Okay I bleed DC Comics all the way through and Superman is my all time favorite, I remember catching 1 & 2 back in the day in Queens, NY when I was little. If only there truly existed a Superman in real life. Anyway
Okay I first want to say Angelus I appreciate the effort you put in your article. Yes there were some grammar errors and you did repeat your points respectively a few times. The debate on who is today’s Superman is truly getting out of hand and tiring. It’s like beating down a dead horse. When Routh vs Welling is surfaced it seems like we’re about to wage war at each other. Here’s my 2 cents into the topic.
As I said before I am a Tom Welling fan and I do watch Smallville. Smallville is my weekly comic book phin fix. I didn’t like Routh portrayal and I hated Returns. Both these actors have flaws and these flaws are connected to what they had to work with on the iconic Superman.
Brandon Routh
Routh imo failed as Clark Kent, since the film was trying to be reminiscent of the Donner films. As Supes he had his moments (some) and he does have some moments that he looked the part with the suit. Yea he had an awful script, yea he had an awful director, and yea the rest of the cast was not right for this movie. It’s not Routh’s fault but it is what it is. Angelus you’re incorrect no one has “Forgotten and Forgiven returns” in your own words. We’re reminded every time FX channel shows the movie. In your mind you’ve forgotten and forgiven because you like Returns and you love Routh so your feeling for it is a little preconceived notion. At the end Routh is linked to a subpar movie. It’s a big shadow and the only way he’ll get a chance to at least read for the part now is if Nolan goes to bat for him against the suits. The suits at WB/DC do not want anything of Returns reminiscent with this film because in their eyes it didn’t succeed.
Tom Welling
Welling has never actually played Superman, he’s only played Clark Kent and it’s a different version. It isn’t the geeky and nerdy way from the Donner films. It’s a change and perhaps that is one reason why people don’t like the show. As far as his looks, I believe he has potential. NOWWWWW to cement that opinion I want to see him in the suit, yes I believe you called it “hand me down Routh suit” (correct me if I’m wrong). Everyone has bitched that Smallville show cast their heroes in cheap outfits. So now that the producers go out and beyond to get the actual suit it’s a problem, lol. There goes favoritism; instead the haters (Routh fanatics) should not knock but rather then say ok let’s see what Tom has. This settle questions, does Tom Welling have the look? Can he wear the actual suit and look the part? When he does wear the Returns suit we can then have something to compare. Everyone will be watching that night because curiosity killed the cat as they say. I’ll even go far to say that Nolan and the suits at WB/DC would as well. Like Routh, Welling had awful scripts to work with but also a very low budget. The cheesy affects can be another reason why people don’t like the show, because at the end it looks cheap, distasteful, and not appealing. The negative connection that Welling has is not that he was part of Smallville but that people hate how the writers have screwed up a lot of things, at the end it wasn’t Tom’s fault. The shadow that is cast over Welling is the haters of the show and not the show it self. I agree with the show’s haters, there’s a lot of things that piss me off but at the same time the show has had it’s positive points. The suits at WB/DC see the show as a success, not many make 10 years especially sci-fi/comic genre type (call it what you want). Heroes didn’t make it pass 4, lol. In any professional sport a win is a win no matter how the game was played. Imo the suit probably see it as “IF” Welling is chosen by Nolan then Smallville haters will only accepted. Now what I mean by that is that the haters will just accept the decision and have faith in Nolan (like how we should be) decision and vision for the film. This also shouldn’t have any type of continuity tie-in with Smallville.
So at the end who the f knows what is going to happen? We do know that "we" in this site have our choices, preferences and opinions on the matter. I do say and hear me out. Both Tom and Brandon do deserve a shot on reading for the part, as Clark Kent and as Supes. At the end it's in Nolan’s hands and I believe he will give both a shot. I have 110% faith in him, his ideas and direction on the film. Who ever he chooses to play the Man of Steel I'll be behind it. Lastly, if either or get the job, it’s a clean slate for both actors. I do also believe they both will need to get a little more ripped, slim but ripped before filming if it gets that far. To the haters of Tom Welling who claim that they will boycott. That’s total bull shit, no one will boycott because the saying goes “Curiosity killed the cat”.
Now I'll like to hear your opinions especially the Routh fanatics.
Mr. Reeves (R.I.P)