Brandon Routh

The Curse of the Blue Tights

Christopher Reeve cast too long a shadow over 2004. Brandon Routh was a waiter in Los Angeles who suddenly found himself in an eight-thousand-dollar latex suit. Warner Bros. was looking for a physical clone, and he had the exact jawline for the job.

The release of Superman Returns in 2006 divided critics but was not the financial disaster that collective memory often claims. The film earned 391 million dollars worldwide. But the studio expected a massive cultural phenomenon, and the contract for the sequels ended up locked in a drawer in Burbank.

And the industry quickly forgot him.

Routh went from being the most wanted man on the planet to landing one supporting role after another in low-budget productions. In 2008, he appeared in ¿Hacemos una porno? under the direction of Kevin Smith. It was an attempt to break out of his typecast image that barely made a dent in his commercial value.

Surviving the Secondary Market

Before giving up, he tried his luck in action comedy and cult cinema. In 2010, he played Todd Ingram in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. That role as a vegan bassist with mental powers showed he had a comedic range that the major Hollywood studios had barely tapped.

Television saved the day.

In 2014, his career found a safe haven at The CW network. He returned to the DC Comics universe, but this time without the cape. He played Ray Palmer in the series Arrow and later led the cast of Legends of Tomorrow for five full seasons.

It was an unexpected relief.

During the crossover titled Crisis on Infinite Earths in 2019, he put the Superman suit back on. This time, he played a mature version inspired by the comic Kingdom Come. Fans responded with a nostalgia the actor had not experienced in a decade.

His departure from Legends of Tomorrow in 2020 was not his own decision, and the actor publicly voiced his disagreement with the creative direction. So he looked for fresh air in police procedurals. In 2021 he joined The Rookie, playing a character that broke with his kind-hearted image.

In 2023, he took part in the reboot of Quantum Leap, playing Alexander Augustine. Filming for his episodes took place at Universal's studios in California under strict union protocols. The production wrapped his appearance with a standard salary for guest stars at his level.