Wow.
The CW Network has released the first image of Brandon Routh’s reprisal of Superman for the forthcoming Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event, which will unspool on CW this December and into January. And…
WOW.
Routh is a long, long way from his first onscreen appearance as the character, headlining the 2006 film Superman Returns, an attempted restart to the film franchise following the original Christopher Reeve films from the 1980’s and 90s. And…
WOW.
We never got to see how Routh could have grown into the role past his 2006 appearance, which is why this first look is so stunning. It’s as if we’re getting a glimpse at an alternate reality where Routh never stopped playing Superman.
Which is all the more meta, because the Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline is all about getting to see and interact with alternate realities. Further, the version of Superman that Routh is now embodying is the “Kingdom Come” version of the character, one that disappeared from the public eye for decades, grew much older (hence the graying temples), grew much colder (hence the black background in his iconic ‘S’), and who eventually returns to settle a planet-wide metahuman crisis.
The Kingdom Come mini-series was published 23 years ago, back in 1996, but without spoiling it entirely: Not everyone survives the choices that this version of Superman makes. Crisis on Infinite Earths promises to be very exciting.
We are excited to share the first look of Brandon Routh as Superman! Routh will also be playing Ray Palmer, The Atom and Clark Kent in the crossover.
Photo Credit: Jordon Nuttall pic.twitter.com/4avnoMiQYu— The CW PR (@TheCW_PR) September 27, 2019
Routh returns as Superman this December. Though it looks like he never left.
