Brandon Routh On David Corenswet’s Superman: “I Cried No Less Than Three Times”
Superman has a new face, and one of his most famous predecessors is here for it. Brandon Routh, the actor who suited up as the Man of Steel in 2006’s Superman Returns, is officially giving a big thumbs-up to David Corenswet’s take on the iconic hero. In a heartfelt interview with Variety published on July 21, the 45-year-old opened up about watching Corenswet step into the red cape and how it left him emotional.
“It was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed it,” Brandon said, while promoting his new film Ick. “I think David [Corenswet] is fantastic. I cried no less than three times.”
That’s not light praise coming from someone who’s literally been there, done that. Brandon played Clark Kent/Superman in Superman Returns, a spiritual continuation of the Christopher Reeve-led films from the late ’70s and early ’80s. His version showed Superman returning to Earth after years away, only to find the world and his place in it drastically changed. Meanwhile, David’s new Superman is introduced just three years into his hero career, facing off with a modern Lex Luthor played by Nicholas Hoult.
Brandon said he connected deeply with how the new film portrayed Superman’s struggles. “I see this in a different way. I come at it from a different perspective,” he explained. “I really got into it as I’m watching him navigate those tricky Superman moments in the first conversation with Lois and Clark in the apartment. And then all of the family stuff for me really hit.”
He went on to call the film “a big movie” that has “a lot in there.”
Though his time as Superman was cut short after just one film, Brandon’s love for the character clearly hasn’t faded. A sequel to Superman Returns was once in the cards, but the studio backed out after the movie’s box office performance didn’t meet expectations. In 2008, then–Warner Bros. Pictures president Jeff Robinov said their plan was “just to reintroduce Superman,” a move that eventually brought Henry Cavill into the cape for 2013’s Man of Steel and beyond.
But Brandon did get a second chance to wear the suit. In 2019, he returned as Superman for the CW’s epic crossover event Crisis on Infinite Earths, which brought together fan-favorite characters from Supergirl, Arrow, The Flash, and more.
Today, Brandon is not just reflecting on Superman’s past but he’s rooting for its future. “I really am excited for the potential for the DC Universe,” he said. “A successful launch with this is just good for everybody who wants more of what DC has to offer. There are a lot of great properties that can be explored.”
While his superhero days may be behind him, Brandon has stayed busy with roles in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, 400 Days, and now Ick, which opens in select theaters on July 25 before expanding nationwide on July 27.
