Frequent superhero Brandon Routh is ready to put back on the cape and tights for a Kingdom Come TV series.
The actor spoke to ComicBook.com ahead of The Flash's "Armageddon" event, which will see him return as the Atom. But the last big Arrowverse crossover, "Crisis on Infinite Earths," featured Routh reprising the Man of Steel, albeit in a different form than Superman Returns. Inspired by the older Kal-El from the acclaimed Kingdom Come series, fans quickly embraced the actor once again wearing the "S" on his chest. But Routh revealed that he's actually lobbied for an even more accurate take on the character.
"Given the story is the right story and Superman [is] portrayed in the way that I see Superman. I was absolutely always interested in that," Routh said of once again suiting up to play the Man of Tomorrow. "I have made my own investigations about the possibility of something like that. Right now, the truth is that we're flush with Superman stuff, with the success of Superman & Lois -- and Tyler [Hoechlin]'s doing an awesome job on that -- and then there's a couple scripts and stuff going around for features, I think, in different iterations at Warner Bros."
As Routh notes, Tyler Hoechlin currently plays Clark Kent in the Arrowverse on the popular Superman & Lois. Meanwhile, Ta-Nehisi Coates and J.J. Abrams are working on a Superman project featuring a Black version of the Kryptonian. And Henry Cavill still wants to play the Man of Steel in the DCEU, though it's unclear if that take on the hero will return.
"I don't know [what all of the plans are], but I do know that [The Flash] is coming out and that is opening up that world," Routh said. "When that happens and with, I suppose, the success of that, that opens up other opportunities. Just like Marc Guggenheim did with "Crisis on Infinite Earths," you can have multiple Supermen, and it works. That experiment is actively in process and hasn't been tested yet on the feature film side, but I think that's what maybe they're gearing up for. It's hard to say what the next few years will bring, but where I used to say, I didn't think I'd ever play Superman again, having been able to play him again in "Crisis," now I say, the sky's the limit. Who knows?"
Written by Mark Waid and Alex Ross with art by Ross, 1996's Kingdom Come was a four-issue DC series from the Elseworlds imprint. It told the story of Superman and other "traditional" heroes abandoning their posts as public support swells for a new wave of younger heroes, many of whom are willing to kill villains. But the haphazard ways of the new heroes cause an older Superman and other Justice Leaguers return to set things straight.
The Flash Season 8 airs Tuesdays at 8 pm ET/PT on The CW. The first episode of the five-part "Armageddon," featuring Routh's return as The Atom, aired this week.
Source: ComicBook.com