Brandon Routh as Kingdom Come Superman revealed

[manofsteel1979]

So we are to assume since we've got confirmation that Routh is indeed playing Donner/Reeve Superman, it looks like that his " end" basically unfolds as a variation of the kingdom Come universe?

Kinda depressing. Hopefully CRISIS gives him a good nobile send off at least.

[Vordan]

Yeah, which would add emotional poignancy when he see's Hoechlin's Lois is alive.

It seems like the inciting events of Kingdome Come still happened, he just didn't retreat from society. Or maybe he stopped being Superman and just stuck to being Clark Kent?

That would be an interesting twist. We’ve seen Kal give up Clark a lot in recent years, be interesting to see him give up on Superman for a change.

[Powerboy]

I know he intentionally avoided it to avoid copying Reeve, Reeves, Cain, Cavill and so on, but he said he hadn't seen any past shows or movies. I'm not trying to be a downer or anything and I don't expect every actor to be a fan, but if the show were to depict his Superman as being less powerful and skilled than Supergirl, I don't think he'd have any particular reason to care.

It's pretty standard for actors to not want to watch previous performances of a character for fear of mimicking someone else's performance or "stealing" someone else's performance as some actors put it.

While I suspect that Hoechlin approaches playing Superman as a job like any other acting job, I do find it amusing yet irritating that most people were touting Hoechlin's Superman as great when it started and Cavill's as horrible. Then, Hoechlin Superman gets beat by a giiiirrll and it's suddenly like we're back in the 2nd grade and he sucks while Cavill is suddenly a great Superman because he's 99% of the Justice League's power level.

[Frontier]

So we are to assume since we've got confirmation that Routh is indeed playing Donner/Reeve Superman, it looks like that his " end" basically unfolds as a variation of the kingdom Come universe?

Kinda depressing. Hopefully CRISIS gives him a good nobile send off at least.

I don't think they're going to canonically confirm he's Donner/Reeve Superman, or directly the Returns Superman, aside from maybe some nods here or there.

[Powerboy]

So we are to assume since we've got confirmation that Routh is indeed playing Donner/Reeve Superman, it looks like that his " end" basically unfolds as a variation of the kingdom Come universe?

Kinda depressing. Hopefully CRISIS gives him a good nobile send off at least.

I do find that depressing, the idea of a more lighthearted version of the character from the era of the 1970s, instead of just resting in peace, being brought back first through SR and now this but only to force a more modern depressing view of him. Not that I didn't like Kingdom Come but it's kind of sad to picture the Reeve Superman ultimately becoming that.

[_Beautiful_Temptress_]

Somehow I doubt that Routh's Lois is dead. In the list of characters in the picture with Amell, it is mentioned that there will be three Lois. She may appear in the flashback, but what if this time Lois is not in DP. Also in the comic, Clark was no longer in DP after the attack. And here he works in DP.

[superduperman]

So we are to assume since we've got confirmation that Routh is indeed playing Donner/Reeve Superman, it looks like that his " end" basically unfolds as a variation of the kingdom Come universe?

Kinda depressing. Hopefully CRISIS gives him a good nobile send off at least.

I don't necessarily see him as the Donner/Singer Superman anymore than I see the John Wesley Shipp Flash as the "official" one from the old show. It's a variation of that version. It's obvious that he's filling the role of the Earth 2 Superman in this version. So I imagine he'll die at the end. Or be sent to a "happy place".

[OpaqueGiraffe17]

So we are to assume since we've got confirmation that Routh is indeed playing Donner/Reeve Superman, it looks like that his " end" basically unfolds as a variation of the kingdom Come universe?

Kinda depressing. Hopefully CRISIS gives him a good nobile send off at least.

Yeah, it’s possible the earth 38 guy will take one look at Kingdom Come’s life and see him as more of a cautionary tale than someone to look up to.
You’re right it probably will be a little sad, but I hope it’s not like how everyone expected Luke Skywalker to turn out to be this great Jedi savior, but then he ended up a sad, lonely failure. Hey at least Clark doesn’t seem to have given up heroics like Luke did (or even comic KC Superman did for a while) and even got to become editor of the DP!......granted he probably got the job over Perry’s dead body, hey a promotion is a promotion!

[OpaqueGiraffe17]

It’s too bad 3&4 got retconned, imagine Routh mistaking Lex for Lenny.

[JAK]

It's pretty standard for actors to not want to watch previous performances of a character for fear of mimicking someone else's performance or "stealing" someone else's performance as some actors put it.

While I suspect that Hoechlin approaches playing Superman as a job like any other acting job, I do find it amusing yet irritating that most people were touting Hoechlin's Superman as great when it started and Cavill's as horrible. Then, Hoechlin Superman gets beat by a giiiirrll and it's suddenly like we're back in the 2nd grade and he sucks while Cavill is suddenly a great Superman because he's 99% of the Justice League's power level.

For Supergirl: I didn't care that she beat him (kinda necessary for the story) - I care more about the writers having him consistently job to her across the board in general, even in casual conversation. Once or twice was funny as a one-off, but it just starts to wear thin after awhile - and such a complete 180 from how they treated him the first time he showed up. Now that he won't just be a support character anymore, I'm hoping that gets stopped in it's tracks.

For Cavill: True, but it was just nice to see him confident and get a solid win for a change, and to see the character's speed/power respected.

I do find that depressing, the idea of a more lighthearted version of the character from the era of the 1970s, instead of just resting in peace, being brought back first through SR and now this but only to force a more modern depressing view of him. Not that I didn't like Kingdom Come but it's kind of sad to picture the Reeve Superman ultimately becoming that.

That I do agree with. But as others have said, I think of Brandon as an alt-Reeve Superman, not the "main" Reeve Superman. The "main" Superman is from 1,2,3,4, the "alt" is 1,2, SR.

It’s too bad 3&4 got retconned, imagine Routh mistaking Lex for Lenny.

Technically, in S:TM, Lenny would have to at least have been born given his age in Superman IV.. so they could still do it.

[manofsteel1979]

It’s too bad 3&4 got retconned, imagine Routh mistaking Lex for Lenny.

They should actually have a moment where Routh goes " Lenny?" Ha!

[stargazer01]

For Supergirl: I didn't care that she beat him (kinda necessary for the story) - I care more about the writers having him consistently job to her across the board in general, even in casual conversation. Once or twice was funny as a one-off, but it just starts to wear thin after awhile - and such a complete 180 from how they treated him the first time he showed up. Now that he won't just be a support character anymore, I'm hoping that gets stopped in it's tracks.

For Cavill: True, but it was just nice to see him confident and get a solid win for a change, and to see the character's speed/power respected.



That I do agree with. But as others have said, I think of Brandon as an alt-Reeve Superman, not the "main" Reeve Superman. The "main" Superman is from 1,2,3,4, the "alt" is 1,2, SR.



Technically, in S:TM, Lenny would have to at least have been born given his age in Superman IV.. so they could still do it.

I pretty much agree with all you said. Otherwise, UGH!!

I'm glad to hear Routh will be a continuation of his Returns character. I don't mind if he had some tragedies in his life, just hope he ends up emotionaly in a good place and has some great moments in this crossover please.

[Clark_Kent]

What if Routh and Conroy are all on Earth 90? Make that the “geezer” universe. Get Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman, Carl Lumbly as Martian Manhunter, etc. and when the multiverse is saved, end with them playing bingo at the hall of justice. Ok I’m kidding about the last part, but it would be cool if they put a lot of those older stuff into the same universe. Lynda Carter as some version of KC WW would be neat.

I'm going to bet each classic version is on its own Earth, with a number designation to match. The 90's Flash tv show version on E-90, Keaton's Batman (and Robert Whul's cameo) will probably be Earth 89. Burt Ward's Dick Grayson on Earth 66. Routh's Superman will probably be either Earth 78 (Reeve), or even Earth 6 (Superman Returns came out in 2006). Per season 2 of The Flash, it doesn't appear E-2 had any Kryptonians, and now it's been destroyed anyway.

I'm pretty curious about Welling's Earth, though. Smallville established that he was on Earth 1, and it established an Earth 2 on the show. Both of these Earth's are vastly different than the E-1 or E-2 on The Flash...so I wonder if that will be mentioned at all or just ignored. Maybe they'll get cute and say Flash/Arrow are E-1, but Smallville is E-01 (since it debuted in 2001).

Questions, questions!

[jetengine]

Since Rouths Kingdom Come Supermans Earth is simultaneously Reeves and implied to be Burtons Batmans Earth (?) will they touch on the thorny issue that is the Joker.

A. Cause he's dead in the Burton verse
B. WB are weird about Bat stuff and the Joker in particular considering his recent movie sucsesses
C. Hes the one behind the gas attack

[Clark_Kent]

Since Rouths Kingdom Come Supermans Earth is simultaneously Reeves and implied to be Burtons Batmans Earth (?) will they touch on the thorny issue that is the Joker.

A. Cause he's dead in the Burton verse
B. WB are weird about Bat stuff and the Joker in particular considering his recent movie sucsesses
C. Hes the one behind the gas attack

I don't think Routh's Earth is Burton's Earth. Unless I missed something.