Brandon Routh just pulled off one of the best Comic-Con surprises of the year. And no, it didn’t involve a red cape. The 45-year-old actor, best known for his turn as Superman in Superman Returns (2006), showed up at an All-American Rejects concert dressed head-to-toe in Spider-Man cosplay. Entertainment Weekly even posted the moment on Instagram, writing, “Surprise! Brandon Routh walked out on stage dressed in full Spider-Man cosplay during the packed All-American Rejects concert at #ComicCon.”
And, of course, fans lost it. “Dare I say it, he’d make a great older Peter Parker,” one person wrote. Another chimed in with a cheeky nod to his Scott Pilgrim vs. The World villain: “But does he have vegan powers?” One comment simply said what everyone was thinking: “I totally see him as Spider-Man.” And, honestly, they’re right! Routh does look like he could swing into the MCU tomorrow as a seasoned Peter Parker.
It’s also not as far-fetched as it sounds. Both Marvel and DC have been throwing around multiverse stories like confetti for years now. Routh himself already made a multiversal comeback when he returned as Superman in Crisis On Infinite Earths (2019-2020), the CW’s massive Arrowverse crossover that canonized all DC movies and TV shows into one big shared multiverse. His Kingdom Come-inspired Man of Steel was a hit with fans, and it felt like closure for a role that ended too soon after Superman Returns struggled at the box office.
But is it really over for his Superman? Maybe not. Marc Guggenheim, the Crisis On Infinite Earths showrunner, recently teased the possibility of more Routh-Kryptonian action. After a fan on Twitter/X asked about a continuation, Guggenheim replied, “Brandon and I have talked about a sequel series. We have some really exciting ideas…” The tweet went viral, and while Guggenheim later clarified on Substack that talks have only been between him and Routh (no studio involvement yet), he thanked fans for still wanting more of that version of Superman.
So, what’s next for Routh? Could he really jump from DC back to Marvel and suit up as Spider-Man? Henry Cavill reportedly joining the MCU as Wolverine shows anything is possible. And given Routh’s charm, age, and experience with multiverse storytelling, a grizzled, alternate-universe Peter Parker could actually work.
What do you think? Would you rather see Brandon Routh soaring through the skies again as the Kingdom Come Superman in a new DC series or cracking dad jokes as an older Spider-Man in the MCU? Either way, Comic-Con just reminded everyone that Brandon Routh still has the superhero look, and fans aren’t ready to let him hang up the spandex just yet.
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