Legends of Tomorrow star Brandon Routh has officially said goodbye to the show and his character Ray Palmer, AKA the Atom. Routh made his Arrowverse debut back in 2014 when he appeared in the third season of Arrow. He later became one of the original cast members of Legends of Tomorrow, appearing in all five seasons. Last year, it was announced that Routh, along with Courtney Ford, Routh's real-life wife, would be leaving the show midway through its fifth season. Legends of Tomorrow began setting up Routh's exit throughout the season, and he finally left in last night's episode, "Romeo V. Juliet: Dawn of Justness."

Fans were very upset and disappointed to hear of Routh's impending exit, and it turns out Routh feels the same way. Right after the announcement was officially made, Routh issued a statement that indicated his departure wasn't his choice, and many comments he's made since then have supported this. Routh has expressed his frustration with his exit storyline, at one point saying it "was not well handled." Despite Routh's reluctance to leave Legends of Tomorrow, the writers carried on with the story.

Related: How Legends of Tomorrow Writes Out Ray Palmer And Nora Darhk

Following the episode, Routh took to Instagram to share a poignant goodbye message. Along with several pictures from his time with Legends of Tomorrow, Routh wrote a lengthy message thanking those who worked on the show and the fans who've followed it for years. He then capped off the message by admitting that "There’s no disputing it’s been a challenge to say goodbye," but still shared his gratitude. You can see the post below:

Ray and Nora Darhk (Ford) made their departures last night following their wedding the week before. While contemplating their future, Ray made the decision to leave the Legends and the Waverider behind to create a new life with Nora. His most poignant goodbye was with his best friend Nate Heywood (Nick Zano), which Routh admitted was one of the harder moments to film. Routh still seems to have mixed feelings over his exit from Legends of Tomorrow, though his goodbye post indicates he's trying to make some peace with it.

Routh has stated he doesn't know if he'll ever make a reappearance on Legends of Tomorrow or the Arrowverse at large, but that doesn't mean it won't happen. Fans certainly want it to, for many have been heartbroken over Ray's impending exit. Now that it's finally happened, it's up to them to decide if it was a proper goodbye for a character who has been around since the beginning. At least they, and Routh, will have the memories.

More: Legends Of Tomorrow Getting Rid Of Ray Palmer Is A Mistake

Legends of Tomorrow season 5 will continue on April 7 with "Zari, Not Zari."

Source: Brandon Routh/Instagram