Brandon Routh discusses his “challenging” Legends of Tomorrow exit

Brandon Routh took his final bow (alongside his real-life wife, Courtney Ford) on DC’s Legends of Tomorrow this week, and it was very, very hard to watch. Routh has been a part of the Arrowverse for years, and it was difficult to get our heads around the idea that he was going to leave.

Playing the happy-go-lucky, optimistic Ray Palmer, Routh always brought life and sunshine into any episode he was in. To say he will be missed is a gross understatement, and I know many of you feel the same.

In an interview with SYFY Wire, Brandon Routh opened up about his exit, and how he and Ford are moving onto the next stage of life. As it ends up, he wasn’t entirely happy with the way things went down behind the scenes:

"I was called by our showrunner while I was in Vancouver and they were in Los Angeles, and I had to put two and two together to realize that we weren’t going to be in all the episodes of the show [this season] and also that this was going to be our last season. I won’t go through all of that, but there are better ways to have handled that situation, especially for someone who has been on the show since it began. So that started everything out on the wrong foot, and every day has been very challenging."

Routh also appeared on Michael Rosenbaum’s podcast “Inside of You,” and didn’t shy away from once again reminding listeners he and Ford did not want to leave the show, and it wasn’t up to them.

Routh says that filming his final episodes “was a very traumatic event for me.” Sigh, knowing that he felt that way hurts.

But whatever misgivings he may have about the process, Routh did at least think the episodes turned out well:

"This episode and the previous episode are two of the best episodes the show has ever produced. It was great story, great comedy, obviously great heart and emotion that comes out in both of them. It was a challenge to film the entire season for myself, and for Courtney as well, knowing that this was going to be our last season. It’s a challenging position to be in, because I love our writers and what they’ve done with the show, but it’s a tough position for me because I know that they loved Ray and they were doing the best they could by [having] them exit this way. They did the best they could, but that was hard for me personally, for both of us, because we didn’t want to go."

Ultimately, I think this was the best way to send off these incredible characters. By the way, who else was crying during Ray and Nate’s (Nick Zano) goodbye scene? It was tough for the guys too.

"That was the hardest moment of saying goodbye. Because it’s not just acting, it’s personal. Nick and I are friends and the camaraderie that those guys have is what we share in our time on set or off set."

I respect Routh for being incredibly open about the challenges that have come with having to leave a job he has invested so much time in. It’s not easy, and having to rehash it during interviews constantly can’t help. He said he tries his best to give polite, “political answers”, but at the end of the day, it’s still hard.

"But there comes a time when I realize that it’s a day and age where we’re talking about mental health and anxiety so openly and freely, thankfully, so it was important for people to know the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Everybody is going through their own challenges. Speaking on Michael Rosenbaum’s podcast a couple of weeks ago brought that to light for me that it’s important. People are responding in positive ways to us talking about these challenges we have in our lives."

As I said before, Brandon Routh brought this amazing, positive energy to the Arrowverse as Ray Palmer. The show is definitely going to miss that. I have no hesitation in saying Ray was one of my favorite Arrowverse characters, and I’m glad Routh sees why playing such a character was so great. “His joy. Joy for life, for new adventure, for bringing people together. I think it all stems from his joy from experiencing something new and something different,” he mused.

So given that neither Ford nor Routh wanted to leave, is there any chance they could come back for a random episode, or even a crossover event?

"It’s a weird question to answer. I can say yes to all of the other Arrowverse shows, that’s easy. I love those people and I love the character. But [as for Legends of Tomorrow] we were effectively told there was nothing left to write for our characters, so I don’t see how that’s possible [to come back]. This has left an indelible mark on our lives. It’s impacted our lives and our families and the fans of these two characters. It’s not up to me. Ultimately the first step doesn’t start with me."

If they don’t bring back Brandon Routh at some point, us Arrowverse fans will riot! Just saying.

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