Superman Returns Man of Steel: The Official Brandon Routh Thread

[JackMercy]

Difference is, it also depends on who the studio still regards as Superman. This is very much a studio-driven project. Brandon seemed to be well liked by many key higher-ups at Warners, though the creation of DCE and eventual promotion of Robinov in Horn's place may have changed things. It's still within the realm of possibilities that discussions about BR's potential involvement will happen.

Jackman's involvement in "The Wolverine" seems more due to his relationship with Fox and on the development of the script, than any ploy to grab the GP's attention. With a director as praised as Darren Aronofsky, they could have easily recast the role if they wanted for this film not connected to the previous franchaise. Sony seems to be successfully doing so with a much lesser known director, despite the public familiarity of Tobey as Spider-man.

Fox also has/had plans to reboot X-men: Origin's Deadpool as a solo franchaise disconnected from that film, but with Ryan Reynolds still playing Deadpool.

At the moment, the studio regards...no one as Superman. Interpret that however you like.

I allowed Show to post something here regarding this subject a couple of years back...and it's still true. Good luck, Mr. Holmes.

If I were you, I'd place your bets on the side of "change," that this next one will be a "new take" in all ways, and that includes all casting.

Sure, Aronofsky could have cast someone different...and he'd get about a third of the budget that he's probably getting with Jackman attached. Aronofsky may be a critically well-regarded filmmaker, but he's clearly taking advantage here of his current critically-strong status with Black Swan, and the open slot to work with Jackman again (they seem to get along well). He's been pretty much niche up to this point, and he's walked away from genre projects before...let's hope he doesn't with this one.

Having said that, I'm not interested in dealing with hypotheticals, I'm interested in projects that are actually happening.

Sony had been developing the Spider-Man reboot alongside Spidey 4 anyway...it just would have come out a couple of years later. Successful? Let's wait and see. I've talked to a cross-section of the 18-24 generation recently about this particular subject, and their reaction to the news wasn't so keen...they very much still see Tobey as Spidey (again, this audience/star relationship has been built up over three films). Maybe that will change by 2012, though...

Re: Deadpool, see my 'hypothetical' statement above -- but Jamie's very much on the mark. It's not comparable anyway, because the character quite simply doesn't carry the kind of cultural cache with fans and the audience (virtually nil in their case) than someone like Jackman's version of Wolverine, or Superman as an iconic presence.

I suppose we're veering off-topic, but...

 

[FilmNerdJamie]

I've talked to a cross-section of the 18-24 generation recently about this particular subject, and their reaction to the news wasn't so keen...they very much still see Tobey as Spidey (again, this audience/star relationship has been built up over three films). Maybe that will change by 2012, though...

It won't.

Said this multiple times now (here, in articles at TMT, on the Hole Cast, etc.), but the allure of a new Spider-Man movie is gone with the general public, and Sony doesn't seem to "get" that. Hence the downright foolish move to sandwich the reboot mere days after Star Trek 2 and two weeks before The Dark Knight Rises. Both will be monster hits like their predecessors.

I don't think the new webslinger will fail. But it'll seriously under-perform especially keeping it in that slot where it'll have its ass handed it by Captain Kirk & Spock and Bats. Why they don't swap slots with Men in Black 3 (Will Smith is the King of July 4th after all) and Spider-Man is mind-boggling.

 

[XxDelta09xX]

Last night I thought Routh was confirmed back. I was going through the channels and caught the end of something on the Extra entertainment show. They were showing a montage of clips from SR, and I heard the tail end of what the guy was saying. "....in Zack Snyder's Man of Steel. Now, who for Lois Lane?" I don't know what he was actually talking about, but that's what it seems like.

I wish this was true.

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

The Routh fans are reaching if they believe that the Wolverine and Superman situations are the same. Routh has not played Superman in four films and he isn't as popular as Jackman was after the first X-Men came out. Superman did start his career and he still has a shot at having a decent career but right now he is struggling because of the failure of Superman Returns. He still hasn't found a fraction of the interest that other actors had after they doned the tights.

 

[Man of Tomorrow]

The reverse is true as well. It could be argued Brandon has much less baggage coming into a new film disconnected from the previous.

Whereas Jackman is well developed as the Wolverine of the previous film universe.


On the topic of his career, I wouldnt say Dean Cain went anywhere worthwhile post-Superman either aside from mediocre TV gigs. George Reeves went to his grave right after. Unsure about Kirk Alyn.

All that leaves is Christopher Reeve who had a decent post-Superman career despite being typecast.

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

I'm not talking about old dead guys or T.V Superheros. I'm talking about the modern actors who have played Superhero's in movies. Despite whatever B.S the director spews The Wolverine is a sequel to Origins, he's just trying to distance himself from that movie because it was terrible.

Jackman has beloved performances in the well liked X-Men series, performances that got him on the A-ish/B-ish list. Routh was considered by some (not me) the best thing about a meh movie that people forgot as soon as they left the theater and he hasn't played in anything note worthy since...not even a sequel to the meh movie. Scott Pilgrim is only note worthy because it was a huge bomb that only connected with critics and fanboys. He's still strictly C-list and not going up.

It's actually strange because even his Pilgrim co-star and star of the meh Fantastic Four movies has been getting more work than him. He just landed another huge gig as Captain America.

Bringing back Routh for Superman is not the same as Jackman playing Wolverine for the 5th time in a sequel to his terrible but profitable Wolverine solo adventures.

Routh is still making more than most of us and enjoying his life I hope but he isn't in the same postion as Jackman career wise. I just can't see Warner bringing him back, there is no real reason too. He doesn't bring a ton of good will and excitement even if most thought he was neat in the role.

Warners will want to start fresh and I don't see how they can do that by bringing Brandon Routh back yet recasting all of the other roles? I'm not going to presume what the audience would think if he were recast but why risk that on somebody who never even had a chance to own the role? He hasn't even played his comicbook character multiple times like Keaton, Maguire, Jackman and Bale.

I feel for the fans of his performance but I think that Routh will be forgotten by the general public after they recast the role if the next movie is say...recieved better than Superman Returns was.

 

[KyleDW2]

I'm not talking about old dead guys or T.V Superheros. I'm talking about the modern actors who have played Superhero's in movies. Despite whatever B.S the director spews The Wolverine is a sequel to Origins, he's just trying to distance himself from that movie because it was terrible.

Jackman has beloved performances in the well liked X-Men series, performances that got him on the A-ish/B-ish list. Routh was considered by some (not me) the best thing about a meh movie that people forgot as soon as they left the theater and he hasn't played in anything note worthy since...not even a sequel to the meh movie. Scott Pilgrim is only note worthy because it was a huge bomb that only connected with critics and fanboys. He's still strictly C-list and not going up.

It's actually strange because even his Pilgrim co-star and star of the meh Fantastic Four movies has been getting more work than him. He just landed another huge gig as Captain America.

Bringing back Routh for Superman is not the same as Jackman playing Wolverine for the 5th time in a sequel to his terrible but profitable Wolverine solo adventures.

Routh is still making more than most of us and enjoying his life I hope but he isn't in the same postion as Jackman career wise. I just can't see Warner bringing him back, there is no real reason too. He doesn't bring a ton of good will and excitement even if most thought he was neat in the role.

Warners will want to start fresh and I don't see how they can do that by bringing Brandon Routh back yet recasting all of the other roles? I'm not going to presume what the audience would think if he were recast but why risk that on somebody who never even had a chance to own the role? He hasn't even played his comicbook character multiple times like Keaton, Maguire, Jackman and Bale.

I feel for the fans of his performance but I think that Routh will be forgotten by the general public after they recast the role if the next movie is say...recieved better than Superman Returns was.

Well, I was gonna write this, but then you wrote this, so...this.

Really guys, you keep up thinking far out situation after far out situation where Routh might just possibly come back. Now because Jackman is starring in another Wolverine movie that might be precedent for Routh coming back? Really? Don't you see how far reaching that is? I mean, yeah, I liked Routh. He is an incredibly nice guy who was the best thing about a bad movie and, if not for the terrible costume in Returns, really had the body and look for Superman. But facts are facts. WB doesn't want to follow up Returns. You can argue the why of that until the proverbial cows come home, but that's the truth. Superman Returns isn't getting a sequel. Superman is being rebooted. They are rebooting, in part, to get away from Superman Returns. So why would they bring back the face of the movie they want to get away from?

I know, it sucks for you guys. Its not fair to Routh. I totally understand. But guys...isn't it time to face facts here?

 

[Wheels]

You hit the nail on the head.

 

[rob-el2]

I do think that Routh did make a pretty good Superman who unfortunately got lost in a mediocre movie. Let's face facts though - he won't be getting the part. There is no doubt in my mind that Nolan and Snyder want to have a completely clean slate for thei movie and that is completely understandable. As a public relation courtesy to both Routh and his fans they will not discard him out of hand - when casting is done they will simply announce another actor who in their mind better fits their intrupertation of Superman.

So as KyleDW2 said - "I know, it sucks for you guys. Its not fair to Routh. I totally understand. But guys...isn't it time to face facts here?"

 

[Antonello Blueberry]

Mediocre movie according to whom?
SR has a tomatometer of 76% among the critics and 67% for the audience,
on IMDB it has an average vote of 6.6 (Superman II has 6.7).
Some people should learn that their opinion is not always the same one of the whole universe.
Ghost Rider (5.2 on IMDB) is getting a sequel where the only thing left from the first one is the actor. They're not calling it a reboot, but they changed everything else, bike included.

 

[elgaz]

Mediocre movie according to whom?
SR has a tomatometer of 76% among the critics and 67% for the audience,
on IMDB it has an average vote of 6.6 (Superman II has 6.7).
Some people should learn that their opinion is not always the same one of the whole universe.
Ghost Rider (5.2 on IMDB) is getting a sequel where the only thing left from the first one is the actor. They're not calling it a reboot, but they changed everything else, bike included.

I don't think Superman Returns is a bad movie per se, but sometimes being described as mediocre is actually worse than bad. Superman Returns had a lot of potential, but a few very poor decisions (the lack of a decent superpowered villain and the associated action, the introduction of the love triangle and the kid, the poorly filtered colours and dubious CGi) meant that it fell way, way short of expectations.

As such a lot of Hype users feel it's a very, very average movie ....... not splendidly bad, or wonderfully good ............ just average. But I see your point, the opinion of Hype users may not necessarily represent the general public. After all, SuperHeroHype fans are generally a very specialised segment of fans with an intense interest in Superhero movies so will be generally more supportive of those films (if they're good) or more critical (if they're bad) than Joe Public.

 

[KyleDW2]

Mediocre movie according to whom?
SR has a tomatometer of 76% among the critics and 67% for the audience,
on IMDB it has an average vote of 6.6 (Superman II has 6.7).
Some people should learn that their opinion is not always the same one of the whole universe.
Ghost Rider (5.2 on IMDB) is getting a sequel where the only thing left from the first one is the actor. They're not calling it a reboot, but they changed everything else, bike included.

I don't mean to be a jerk or anything, but none of those Rotten Tomatoes numbers really mean anything. Remember Pirates? The movie that trounced Superman Returns? It got pretty low user scores and made over a billion dollars and is also getting a fourth movie. Superman Returns, meanwhile, isn't getting a sequel at all. That is the biggest indicator of how it did in regards to public reaction. I'm not saying what individuals should think about it, but as a whole it seems like the general reaction was that it was a very forgettable movie.

Not to dredge up all these old arguments again, but that's why Routh won't be coming back. Its a simple numbers game. Superman Returns didn't do the numbers the studio wanted. Superman Returns isn't getting a sequel. Those are the facts. You can argue the why's and the fairness of the why's all day, but you can't change what the why's lead to. No sequel. And as for your example of Ghost Rider, its totally still a sequel connected to the first movie. But I see what you're getting at and I want to pose a question. Can you name any other movie series that had a reboot and kept the lead actor in the titular role? The closest thing anyone can ever think of with this question is Judy Dench from Bond, but she is not the main character. She also has about five minutes of screen time between both movies.

Look, I am sorry. I've been in similar positions before. I used to be a huge Spider-Man fan until they BONGed his marriage out of existence. I would think up every excuse imaginable as to why they would have to retcon that stupidity away. But they didn't and they aren't. I've been forced to accept that. Do I like it? Hell no. But the facts are the facts, and it does no good deluding yourself. Routh just ain't coming back.

 

[C. Lee]

There is no need to be calling people delusional just because they have a different opinion than yours. Everyone is allowed to have and express thier opinions on casting without being called names. Until a cast is officially announced..NO ONE has an idea what they will do.

 

[KyleDW2]

There is no need to be calling people delusional just because they have a different opinion than yours. Everyone is allowed to have and express thier opinions on casting without being called names. Until a cast is officially announced..NO ONE has an idea what they will do.

Oh I don't mean to be calling people delusional. Its just that some of these arguments don't make sense to me. Saying that the new Wolverine movie being a stand alone shows that Routh might have another shot? Or Ghost Rider? That just doesn't make sense to me.

Really, its not the wanting Routh back I have the problem with. Like I said before, anybody can like whatever they want. Its the arguments people use to try to put Routh back in the role that don't make sense to me.

 

[Antonello Blueberry]

Did anyone mention that Sean Connery did the same Bond movie twice and one of them wasn't connected with the series?
I'm not saying Brandon will come back, I'm saying it's not a given he won't.
I'm simply against the idea that the whole world think that SR is a mediocre movie.
IMDB voters are average movie going people and lots of them; more than 100k persons gave their vote for Superman Returns.

 

[Wheels]

I would be fine with Routh back, if they create an alternate universe ala Star Trek. You guys get Routh and Superman Returns never happend, what do you say?

 

[FilmNerdJamie]

Did anyone mention that Sean Connery did the same Bond movie twice and one of them wasn't connected with the series?

Ah yes, Never Say Never Again. Funny how they tried to make a second unofficial Thunderball remake years later once with Pierce Brosnan in the early 90s (if I'm remembering that right) and later around '96 with a post Indenpendence Day Emmerich/Devlin and Will Smith as Bond.

Of course, some misinformed folks think that's what will happen after The Man of Steel is released in two years.

 

[KyleDW2]

...and Will Smith as Bond.

I'm sorry, the what you say?

 

[FilmNerdJamie]

No, you read it right the first time.

 

[elgaz]

Genius casting there. First Will Smith as James Bond, next ..... Brad Pitt in the live action version of Shrek

 

[Wheels]

Yes! Shrek needs to hip and sexy like Supeman: Earth One.

 

[Man of Tomorrow]

There is no need to be calling people delusional just because they have a different opinion than yours. Everyone is allowed to have and express thier opinions on casting without being called names. Until a cast is officially announced..NO ONE has an idea what they will do.

Indeed.

I had an argument in regards to the earlier posts, but there's no point getting into it.


At this point, anything could happen in regards to Routh's casting whether he's involved or not, and we don't know anything one way or the other at this point. Just speculation, opinions and insider rumors (AICN, Moviehole etc) and BR's statement that Thomas Tull from Legendary currently wants him in 'Superman shape,' though he's already in great shape:

I just found it an interesting precedence set by Jackman being cast as Wolverine in a reboot film not connected with the previous disappointing installment.

 

[GreenKToo]

Rumors are that WB looked at smith for Supes as well.

 

[Man of Tomorrow]

Rumors are that WB looked at smith for Supes as well.

It was my impression Will Smith was just joking about that in the context of that interview.

 

[GreenKToo]

maybe so...who knows, but why would he joke about it unless there was something to it. That would have been a random, off the wall question to ask him out of the blue.