Brandon Routh: Former ‘Superman’ To Play Different DC Hero

Brandon Routh wasn’t exactly a fan favorite with his portrayal of the Man of Steel in Superman Returns, but that doesn’t mean he can’t shine in another super heroic role. According to a report in The Hollywood Reporter, Routh has been recruited by the CW to play The Atom in their hit live action TV series Arrow in the series’ third season.

According to a report on Yahoo TV, Brandon will play the role of Ray Palmer, The Atom’s alter-ego and a brilliant scientist. The report goes on to say that Palmer will unexpectedly become the CEO of Queen Consolidated and that he is expected to throw a curveball or two into the subplots involving Felicity. It has been hinted that Brandon Routh’s character could be a love interest for Felicity.

Brandon Routh’s performance will be the first time The Atom has received significant attention in a live action portrayal of the DC Universe. While the diminutive superhero did have a part in the CBS pilot for Justice League of America, that show never took off and The Atom was again relegated to comic book pages and an occasional appearance in animated representations of the DC Universe.

For those unfamiliar with Brandon Routh’s character, The Atom has been around the DC Universe since the Silver Age, making his debut in 1961. Assuming Arrow more or less follows the script written for The Atom throughout his comic book history, Brandon Routh’s character will have developed a lens that allows him to shrink anything — including himself. The Atom is able to use the lens and a special tool belt he has developed to reduce himself to subatomic size. More recent incarnations of the Atom use a special costume crafted from material from a dwarf white star to allow The Atom to shrink. The costume Brandon Routh will wear has not yet been revealed.

Whichever backstory Arrow uses for The Atom, it’s going to be interesting to see how his interaction plays out.

Brandon Routh and The Atom join a host of other DC superheroes to make appearances in Arrow, but it looks like his character will play a recurring role that factors significantly into the overarching plot line. DC fanboys are undoubtedly already wondering if this means we will also see an appearance by Hawkman, who has a history in the DC Universe as The Atom’s closest super-friend — and who has also had a long history of animosity with Oliver Queen and Green Arrow.

I’ve learned my lesson about making public pre-judgments about Justice League casting — as evidenced in the comments in this article about Jason Momoa as Aquaman and this interview with an aspiring author who claims that the Justice League saved his life — so I’ll ask you…

What do you think? Is Brandon Routh a good choice to play The Atom and will the character have a positive impact on Arrow?