Brandon Routh's Superman outfit for 'Crisis on Infinite Earths' pays tribute to both 'Superman Returns' and 'Kingdom Come'
The CW's 'Crisis on Infinite Earths' is bringing together a number of fan-favorite superheroes including Tom Welling's Superman and Kevin Conroy's Bruce Wayne, not to mention the heroes of 'Arrow', 'The Flash', 'Supergirl', 'Black Lightning', 'Legends of Tomorrow', and 'Batwoman'. Brandon Routh, who plays Ray Palmer/Atom on 'Legends of Tomorrow', will be on double duty during the crossover, playing both the size-changing hero Arrowverse fans have grown to love and an older, darker version of Superman.
Routh is no stranger to the Man of Steel, having portrayed the character in 2006's 'Superman Returns'. This time around, however, he will be playing a different version of Kryptonian, one based on Mark Waid and Alex Ross's 1996 miniseries 'Kingdom Come'.
A new image that was released from the crossover shows Routh suited up as the older Man of Steel and it is a pretty accurate recreation of Superman's look from the 'Kingdom Come' comics. The suit itself looks a lot like Routh's outfit from 'Superman Returns' with a few changes that bring it closer to the 'Kingdom Come' suit.
The basic design from 'Superman Returns' is mostly unchanged, though the new suit has a more defined texture and sports a darker blue than the one used for Superman's outfit in the movie. We can see the influence of the comics in the belt that's used for the new suit, which does away with the yellow-crested belt from the film in favor of a more simple black leather one.
The insignia on the character's chest has also been replaced with one that's taken directly from the comics, once again swapping out the yellow for black and with a more stylized 'S' symbol. Add the 'Kingdom Come' Superman's iconic greying temples and we've got the perfect look for the character, one that pays tribute to both the comics and to Routh's past experiences with the Man of Steel.
'Crisis on Infinite Earths' will begin with an episode of 'Supergirl' December 8 and have one episode each on 'Arrow', 'Batwoman' and 'The Flash' before ending over on 'Legends of Tomorrow' on January 14.