Former Superman Brandon Routh Cast as The Atom for Season 3 of ‘Arrow’

One day you're the new Superman, the next you're some super hero film and television bloggers have to look up on Wikipedia. Either way you're job entails wearing red and blue tights.

Such is the life of Brandon Routh. In 2006 the guy was cast as the Man of Steel in the Bryan Singer-directed Superman Returns. However, the effort seemed stale and overly reverential after Christopher Nolan came along and redefined the superhero reboot. So Routh and Singer were never invited back for a sequel.

Now, however, Routh is returning to the super hero game to portray another DC character traditionally clad in red and blue spandex. According to Entertainment Weekly, Routh will have a recurring role on Season 3 of The CW's Arrow, playing brilliant scientist Ray Palmer and his super alter ego, The Atom.

In case you're not up to speed on your lesser DC Comics heroes, The Atom has the power to shrink and expand his size on the subatomic level, which obviously comes in handy when battling villains and whatnot. The character first debuted in 1940 as Al Pratt, but it's the 1961 reincarnation of The Atom as Ray Palmer, Ph.D., that we'll get on Arrow.

Is this as good a gig as playing Superman? Hardly. But it is a steady paycheck, which is something most working actors would kill for.

Arrow premiers on the CW on Wednesday, October 8 at 8 p.m. ET.