Popverse's top stories

• The Batman writer pitched a wild Rocketeer sequel to Disney but it didn't fly
• Star Wars, Superman, Scream stars and more headline the first wave of NYCC 2026 guest announcements
• What's next for The Amazing Digital Circus cast after the episode 9 finale? A Dungeons & Dragons one-shot with Caine as the DM

In 2006 Brandon Routh suited up as the Man of Steel in Superman Returns. It’s hard to think of a superhero bigger than Superman, so I could imagine why Routh would be reluctant to play another one. However, in 2014 Warner Bros. Television was looking for an actor to play Ray Palmer, the Atom, for Arrow season three. The producers were interested in Routh, but the actor wasn’t sure if it made sense to play another superhero.

“It turned out awesome, but at first I was kind of weary,” Brandon Routh admitted during a panel at Spacecon 2026. “I thought, 'how can I play another superhero? Like, I played the best one.' How can you go back to the well and come back with a treasure? But anyway, when I found out I had a meeting with the producers and talking Ray Palmer, and how they wanted him to be bringing a lot of levity and some humor into what is a fairly dark show. I was like, ‘You promise?’ And they said yes. And I said, okay, then I can make this work.”

This turned out to be a good move on Routh’s part, as his role as Ray eventually landed him a regular gig on the Arrow spinoff Legends of Tomorrow. Plus, his participation in the Arrowverse opened the door for him to reprise his role as Superman for the CW’s Crisis on Infinite Earths television event. By saying yes to the Atom, he didn’t realize he was setting up his return as Superman (no pun intended).

Superman Returns is currently streaming on HBO Max.

Want to know what's coming up next in pop culture? Check out Popverse's guides to:

• Upcoming movies
• Upcoming TV shows
• Upcoming comics
• Upcoming games
• Upcoming fiction books
• Upcoming comic conventions