Tyler Hoechlin and Brandon Routh Both Playing The CW's Superman

For the past several years, The CW has done a major crossover event bringing together characters from the superhero shows Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. This year’s adventure will incorporate the new Batwoman as well and bring together Superman in the form of two actors who have played him: Tyler Hoechlin and Brandon Routh.

The storyline is based on a DC Comics event series from the 1980s titled Crisis on Infinite Earths, which brings together characters from the “multiverse” — parallel worlds on which many of the characters exist in different forms. As such, it’s the perfect opportunity to do something as daring as this, crossing the streams (despite Ghostbusters’ warning not to do so!) and allowing two actors who have played the same character to come together in the same storyline — though there’s no word on whether or not they’ll actually appear together.

brandon-routh-comic-con — Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Brandon enthused about reprising the role, “I am very grateful to have the opportunity to play four characters in the crossover. Coming back to play Superman and Clark, alongside Tyler, who’s done a fantastic job on Supergirl, to have two Supermen on screen at the same time I think will be a lot of fun. And also, [we’ll] have Atom and Ray Palmer around for some fun, too.”

tyler-hoechlin-the-flash-2 — Mega Agency

One person who sounds like he’s more excited about this than pretty much anyone else is Flash actor Grant Gustin, who plays Barry Allen and the title character, and who happens to be a major fan of the Man of Steel. In fact, he’s gone so far as to have the iconic “S” tattooed on his arm.

“Brandon actually texted me three or four days before the news was announced,” he says. “He was, like, ‘I wanted to tell you first, ’cause I know that you’re going to be really excited about this.’ And he sent a mockup of the suit he’s going to be wearing to me. So, yeah, I’m really excited. I think I was 16 when Brandon’s Superman movie came out. I mean, I’d just gotten my driver’s license and I remember it was the only midnight showing I’ve ever been to in my life. Like, I went to see that thing open on a summer vacation with my brother and a friend with the Superman emblem and stuff all over my car. We were stoked. And the whole Chris Reeve thing is really deep for me. Last year with Tyler Hoechlin on set was the most surreal thing I’ve experienced — well, next to being in the Fortress of Solitude — so I don’t even know what it’s gonna be like to see Brandon in a friggin’ Superman suit. I mean, it’s crazy!”

For excerpts from our exclusive interviews with both Tyler and Brandon regarding Superman, please scroll down.

Be sure to check out and subscribe to our Classic TV & Film Podcast for interviews with your favorite stars!

Tyler Hoechlin Is Superman

Tyler was introduced as the Man of Steel on the season 2 premiere of Supergirl and has appeared a total of five times. In our in-depth interview with the actor, he reflected on playing the part, explaining, “I had this great experience on set where a P.A. pulled over four kids, two of them were, like, 7 or 8 years old, two boys, two girls. I had the suit on, and they come over, and their eyes just light up. For 10 minutes, I was, like, ‘Oh, my God, to these kids, I am Superman. They don’t know my name, they don’t know who I am, they don’t know what I’ve done. They have no idea.’ I couldn’t love that more. This is so great. I could make these kids’ day, and it has nothing to do with me. It’s just I’m the guy wearing the ‘S.’ And that’s it. That was such a cool experience to be able to do that for them, and then I always say that, selfishly, as an actor, it was really informative, because I went, ‘You know what? That’s who this guy is. He’s there to make kids feel like they can do anything, they can be anyone, that good can triumph over evil’ and all these things.

Brandon Routh Is Superman, Too!

Truthfully, we didn’t get any less enthusiasm about the character from Brandon Routh when we spoke to him exclusively at last year’s Superman Celebration in Metropolis, Illinois (that’s a real place). There Brandon, who plays Ray Palmer/The Atom on Legends of Tomorrow and will be portraying that character in the crossover as well, seemed genuinely touched by the fact that people remained so excited about 2006’s Superman Returns, despite the passage of time and that Henry Cavill had taken on the role for the big screen.

“With the introduction of a new Superman franchise with Henry, Superman Returns and the energy of that movie could easily have faded at this point since we only did the one movie,” Brandon said shortly after leaving that stage, “but it’s lived on and I appreciate it. I guess it speaks to the fact that while we did not get a sequel to that movie, it made a big impact on many, many people. And that’s all that matters. And they still live it. For many people, it’s their Superman movie. And if not their movie, it’s a transitionary movie and people appreciate it, which is why they keep coming back to places where I am, I guess.”