Arrow’s Brandon Routh Has Seen Concept Art For The Atom Costume

Of course, while the original casting call for the character suggested that he would be suiting up as a tech-based superhero, he’s only been officially referred to as “Ray Palmer,” not “The Atom,” since it was announced that Routh would be joining the show and at times the producers have tried to play coy as to whether we would seee him in a costume at all this season.

The (seemingly-)definitive answer came up when Routh was talking about his Superman costume, and then segued to Arrow.

Asked when he will get to put the suit on, Routh said that he didn’t know — but that it isn’t in the first six episodes, which have already been filmed.

Earlier in the episode, he had been asked about living with his legacy as the star of Superman Returns, and Routh said that he didn’t mind…in part, because most of the fans he’d spoken to were enthusiastic. He told them that nobody had “had the balls” to insult the film or his performance to his face, and that the worst he gets is people who seem ashamed to like it.

“It doesn’t weigh on me and never really did,” Routh said. “I took the job knowing full well that was going to be something that was going to be part of my life probably forever. Thankfully, it’s in a good way. I’m proud of the movie and a lot of people enjoyed it so that helps, I guess. And having it be such an inspirational, iconic role, that’s a nice thing to carry with me and have it be part of who people see me as.”

Arrow returns on October 8 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.