If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.
Superman Returns star Brandon Routh says if his Superman had kept going, he'd want him to be part of the Justice League
Superman Returns star Brandon Routh would've liked to see his version of the Man of Steel join the Justice League

Popverse's top stories
- Tom Holland is the reason Spidey's going through "Spider-Puberty" - but don't let Marvel know you're calling it that
- Arguably Japan's largest manga magazine is ending —not because of money it says, but because it has too many pages
- The Backrooms are expanding: A24's box office record-breaker isn't done, confirms Kane Parsons
Brandon Routh may have had only a brief stint as Superman, but he's got some thoughts on what his take on the Man of Steel would be doing if his adventures had continued - including joining "some kind of 'League'."
Routh's comments springboard off an audience question during GalaxyCon Richmond 2026's Superman Q&A, which also included Smallville star Tom Welling as part of the conversation. The fan asked what Routh and Welling's versions of Clark Kent would be doing had they both kept appearing following their fan-favorite cameos in CW's multiversal TV crossover 'Crisis on Infinite Earths.'
"I actually haven't thought about it in this context," Routh confesses. "I don't know, I think he'd be kind of stoked about the whole different worlds aspect. And I think he'd want to be part of some kind of 'League.' Be more connected. Mine would have wanted to be the Paragon of Justice."
Routh made his debut as Superman 20 years ago in 2006's Superman Returns, reprising his role all too briefly in the 'Crisis' TV event, in which his Superman took on some of the qualities of the Clark Kent of the classic DC comic story Kingdom Come, in which Lois Lane is murdered by the Joker (unnamed but hinted at in the CW event). He takes on the mantle of the so-called Paragon of Truth, one of the heroes destined to save the destruction of every world in the Multiverse.
Meanwhile, Welling's answer about what his Clark Kent would be doing after his own check-in in 'Crisis,' and it's a lot more mundane than Routh's superheroic thoughts, focusing more on the human side of his Clark Kent, always something of a reluctant hero in Smallville, which debuted 25 years ago.
"I think from the scene I was in, where I meet Lex, but not my Lex, all that kind of stuff. And then Clark gave up his powers, at least in that version of the 'Multiverse', which is very confusing to me," Welling states. "But I think he went into the kitchen, and unloaded the dishwasher, and he tried to get his girls to eat some food. I think he was a parent. I think he was trying to be a dad."
"You save the world, and then someone tells you there's a Multiverse, and it's like 'Oh my god'," Welling jokes about his confusion about the Multiverse. "It gets bigger and bigger and smaller and smaller all the time," adds Routh.
James Gunn's Superman movie is out now - and we have a lot to say about it. You can also read about Superman's S-Shield through the ages, how Superman and Clark Kent keep their secret identity secret, our recs for best Superman comics, and how to watch all his TV series and movies in order.
Follow Popverse for upcoming event coverage and news
Find out how we conduct our review by reading our review policy
Let Popverse be your tour guide through the wilderness of pop culture
Sign in and let us help you find your new favorite thing.
















Comments
Want to join the discussion? Please activate your account first.
Visit Reedpop ID if you need to resend the confirmation email.