Brandon Routh

3.1. Early Career

In 1999, Routh decided to leave the University of Iowa and moved first to Manhattan and then to Los Angeles to pursue a full-time acting career. His initial foray into the entertainment industry included an appearance as an extra in Christina Aguilera's 1999 music video for "What a Girl Wants". That same year, he secured his first acting role in an episode of the short-lived ABC television series Odd Man Out.

In 2000, Routh took on a four-episode role in the third season of MTV's nighttime soap opera Undressed. He continued to find steady work, appearing in the WB's Gilmore Girls in a February 2001 episode titled "Concert Interruptus," where he played a concert attendee. From May 23, 2001, to April 17, 2002, he had a recurring role as Seth Anderson on the soap opera One Life to Live. Despite his early acting success, Routh also worked as a bartender at a bowling alley in Hollywood during this period.

3.2. Superman Role

Prior to Routh's casting as Superman in the 2006 film Superman Returns, Warner Bros. had spent over a decade attempting to relaunch the franchise. This extensive development period saw various actors considered for the lead role, including Nicolas Cage, Josh Hartnett, Brendan Fraser, Tom Welling (who had played a younger Clark Kent in Smallville), Paul Walker, Henry Cavill (who would later portray Superman in Man of Steel), James Marsden (who appeared in Superman Returns as Lois Lane's fiancé), Ashton Kutcher, Keanu Reeves, Will Smith, Johnny Depp, and James Caviezel. Directors such as Tim Burton, Wolfgang Petersen, McG, Brett Ratner, and Shekhar Kapur were also attached to the project at different stages.

When director Bryan Singer joined the production, he advocated for casting an unknown actor in the iconic role, following the tradition established by the casting of Christopher Reeve as Superman. Routh, then 24 years old, had previously auditioned for director McG and was later noticed by Singer after reviewing Routh's videotaped audition. Singer was particularly impressed by Routh's striking resemblance to the comic book icon and found his humble Midwestern roots to be a perfect fit for the character. Singer also noted Routh's "combination of vulnerability and confidence," which reminded him of Christopher Reeve. Singer made the decision to cast Routh after their meeting on August 13, 2004, though the official announcement, which made Routh an "instant celebrity," came two months later in October 2004.

Before filming commenced, Routh underwent a physical transformation for the role, gaining 22 lb ^{(22 lb)} to reach a weight of 218 lb ^{(218 lb)}. Filming for Superman Returns began in Sydney in February 2005. The film was released in the U.S. on June 28, 2006, receiving generally positive reviews from most critics. However, despite critical acclaim, it proved to be a box office disappointment, grossing only 200.00 M USD domestically against an estimated budget of 270.00 M USD.

Reviews of Routh's performance were largely favorable, with Newsweek praising his ability to "effortlessly lay claim to the iconic role." Conversely, film critic Roger Ebert expressed a differing opinion, stating that "Routh lacks charisma as Superman, and I suppose as Clark Kent, he isn't supposed to have any." Despite mixed critical reception, Routh's portrayal earned him the "Best Superhero" award at the 2006 Spike TV Awards, where he triumphed over notable actors like Hugh Jackman (as Wolverine).

Routh was initially signed for two potential sequels to Superman Returns, but these plans never materialized due to the film's lukewarm box office performance. In August 2008, Warner Bros. officially announced its intention to reboot the Superman franchise. Although Routh was still expected to reprise the role, according to DC Comics president Paul Levitz at the time, his contract to play Superman expired in 2009. Routh expressed a desire to return if given the opportunity. However, the role of Superman in the subsequent reboot, Man of Steel, was ultimately cast with British actor Henry Cavill.

3.3. Subsequent Projects

Following the release of Superman Returns, Brandon Routh continued to pursue diverse acting opportunities. He was slated to portray CIA agent John Clark in the film Without Remorse, under the direction of John Singleton and with a screenplay by Stuart Beattie. Had the project proceeded, Routh would have been the third actor to embody the character, following Willem Dafoe and Liev Schreiber. The film was initially targeted for a late 2007 or early 2008 release, but Paramount Pictures placed it into turnaround, leaving Routh's involvement uncertain.

Routh also appeared in independent films such as the drama Fling (2008), which was previously titled Lie to Me and notably co-starred his wife, Courtney Ford. He also featured in the ensemble film Life is Hot in Cracktown (2009). He was cast in The Informers (2009), an ensemble film based on Bret Easton Ellis' novel, alongside actors like Kim Basinger, Amber Heard, and Billy Bob Thornton. However, his scenes were ultimately cut when the decision was made to entirely remove the "vampire" subplot from the film.

At Comic-Con 2008, it was revealed that Routh would have a cameo in the Kevin Smith comedy Zack and Miri Make a Porno. He appeared as a minor character named Bobby Long in the film. Additionally, he served as a judge for Platinum Studios' 2008 Comic Book Challenge. Routh also made a cameo appearance as himself in the Bollywood film Kambakkht Ishq (2009).

In 2010, Routh played Todd Ingram in the action comedy Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, directed by Edgar Wright and based on the Scott Pilgrim comic series by Canadian artist Bryan Lee O'Malley. His character, Todd Ingram, is an arrogant, narcissistic bass player who possesses psychic powers derived from his vegan lifestyle, and he is the third of the seven Evil Exes that the title character must defeat. Routh later reprised this role in the 2023 Netflix animated series Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.

From 2010 to 2011, Routh had a recurring supporting role as Daniel Shaw in season 3 of the spy series Chuck, a character he reprised in the show's fifth season. He also portrayed supernatural detective Dylan Dog in the 2011 film Dylan Dog: Dead of Night, which was based on the Italian comic series created by Tiziano Sclavi. The film, however, was a box office flop.

In 2012, Routh starred in David Kohan and Max Mutchnick's CBS multicamera comedy series Partners, playing Wyatt Plank, the steady partner of Michael Urie's character, alongside David Krumholtz and his Table for Three co-star Sophia Bush. The series was canceled after only six episodes aired.

Routh also ventured into voice acting for video games, appearing in Call of Duty: Ghosts in 2013. In 2014, he made appearances in an episode of The Millers and multiple episodes of Chosen and Enlisted. That same year, he starred in The Nine Lives of Christmas, a Christmas-themed romantic comedy for the Hallmark Channel, which received positive reviews and high ratings. He reprised his role as Zachary Stone in the 2021 sequel, The Nine Kittens of Christmas.

3.4. Arrowverse and DC Roles

In 2014, Brandon Routh returned to the world of DC Comics superheroes, taking on the recurring role of Ray Palmer / The Atom in The CW's television series Arrow. He was a significant character throughout the show's third season. His portrayal of The Atom was well-received, leading to discussions about a potential spin-off series centered on the character. In January 2015, Arrow co-creator and executive producer Greg Berlanti confirmed that "very early" preliminary talks were underway for such a series.

This ultimately led to Routh co-starring as The Atom in the superhero series Legends of Tomorrow, which premiered in 2016 and concluded in 2022. In this series, he starred alongside actors such as Arthur Darvill, Wentworth Miller, Victor Garber, and Caity Lotz. He was a main cast member from seasons 1 through 5 and made a special guest appearance in season 7. Routh also made guest appearances as Ray Palmer / The Atom in other Arrowverse series, including The Flash.

A significant moment in Routh's career came when he reprised his role as Clark Kent / Superman in the 2019-2020 Arrowverse crossover event, "Crisis on Infinite Earths". This portrayal was influenced by events adapted from the Kingdom Come storyline from the comics, with his suit specifically based on the version worn by the character in that storyline. During this crossover, he also appeared as Ray Palmer / The Atom in the Supergirl and Batwoman segments.

In August 2019, it was announced that Routh, along with his wife Courtney Ford, would depart Legends of Tomorrow as series regulars during its fifth season. His final episode as a series regular was titled "Romeo v. Juliet: Dawn of Justness." However, Routh later returned to the Arrowverse franchise on three separate occasions: for the 100th episode of Legends of Tomorrow, for the first part of The Flashs season eight opening event "Armageddon," and again in The Flashs eighteenth episode of the same season, "The Man in the Yellow Tie."

In addition to his Arrowverse work, Routh continued to take on various roles. In 2021, he appeared in The Rookie as Officer Doug Stanton and in With Love as Leo. He also featured in the Roku Channel documentary series Slugfest as Joe Simon. In 2023, Routh appeared in an episode of Quantum Leap, portraying XO Alexander Augustine. That same year, he lent his voice to the animated series Magic: The Gathering as Gideon Jura and reprised his role as Todd Ingram in the Netflix animated series Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.

4.1. Film

4.2. Television