After six years on board the Arrowverse, Brandon Routh is exiting Legends of Tomorrow in the time travel show’s upcoming run. Though season 5 has yet to begin on The CW, filming’s been underway since July and today marked Routh’s final day playing Ray Palmer/Atom, at least as a regular.
To commemorate the occasion, the actor took to Instagram to share some behind-the-scenes snaps from his last day on set along with a moving message. The images showcase the gifts the cast and crew supplied him with for his “golden wrap” – including the puppet Ray from season 4, while the caption he posted reads as follows:
My final day of filming with my #LegendsFamily. I love 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. Love & blessings on a great finish to the season.
As you can see, Routh touches on the evolution of Legends, from its middling first seasons to its much more successful recent runs, saying that the crew of the Waverider “bonded” off screen just as the characters did on it. The final line also confirms that he’ll leave the show before the fifth season is out.
If you’ll recall, news of Routh’s exit broke back in August. The actor, who’ll be bowing out alongside his real-life wife Courtney Ford (Nora Darhk), revealed soon after that it wasn’t his choice to say goodbye to the Atom and he would’ve loved to have stayed on for longer. And sure enough, the decision from the writers to get rid of Ray has been met with much criticism from fans.
On the upside, at least his appearance in this year’s big crossover “Crisis on Infinite Earths” should end his Arrowverse career on a high note. For the first time since 2006, Routh will be suiting up as Superman again, getting to share the screen with fellow Men of Steel Tyler Hoechlin and Tom Welling. Atom is also likely to show up, too, giving him a dual role in the event.
“Crisis on Infinity Earths” kicks off this December 8th and concludes on January 14th with the Legends of Tomorrow season 5 premiere.