Brandon Routh, who starred as the Man of Steel in the 2006 film "Superman Returns," recently discussed where he'd like to see his version of the hero go, expressing a hope that his Clark Kent would connect with more heroes and even join some form of a "league."
Routh was responding to a fan question during a Superman panel at GalaxyCon Richmond, where he appeared alongside "Smallville" star Tom Welling. The two were asked where they envisioned their respective Clark Kents heading if their stories had continued after their cameo returns in the CW Arrowverse crossover event, "Crisis on Infinite Earths."
In response, Routh admitted he hadn't thought about it from that perspective before, but he believes his version of Superman would be excited by the existence of different worlds in the multiverse and would want to build deeper connections with other heroes.
"I think he would probably be pretty excited about the whole concept of different worlds, and I think he would want to be part of some kind of 'league,' to have more connection with people," Routh said. "My version would want to be a paragon of justice."
Routh's Superman briefly returned in "Crisis on Infinite Earths," incorporating elements from the classic DC comic "Kingdom Come," including a tragic backstory where Clark took a darker turn after the murder of Lois Lane. In the crossover, he was designated the "Paragon of Truth," one of the key heroes needed to save the multiverse.
In contrast, Tom Welling's vision for his Clark was much more down-to-earth. He noted that his version of Clark had given up his powers in "Crisis on Infinite Earths," so he figured the character would probably just go back to the kitchen, unload the dishwasher, and try to get his daughters to eat.
"I think, from the scene that I was in, where I meet Lex—but not my Lex—and all that stuff," Welling said. "And then Clark gives up his powers, at least in that version of the 'multiverse,' which was very confusing to me. But I think he went in the kitchen, took stuff out of the dishwasher, and tried to get his daughters to eat something. I think he's a dad, and he's trying to be a dad."
The actors' answers highlighted the distinct characteristics of their versions of Superman. Routh's portrayal leans into a grand heroic legacy and multiversal responsibility, while Welling's continues "Smallville's" focus on Clark's humanity and family life.