Superman is finally getting his own Arrowverse show on The CW, but the network should have picked a different version of the Man of Steel to star in the series. The upcoming CW series stars Tyler Hoechlin's take on the character, but it's Brandon Routh's Kingdom Come Superman who would have been the best choice for the protagonist.
The primary Superman in the Arrowverse has always been Tyler Hoechlin's Clark Kent, who was introduced as Earth-38's Superman in season 2 of Supergirl. The character returned to play a key role in 2018's Elseworlds. This year's crossover event, Crisis on Infinite Earths, brought two more Supermen to the Arrowverse: Smallville's Tom Welling and Brandon Routh, whom played the Kryptonian in Superman Returns. For Crisis, Brandon Routh plays the Kingdom Come version of Superman from the comics, who is actually revealed to be Routh's character from Superman Returns, thus making the Christopher Reeve Superman movies canon in the Arrowverse.
It was reported in late October that The CW was adding a new show to its Arrowverse lineup, Superman & Lois, starring Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch as the titular couple. It was reported that the show would focus on Clark and Lois as working parents. As one of DC's two most popular heroes, there's no question that Superman deserves his own series in the Arrowverse, but there is reason to doubt that Hoechlin's Superman was the best option. With Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Arrowverse has given fans a compelling new version of the character by adding a tragic backstory to the most iconic Superman to ever appear on the big (or small) screen.
A series about the Kingdom Come character could be unlike any other Superman story on TV, including Smallville, Superboy, and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. As a story without Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, and Perry White, it would need to introduce a new supporting cast of Superman characters. It would show the Man of Steel in a dark world that's in desperate need of a symbol of hope.
The setting of the series would be much darker than what audiences would normally expect from a Superman series, but that doesn't mean the same would be true for its protagonist. Crisis on Infinite Earths has shown that Brandon Routh's Superman is true to the spirit of the comic book character in every way. This became evident when Superman explained why he wears a black emblem: "Even in the darkest times, hope cuts through. Hope is the light that lifts us out of the darkness." In just two episodes, Brandon Routh's portrayal of Clark Kent has given the Arrowverse its best Superman moments yet.