Why Did Brandon Routh Stop Playing Superman? The Truth Behind His Exit

While Brandon Routh was signed on for two potential sequels, the Superman Returns box office performance didn’t meet expectations. As a result, the studio decided not to move forward with those plans.

It’s important to note that Superman Returns wasn’t a complete failure. It earned a respectable $391 million worldwide, but it was a big budget film with high expectations. The movie had a lot to live up to, considering the previous Superman film, Superman: The Movie, was a huge box office success and a cultural phenomenon. However, audiences didn’t quite embrace the film as warmly as hoped. Some critics pointed to the film’s pacing, its somber tone, or even its perceived resemblance to the 1978 Superman film as reasons for the lukewarm reception.

Despite the box office performance, Superman Returns is still considered a well-made film by many fans. It’s a visually stunning film with strong performances from Brandon Routh and Kevin Spacey, who plays the villain Lex Luthor. It’s worth noting that the film’s underperformance wasn’t entirely the fault of Brandon Routh or the film itself. The superhero genre had evolved a lot since the 1970s and audiences were looking for something different, something with more action and spectacle. Ultimately, Superman Returns wasn’t the reboot that Warner Bros. hoped for and it marked the end of Routh’s time as the Man of Steel.