Brandon Routh Says Bryan Singer Was Difficult on Superman Returns Set

Superman Returns star Brandon Routh says director Bryan Singer was difficult to work with. Routh played the Man of Steel in Singer’s film, which was released in 2006. Superman Returns served as the sixth and final installment of the original Superman film series, paying homage to installments from decades earlier. The story of Singer’s feature focused on the title character returning to Earth after a five-year absence. Superman finds himself having to deal with the fact that Lois Lane has moved on, in addition to Lex Luthor’s nefarious plots. The movie performed well at the box office and received generally favorable reviews. Warner Bros. was disappointed by the international box office, nonetheless, cancelling a planned sequel.

The superhero adaptation is hardly Singer’s most famous work. In the realm of comic books alone, Singer’s contributions to the X-Men film franchise is one of the early examples that a Marvel movie can match and even surpass DC’s output. He’s also directed The Usual Suspects, which is frequently cited as one of the most memorable movies of the 1990s. However, Singer’s life behind the scenes has overshadowed his professional career in many ways. In January 2019, The Atlantic published an investigative report which contained explosive accusations regarding the director. In the report, four men alleged that Singer had abused them when they were underage.

Similar stories had been associated with Singer prior to The Atlantic’s investigation. Since 1997, Singer has faced lawsuits from boys and men accusing him of sexually predatory behavior. Still, in 2019, the #MeToo movement was in full swing and the latest claims have negatively impacted Singer’s standing in Hollywood. As part of the fallout, actors who have worked with Singer have spoken out about their experiences with him. In an interview with Inside of You host Michael Rosenbaum, Routh was asked about his memories on set with Singer.

Taking a deep breath before sharing his thoughts, Routh acknowledged the sensitivity involved with talking about Singer. “He wasn’t always the kindest person to everyone,” Routh told Rosenbaum. He agreed that, though Singer was good to him, he had seen the director behave in a difficult manner with others. Rami Malik and Sophie Turner have likewise referred to Singer as unpleasant and difficult.

While it is certainly a positive step that Singer has faced consequences over numerous and consistent allegations, there is a question of what might have happened and who might have been spared if powerful people had lent credence to the victims when Singer was at the height of his popularity. Routh has reclaimed the Man of Steel moniker since Superman Returns, appearing as a version of the character in the Arrowverse. Singer has not worked on a project in the aftermath of the 2019 allegations.

Source: Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum

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Abdullah Al-Ghamdi
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Abdullah Al-Ghamdi joined Screen Rant in August 2019, focusing on movie and television news. In January of the same year, he wrote a 3500+ word piece on why Primo Colón is underrated. He considers it his finest work. When he’s not arguing for the merits of his favorite wrestler, he can be reached at: [email protected].

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