“Crisis on Infinite Earths” doesn't only bring together every series in The CW’s Arrowverse, it's also canonizing a plethora of DC-based series and movies by visiting the parallel realities where those versions of the characters exist. One of those Earths, as revealed in “Part 2” of the event, is Earth-96, where Brandon Routh reprises his role as the Man of Steel for the first time since 2006's Superman Returns.
Following the lackluster reception to his debut 13 years ago, it felt like Routh would never get another chance to soar as the Last Son of Krypton. The overwhelmingly positive reaction to his appearance in "Crisis," however, proves he still havd what it takes to carry a Superman movie.
By 2006, it had been 19 years since Superman had starred in a major motion picture. 1987’s abysmal Superman IV: The Quest for Peace appeared to have been the franchise's kryptonite, as a number of proposed feature projects failed to materialize. When the Man of Steel finally reappeared on the big screen, though, it was in a film that oddly existed in the same continuity as the 1978 classic, without the same wit and charm that made the original so endearing. So, the demand for a sequel never came to pass.
Instead, the so-called DC Extended Universe was (retroactively) born in 2013 with director Zack Snyder's reboot Man of Steel. The film was enough of a financial success lead to 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and 2017's Justice League, but this gritty, brooding interpretation of the character divided fandom.
At the moment, Warner Bros. can’t seem to decide what to do with Superman’s cinematic future. Michael B. Jordan reportedly has a pitch for the character, and the current Superman, Henry Cavill, has hinted he isn’t done with the role just yet. But with Justice League’s disappointing box office, a divided fanbase and The CW’s recent success, perhaps the studio should consider picking up the story threads left by “Crisis on Infinite Earths.”
In the episode, Clark Kent (played here by Tyler Hoechlin), Lois Lane (Bitsie Tulloch) and Iris West Allen (Candice Patton) are sent by the Monitor to alternate Earths in search for another Kryptonian who will serve as the Paragon of Truth in the fight against the Anti-Monitor. Their quest takes them to Earth-96, where they meet an older Clark Kent/Superman (Routh) who lost everyone he loved when the Joker gassed the Daily Planet building.
When it was announced that Routh (who plays Ray Palmer in the Arrowverse) would portray Superman again, it was under the stipulation that this would be the Man of Steel from the seminal Kingdom Come storyline. The big twist came toward the end of the episode, though, when it is revealed this is the Superman that Routh played in 2006.
What Warner Bros. has in “Crisis on Infinite Earths” is a Superman who has suffered without losing his inherent positivity. He is confident but also has doubts. This incarnation is practically screaming to be given a feature film in which his complexities can be explored. Fans of the DCEU will identify with his darker side and modern concerns, while purists will delight in his genuine sense of hope, ensuring a reunited fandom and the blockbuster box office payday Superman deserves.
"Crisis on Infinite Earths" concludes Tuesday, Jan. 14, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Arrow and at 9 p.m. on DC's Legends of Tomorrow.