Brandon Routh suits up as Kingdom Come Superman in the first Crisis on Infinite Earths image, hyping The CW's upcoming Arrowverse crossover event. Ever since The CW's DC TV franchise expanded to include more than one TV series when The Flash spun off from Arrow, the network has featured annual crossover events. But this year's Crisis on Infinite Earths is gearing up to the biggest Arrowverse crossover ever. Not only will Crisis on Infinite Earths feature Arrowverse characters from core shows like Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow, it will also incorporate the upcoming Batwoman TV show. Plus, Black Lightning will join Crisis on Infinite Earths in its first crossover.
To make the event even more massive, the Arrowverse crossover will feature characters and actors from past DC Comics TV shows and movies. For instance, Tom Welling returns as Superman from Smallville, alongside his Lois Lane, Erica Durance. Another such actor is Brandon Routh, who starred as the Man of Steel in Superman Returns before joining the Arrowverse as Ray Palmer aka. The Atom. For Crisis on Infinite Earths, Routh plays Kingdom Come Superman and now fans can get a first look at his costume in the upcoming Arrowverse crossover.
Released by The CW, the first Crisis on Infinite Earths promotional image features Routh suited up as Kingdom Come Superman. Check it out below. Routh joined the Arrowverse on Arrow in 2014, but moved over to Legends of Tomorrow when that series launched in 2016. Prior to being cast as Ray Palmer, Routh played Superman in 2006's Superman Returns from director Bryan Singer.
The costume pulls directly from the DC Comics, with the red and black symbol, simplistic belt and red accents. Kingdom Come Superman was created by writer Mark Waid and artist Alex Ross, debuting in the 1996 Kingdom Come Elseworlds series. The comic picks up 10 years after Superman failed to save Lois Lane from the Joker and retreated to the Fortress of Solitude, giving up his superhero mantle, but returns after some convincing from Wonder Woman. It's unclear how much of this backstory will be adapted for Crisis on Infinite Earths and/or whether Routh's Superman in the crossover is the same one he played in Superman Returns.
In addition to Routh and Welling, Crisis on Infinite Earths will also include the Arrowverse's own Superman played by Tyler Hoechlin, who debuted as the Big Blue Boyscout in the Supergirl season 2 premiere and has appeared a handful of times since - including during last year's Elseworlds crossover. That's three Superman characters set to appear in Crisis, which should please fans of the DC superhero. But there's also some concern among Arrowverse viewers about whether The CW is overstuffing the crossover with non-universe characters. After all, since Arrow is ending with season 8, which will wrap up around the time of Crisis, some fans believe the crossover should focus more on the network's main characters.
Still, even if Routh's Kingdom Come Superman only appears briefly - hopefully in a scene where he suits up alongside Welling and Hoechlin - it's certainly going to be the kind of exciting fan service moment for which the Arrowverse crossovers have come to be known. No matter what, Crisis on Infinite Earths is sure to be a can't-miss DC Comics event when it airs later this year.
Source: The CW