Crisis on Infinite Earths Redeems Brandon Routh's Superman
Crisis on Infinite Earths redeems Brandon Routh's Superman. The Arrowverse brought Superman to the forefront of its crossover with multiple versions of the Man of Steel. Out of all of them, Brandon Routh's Superman was an absolute show-stealer, redeeming Routh's version of the titular character in the film Superman Returns.
The CW’s five-part Crisis on Infinite Earths event featured many iconic Supermen from the past. From Tom Welling's iconic rendition of Clark Kent making an appearance, to Brandon Routh reprising his version of Superman once more, it was a good event for any Superman fan, but mostly for Routh himself.
Brandon Routh had mixed feelings when first approached with the idea of playing Superman again. The actor got the short end of the stick in Superman Returns. Being forced to mimic Christopher Reeve without truly finding his own voice in the character was the primary fault in the script given to him, and it hurt his long-term career as the iconic hero. There are many problems with Superman Returns, from the premise to the directing and writing, but none of the blame fell on Brandon Routh, and rightfully so. The then 27-year-old actor was pigeonholed in the shoes that frankly, no Superman actor can ever truly live up to.
The pseudo-Superman II sequel bombed at the box office, and no other Superman films entered production until Zack Snyder's grounded reboot of the character in Man of Steel. Routh's career as Superman ended then and there with his legacy as Superman being much smaller and dimmer than what his potential allowed for. The actor had more to give to the character and it took 13-years for that potential to be tapped into once again. Brandon Routh's return to Superman transcended the crossover he cameoed in, as it gave him the chance to redeem himself as the Man of Steel.
Crisis on Infinite Earths gave Brandon Routh much more room to operate and make the role his own. On a story-level, he was still playing the Superman from Superman Returns, and in turn, still a variation of the Christopher Reeve Superman. Yet, despite some dialogue hinting at Reeve, you do not get a sense that Routh is mimicking Reeve anymore. This time around, the actor truly made each moment feel like his own, the Kingdom Come costume being a symbolic reflection of his tragic history, rather than his Superman actually being the Kingdom Come Clark. Despite a lackluster script, the actor stole every scene he was in, his screen presence dominating over all his costars, including the Arrowverse's core Superman (Tyler Hoechlin).
The one takeaway from the midway point of Crisis on Infinite Earths is Brandon Routh's redemption as Superman. If Superman Returns was a reboot like Man of Steel, instead of a sequel to the original Donner films, Routh could have had a much longer cinematic run as Superman. With Crisis on Infinite Earths, Routh got a second chance. While Tom Welling's return as Clark gave his Superman a definitive ending, Brandon Routh's return as Superman gave him a new door to stories and opportunities. The actor truly exudes all of the traits you want in a Superman: a larger than life screen presence, a truly heroic demeanor, and the feeling that you are actually looking at the greatest superhero of all time. Brandon Routh seems to get better at all of these with age; with Arrowverse's Crisis on Infinite Earths, he has cemented himself as one of the best to ever wear the crest of the House of El.