Brandon Routh admits he was devastated when a Superman Returns sequel didn't happen. Routh took on the role of Superman after the death of actor Christopher Reeve, who portrayed the Man of Steel in the previous Superman movies. Superman Returns was the sixth installment of that franchise and told the story of Superman returning to Earth after a five-year absence.
Superman Returns, directed by Bryan Singer, received mostly positive reviews and scored over $400 million at the box office. Most critics and fans praised Routh's performance, as well as his uncanny likeness to Reeve. However, it seemed that Warner Bros. wasn't happy with the final box office tally, and after much back and forth, eventually decided to cancel a planned sequel that would have also starred Routh. Instead, the studio decided to reboot the character for Man of Steel, casting Henry Cavill as the new Superman.
Routh recently spoke with Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville) for the podcast Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum and admitted that he was devastated when the Superman Returns sequel didn't pan out. He discussed how that led to his anxiety. Routh spoke about the few years after the first movie came out, including the long process of eventually learning that a sequel wouldn't happen. He said:
And it was very slow fizzle-out of the possibility of a sequel over the next two, three years. And I did everything I could do that I thought in my world to help make it happen. ... I think at that point in my life, I still didn't know that I had, that I was anxious, what anxiousness really was, or that I had it, that anyone could experience anxiety. ... So going through that whole trauma of Superman Returns - the end of Superman Returns - was a long, drawn-out process of me in denial for much of it, and thankfully, I didn't lean on drugs or alcohol and partying. I played World of Warcraft endlessly.
Although Routh went on to become Ray Palmer, aka The Atom, in The CW's Arrowverse, a character that later went on to star in DC's Legends of Tomorrow, many fans still wondered "what if?" when it came to his portrayal of Superman. That's why so many were elated when the network announced Routh would not just appear as Ray in its Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event, but he would also put on the cape and tights again as Superman, albeit one from a different universe. Although Routh stated he had mixed feelings about becoming Superman again, his fans were thrilled to see his Man of Steel finally get the recognition it deserved.
Unfortunately, Routh's Ray Palmer will soon exit the Arrowverse, although the actor stated that it wasn't his idea and that he didn't want to leave Legends of Tomorrow. Routh has also expressed his displeasure with how his character has been written off, leaving fans to wonder why his departure is even necessary. That doesn't mean he won't turn up again in the Arrowverse, but it's a shame that The CW seems to be treating him as Warner Bros. initially did after Superman Returns.