Why Superman Returns Didn't Get A Sequel, According To Brandon Routh
As Superman movies go, 2006's "Superman Returns" is actually pretty good. In our post-Snyderverse moment, we could do with a lot less desaturated CGI fests and a lot more of Brandon Routh's Man of Steel — a beacon of morality and selflessness modeled on Christopher Reeve's portrayal. In fact, "Returns" was supposed to be an indirect sequel to "Superman II" (1980) with Routh's version of the titular hero resurfacing after a five-year absence.
Back when Routh was cast in the lead role, he was basically an unknown actor. "Returns" was his big break, promising to catapult him into superstardom and establish him as a new Superman for a new generation. Routh took his casting seriously enough that it even affected how he chose roles, with the actor striving to "uphold an image" of Superman in his work outside of the comic book adaptation. And with director Bryan Singer having scored hits with "X-Men" and "X2: X-Men United," "Returns" was seemingly in safe hands. Everything was set up for success.
Unfortunately, things didn't quite pan out the way Routh or his director were expecting. Made for a massive $232 million, "Returns" made a respectable $391 million at the global box office, seemingly faring well despite not being the gigantic hit Warner Bros. was likely hoping for. Sadly, the studio wasn't quite as positive about that global figure, canceling plans for a sequel and ending Routh's big screen run as the Last Son of Krypton after just one outing. But surely there was room to grow. Surely, the mostly positive critical response hinted that there was something to Singer's vision for Supes. Alas, we'll never know how Routh's tenure in the cape would have panned out, and the actor has some thoughts as to why.
'Too much of a gamble'
Even before "Superman Returns" hit cinemas, it was reported that Bryan Singer was hammering out a deal to direct a sequel, suggesting Warner Bros. had high hopes for their latest Superman effort. Routh opened up about the "Superman Returns" sequel on the "Inside of You" podcast, where he told host Michael Rosenbaum:
"The [first] movie was widely well-reviewed, people liked the movie, but it, you know, made almost $400 million worldwide but that wasn't enough. And it was a very slow fizzle out of the possibility of a sequel over the next two, three years and I did everything that I could do, that I thought, in my world to help make it happen."
That slow fizzle must have been devastating for Routh, who basically had to watch, powerless, as his newfound stardom gradually wilted. But there was slightly more to it than Warner Bros. being dissatisfied with the first movie's box office take. In a 2020 interview with Geek House Show, the actor reflected on "Returns," recalling how "the intention was to do a sequel," but that "Warner Brothers decided that it was too much of a gamble for them." Which suggests the studio was perhaps open to a sequel even after "Returns" debuted. But, as Routh explained, several "creative entities" also moved on:
"The director and the writers kind of were on to other things, and certain people at the studio who were excited about Superman had left to go on to other projects and other studios. And so it was both the passion and interest in Superman dissipated, and also the movie didn't, I guess for them, bring back enough monetary success for them to actually pull the trigger on it."
Money and other problems... but mostly money
"Superman Returns" occupies an odd place in terms of box office returns. As Variety reported back in August of 2006, the movie "is not such a blockbuster that a follow-up is inevitable — but not such a disappointment that a sequel would be ludicrous." Which again suggests Warners was at least open to a potential follow-up movie, on which they would have presumably spent a lot less than almost a quarter million dollars.
Unfortunately, as Brandon Routh rightly recalled, it didn't help that so many people tied to the sequel started dropping out. In 2007, writers Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris decided not to work on a "Returns" sequel, before Bryan Singer eventually moved on to focus on other projects as Warners started leaning more towards a complete Superman reboot.
But in Hollywood, for better or worse, everything comes down to money. And ultimately, $391 million just wasn't quite enough to make a "Superman Returns" sequel come to fruition. Routh has since talked about how deeply the whole debacle affected him. But back in 2019, he once again donned the cape for The CW's Arrowverse TV crossover event, "Crisis on Infinite Earths," telling Michael Rosenbaum that the experience was "validating and healing in so many ways." Let's hope things go smoother for James Gunn's upcoming "Superman: Legacy."