Brandon Routh Cried Watching DCU’s Superman, Has High Praise for David Corenswet

James Gunn‘s Superman reboot starring David Corenswet just received some major praise from a former Man of Steel.

In 2006, Brandon Routh succeeded Christopher Reeve as Clark Kent/Superman with Superman Returns serving as a homage sequel to Reeve’s quadrilogy of films. Routh was praised for his performance as the Big Blue Boy Scout in Superman Returns, which ultimately performed below Warner Bros.’ expectations at the box office. This prompted the studio to cancel a sequel and move forward with a reboot, cutting Routh’s time as the Man of Steel short.

What did Brandon Routh say about the DCU’s Superman movie?

Speaking with Variety to promote his new movie, Ick, Routh revealed that he had seen Gunn’s Superman, calling it “a lot of fun.” He added, “I really enjoyed it. I think David [Corenswet] is fantastic. I cried no less than three times.”

Routh also shared that he sees Superman “in a different way” given his past involvement with the franchise. “I come at it from a different perspective. I really got into it as I’m watching him navigate those tricky Superman moments in the first conversation with Lois and Clark in the apartment,” he explained. “And then all of the family stuff for me really hit. It’s a big movie. There’s a lot in there. I have to go see it again.”

Superman is the first film installment and the true start of the DC Universe, which kicked off last December with the adult animated series Creature Commandos. Up next for the shared universe are Peacemaker Season 2 and Lanterns, as well as the pseudo-Superman spinoff film Supergirl starring Milly Alcock. An R-rated horror movie centered around the Batman villain Clayface is also set to begin filming later this year.

With all this variety, Routh is “excited” about “the potential for the DC Universe.” With Superman having already surpassed the box office of Superman Returns after just two weeks in theaters, Routh noted that the movie’s “successful launch” is “just good for everybody who wants more of what DC has to offer. There are a lot of great properties that can be explored.”

Superman can currently be seen in theaters worldwide, while Ick is scheduled for a limited run in theaters on July 24, 2025, followed by a wider release on July 27, 2025.

Originally reported by Lee Freitag for SuperHeroHype.

Source: Comingsoon.net