Routh to play Superman again.

Fast-forward over a decade, and things have changed. Routh took on another DC hero role – this time as Ray Palmer/The Atom on The CW’s Arrowverse. During that time, DC finally allowed the network to feature Superman as a supporting character on Supergirl. Then, when Crisis on Infinite Earths came around, the idea of multiple Supermen came up. So, who better to play a Superman than Routh himself? It was a great idea that not only got approved, but it was executed so well. In fact, it finally allowed Routh to show his true potential and find redemption as the Man of Steel.

A common critique of Routh’s performance in Superman Returns is that, to put it bluntly, it was a carbon copy of Christopher Reeve’s Superman. This did make sense, as Returns‘ Superman was meant to be the same character. Still, it – along with mediocre direction and writing – limited what Routh could do with the character. By comparison, Routh’s Superman in Crisis was far more unique. Here, we see an older, Kingdom Come-inspired Kal-El of Earth-96 who is haunted by tragedy, but a beacon of hope. It’s still classic Superman, but enough differences to be its own distinct portrayal. This allowed Routh to really own the role. Also, 13 years had passed since his first go-around. So, his growth as an actor is evident, and it makes his performance even better.

Additionally, Crisis treats Routh’s Superman with true respect. While more screentime would have been nice, he still stood out in a crossover event full of major characters. As a Paragon, this Superman is a big deal, and he steals the show everytime he’s on screen. Also, while Earth-38’s Superman always felt limited in his role as a Supergirl supporting character, Earth-96’s Supes never feels overshadowed.

Superman is a character who has been adapted for live action countless times. But in recent years, there has been a struggle to make the character really “click” with audiences. Superman Returns was criticized for being too much like the original movies, while Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice were criticized for being “too dark” and different. However, Crisis found a winning formula. Earth-96 Superman is clearly haunted by his past; he’s lost his loved ones, and he’s even changed his symbol to red and black to reflect that. And yet, he still has hope. Hope drives him, and he inspires people around him to have hope, despite the insufferable loss. This is Superman to a T, and it’s different enough to stand out from past incarnations.

Lastly, Crisis gave Routh a long-awaited second chance to don the cape. He never got a movie sequel, and he was associated with what many deem to be a failure of a movie. So, Routh playing Superman again was seen as very unlikely. However, the Arrowverse has a way of making impossible things happen. It incorporated Routh’s Superman – and by extension, the world of Christopher Reeve’s Superman – into its infinite Multiverse. It gave Routh closure for the biggest role of his career, and he elevated Superman to become one of the crossover’s biggest highlights.

Hopefully, Routh will get to play Superman again, whether on The CW or elsewhere. But even if he doesn’t, Crisis on Infinite Earths is an excellent showcase for him. We’re glad that the crossover brought him in and treated him with the respect that he deserves. Above all, Superman returned, and he found redemption.

Founder and Editor-in-Chief of WOBAM! Entertainment.