Though he only appeared as the Man of Steel in one cinematic outing, Superman Returns star Brandon Routh managed to stay part of the DC universe by playing Ray Palmer/The Atom in The CW’s Arrowverse. And now, it looks like a future episode of Legends of Tomorrow is going to allude to Routh’s past turn as the Last Son of Krypton in a very fun way.
The actor has taken to Instagram to share a shot of some interesting set dressing on the time-travelling superhero show. It sees him staring at a crystalline structure that DC fans will recognize as looking very similar to the Fortress of Solitude, Superman’s icy retreat hidden away at the North Pole.
“Something about this set is making me feel at home,” Routh joked in the caption for the photo, which can be seen in the gallery below along with a few pics from the next episode.
Released in 2006, Superman Returns was largely a homage to the Christopher Reeve/Richard Donner Superman movies, complete with a CGI cameo from the late Marlon Brando as Jor-El. Likewise, Routh was mostly playing the title role as an impression of Reeve’s interpretation, which put some people off. However, the actor does have a cult fanbase who really admire him and wish he had gotten the chance to play the character again in a sequel.
Circling back to this photo, though, and we’re wondering if it’s a hint that Atom and the Legends will visit the Fortress? It’s logistically possible, after all, as the ice palace frequently pops up on Supergirl. However, going by the very un-Fortress-y surroundings behind Routh, we imagine that this is just a visual nod to Superman lore that’s been put there as an easter egg for fans to pick up on. But hey, we could be wrong.
Legends of Tomorrow returns to The CW on February 12th.
