Former Superman Brandon Routh Poses With Supergirl Melissa Benoist

The CW's four-show Invasion! crossover is certainly bringing friends together.

We've recently confirmed that characters like Mr. Terrific and Wild Dog from Arrow will be participating in the crossover, and heard rumors about some other supporting characters from The Flash who will be taking part.

That's a departure from previous years' crossovers, when characters like Cisco, Caitlin, and even Felicity were largely sidelined in order to make screen time for the characters who needed to be introduced.

"I definitely think we are handling our Arrow business and still doing this crossover," Echo Kellum, who plays Mr. Terrific, told ComicBook.com. "I think that's a good thing, especially for this magnitude of an episode. I know that the last few crossovers were helping set-up other shows, but there's no element of that here. Every show here is an already-established show. If you're doing a crossover to help setup Legends of Tomorrow then, logically, you're going to have to spend some time dealing with these new characters who are coming in, because if you don't then you're doing a disservice to that new show."

So while last year, Iris West didn't play a role in the introduction of the Legends of Tomorrow, this year we'll see all manner of cool combinations of characters.

One pairing fans have been eager to see share the screen for a while now is Ray Palmer, played by Brandon Routh on DC's Legends of Tomorrow, and Supergirl (played by Melissa Benoist). The pair shared a photo together on Routh's Facebook page, along with a shout-out to Bulletproof Coffee, who apparently provided refreshments for cast and crew during the filming of the crossover.

Routh, of course, played Superman in 2006's Superman Returns. He spoke favorably about Tyler Hoechlin, who had been cast to play Superman on Supergirl, and has generally proven himself to be an enthusiastic participant in the Superman legacy even after his own film failed to capture the audience's imagination or make enough money to earn a sequel.

So it's no surprise to see him embracing the super side of things again in this photo op with Benoist, who will appear alongside him when all four of The CW's DC Comics shows cross over in December.

Routh's own show, DC's Legends of Tomorrow, debuts its second season tonight at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.