It’s been almost a year since James Gunn offered us his take on Superman. Since then, fan discourse has centered on which version better embodies truth, justice, and the American way: his or Zack Snyder’s.
I think it’s safe to say that David Corenswet gave us a more down-to-Earth take on the Man of Steel, especially compared to Henry Cavill’s borderline godlike performance. And yet, both versions pale in comparison to one of the most overlooked Supermen to ever hit the silver screen: Brandon Routh.
Three specific moments in Superman Returns stand out as the ultimate live-action shows of power from the Man of Steel. To commemorate twenty years since the release of Returns, let’s take a look at how the Superman who famously didn’t throw a single punch eventually became the most powerful of the lot.
Superman Takes a Bullet to the Eye — And Doesn’t Flinch
We all know that Superman is faster than a speeding bullet – except for Bryan Singer and Brandon Routh, probably. Superman Returns famously features a scene where Superman proves why they call him the Man of Steel by taking a bullet to the eye without so much as flinching.
I know Snyder usually gets a lot of flak for his liberal use of slow-motion, but here? It was completely justified.
Brandon Routh’s Superman Catches a Falling Plane — With His Bare Hands
In one of the movie’s most breathtaking scenes, Superman saves Lois Lane, all the passengers aboard a massive Boeing 777, and possibly an entire stadium’s worth of innocent spectators from meeting a blazing end.
The sequence perfectly captures the vibe Superman Returns was going for. It’s the kind of feat you’d expect from the Golden Age Man of Steel: a showcase of power and heroism that easily answers Lois Lane’s provocative piece – this is why Metropolis (and the rest of DC) needs Superman. What most people don’t know is that the sequence nearly didn’t survive the editing room.
He Lifted a Kryptonite Island Into Space — While Dying
Most of the time, all it takes to strip Superman of his superhuman strength and the rest of his powers is merely to expose him to a bit of Kryptonite. Brandon Routh’s Superman isn’t immune to the debilitating effects of Kryptonite, but he sure would not let a bit (i.e., an entire island) stop him.
When Lex Luthor (played by Kevin Spacey in Returns, no less) stabs him with a shard of Kryptonite, the effects allow him to beat Superman within an inch of his life. Part of Luthor’s plan in Returns involves a massive island made of Kryptonite, which Luthor says will be a gold mine in real estate.
The only problem with Lex’s plan is that the island’s rapid growth threatens to engulf America. As soon as the Kryptonite shard is removed from Superman, he manages to lift the entire island (which, again, is made of the very material that nullifies his powers) and flies off into space, launching the massive landmass far away from Earth. And for all of Lex’s scheming, the film’s biggest structural weakness had nothing to do with the Kryptonite island.
The Superman We Never Got
Bryan Singer had a very unique vision for the Man of Steel – one of a reluctant warrior who’s there to protect, not to fight. He might not be as good at levelling buildings as Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, or perhaps not as relatable as Gunn’s Superman. Still, when it comes to sheer power levels, Superman Returns’ Brandon Routh easily takes the Kryptonian cake. The tragedy is that the sequel would have pushed those limits even further — and we never got to see it. Whether Gunn’s Superman owes more to Returns than fans realise is a debate worth having. When it comes to raw power, no live-action Superman — not Cavill, not Corenswet, not Reeve — has ever come close to what Brandon Routh did without throwing a single punch.
