While most of the Arrowverse shows’ seasons are already underway, the purest comic book show on television, Legends of Tomorrow, won’t begin their season up until after the holiday hiatus. since the shows all film concurrently, this makes for some interesting difficulties with the crisis on infinite Earths crossover coming up. Yet, anywhere they are in their filming schedule now, founding member Ray Palmer, also understood as the Atom, is disembarking the ship. On Instagram, Brandon Routh shared an emotional goodbye to the cast and crew of Legends of Tomorrow.
In late August, news broke that both Routh and Courtney Ford, who plays Nora Darhk, would both exit the series. This decision is a creative one and not because either actor wished to leave.
The show’s producers issued a statement at the time, via Deadline:
“As one of the founding Legends of Tomorrow, Brandon Routh is extremely cherished by the fans and everyone on the show…of course, when we have had main characters in the past whose journeys take them away from the Waverider, it’s never truly goodbye. We like these characters and hope to inspect in with them in future seasons, to see how life off the ship has transformed them for better or worse.”
So, while the characters will leave the show, it doesn’t sound as if either of them will fall during the CW crossover.
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Brandon Routh shared His Goodbye to Legends of Tomorrow on Instagram
image via Instagram
In the post embedded above, Brandon Routh shared an emotional goodbye to everyone who likes Legends of Tomorrow, fans and colleagues alike.
He wrote:
“My final day of filming with my #LegendsFamily. I like you all & appreciate the 5 seasons we’ve spent together. It hasn’t always been easy, but I think that’s what makes it harder to leave—getting through the growing pains of the first few seasons has bonded us. and made the last three seasons a blast! I’ve never been at a job this long, so this is new for me. I think I will miss you all and the fun we’ve had making this silly show on the #Waverider—as much as I’ll miss bringing #RayPalmer to life. like & blessings on a terrific finish to the season.”
Both fans and the official Instagram accounts of his fellow cast members shared their like in return. even though he’s being written off the show, Routh seems to hold no hard feelings about his exit. perhaps that’s because it’s almost a guarantee he’ll pop back for an episode here and there. And, Brandon Routh will be the Superman from Kingdom are available in this crossover, so we’re getting plenty from him in his final season.
Why Legends of Tomorrow Is stating Goodbye to Brandon Routh at All
image via Instagram
Even though it’s the one Arrowverse series on the CW that isn’t afraid to get really silly, it’s a extremely expensive show. budget limitations typically kept Routh from suiting up as the Atom in the show. They also established early on that the Waverider features a revolving door. Legends come and go, typically at the whims of the actors. Yet, in this case, it seems that the storytellers are providing Ray and Nora a happy ending. Over the past two seasons, Nora and Ray established a relationship but typically find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict. So, for them to have their happily-ever-after, they simply have to stop fighting.
This could explain why Brandon Routh offered the goodbye he did to Legends of Tomorrow. There seems to be some reluctance there, especially since he stated he’s never had a gig last this long. He enjoys working with the cast and crew, and he also still really likes his character. This version of Ray Palmer is different from the comics. He’s the most positive member of the crew, though he can be more than a bit naïve. Yet, his message doesn’t seem to carry any bitterness. This makes sense if the decision to let him go was so they could give this character the ending he deserves. (Plus, as mentioned, there’s always the option to come back and guest star.)
What do you think? should Legends of Tomorrow keep Brandon Routh as a series regular? Do you think we read between the lines of his goodbye to the show? Share your thoughts, reactions, and theories in the comments below.
Featured image via Instagram