20 Years of 'Superman Returns': Brandon Routh on His Fall and Rise as the Man of Steel

What happens when you're told to believe you can fly, only to be brought crashing back to Earth by the box office? For years, SUPERMAN RETURNS has divided audiences, but the tide has finally - and rightfully - started to turn against the haters. On the 20th anniversary, star BRANDON ROUTH takes a nostalgic and honest look back at the experience with me. He opens up about the surreal reality of landing his dream role, the struggle and even depression that followed the release and being recast, and the closure he found through fans and getting to play Superman one last time during the CW's Arrowverse crossover 'Crisis on Infinite Earths'. JOIN THE COMMUNITY! Join the 10,700+ members of the 5AM StoryTalk community at Substack mastering the craft of storytelling (and the art of life) together: https://colehaddon.substack.com/ 🔒 EXCLUSIVE BONUS EPISODE: THE DARK CRYSTAL (1982) Brandon returns to break down Jim Henson and Frank Oz's 'The Dark Crystal'...a seminal film from his life that reprogrammed his creative imagination, ignited a lifelong passion for fantasy, and even helps explain the importance of Superman to him — and the world — today. 🔑 UNLOCK THE BONUS AT SUBSTACK: https://colehaddon.substack.com/p/bra... 🔑 UNLOCK THE BONUS AT APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... TIP JAR: Not up for a paid subscription? You can “buy me a coffee” ⁠⁠⁠here to help keep me caffeinated (translation: writing)⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/colehaddon⁠⁠... SOCIAL MEDIA: ▪︎ 5AM StoryTalk Instagram:   / 5amstorytalkpodcast   ▪︎ Cole Haddon Instagram:   / colehaddonwashere   ▪︎ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/colehaddon.b... ▪︎ Threads: https://www.threads.com/Colehaddonwas... EMAIL: ⁠5AMStoryTalk@gmail.com CREDITS: ▪︎ 5AM StoryTalk acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present. ▪︎ This podcast’s music is by ⁠⁠my dear friend Cary Brothers⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.carybrothers.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 00:00 Fans Reevaluate Returns 00:49 Show Intro and Setup 02:15 Why It Deserves Love 03:40 Context and Credits 05:22 Meet Brandon Routh 05:54 Smallville Near Miss 07:08 Growing Up Without Comics 08:53 From Iowa to Hollywood 11:58 Dreaming Big and Mindset 13:32 Signs Pointing to Superman 19:49 McG Meeting and Omens 23:49 Getting the Call 25:44 Finding His Superman 29:10 Honoring Reeve Not Mimicry 30:30 On Set Nerves and Growth 31:03 Finding Superman’s Voice 31:22 Early Takes and Stoicism 32:15 Pre Social Media Pressure 33:15 Plane Rescue Praise 34:33 Christ Like Symbolism 36:01 Powering Up in Sun 36:46 First Cut and Missing Krypton 38:59 Box Office and Sequel Hopes 41:35 Limbo and Depression Aftermath 43:33 Reboot Sting and Fan Support 46:36 Legacy in Donner Verse 48:18 Arrowverse Return and Closure 52:55 Why Fans Pushed Back 54:31 Superman as Moral Archetype 58:01 Teasing The Dark Crystal 59:19 Being Superman to His Son 01:00:35 Farewell and Bonus Episode #5AMStoryTalk #SupermanReturns #BrandonRouth #Superman #DCMovies