Legends of Tomorrow: Fans Are Not Okay With Brandon Routh and Courtney Ford's Departures

You know, it may surprise some of you to read this, but for a lot of people, it hasn't been a great week. With hundreds of millions of people around the world in self-quarantine amid a global pandemic, it is not surprising that Legends of Tomorrow fans are a little disappointed that their funny, energetic show is featuring an installment this week that says goodbye to its most hopeful character, played by a fan-favorite actor. It's a big change for the show, and not a welcome one for a lot of people, so there are plenty of people out there expressing their frustration or downright despair to tune in and see Brandon Routh and Courtney Ford leaving the show this week.

There's some anger, too, both by the fans and on behalf of Routh and Ford, since Routh has been frank about the fact that they didn't want to leave the series. As we argued previously, while it might be good for Ray Palmer to finish his arc this way, it doesn't seem like it's good for Legends of Tomorrow, or for Routh.

"What I try to do at work is go to work, and try to enjoy my time on set," Routh told Rosenbaum. "You don't know what the end product is going to be. And I had to go into this — you're also talking about loss, so we're going back to that -- loss of my family for the last five years, and the character that I played for six years. As you may or may not know, I filmed my last episodes in the Arrowverse and as Ray Palmer, and that was a very traumatic event for me. It was not something I was expecting, it was shocking."

You can see an Instagram post from Routh below.

View this post on Instagram

Hi All, I have such great resistance in my body in writing this—having to accept that the time has come. There are so many wonderful things to say about my experience on #LegendsOfTomorrow—but in light of the current global threat—I’ll be brief. I’m eternally grateful to the CW, WB, DC and everyone personally involved in bringing me into the #Arrowverse. It has been an incredible ride with several unexpected joys along the way. There are a multitude of wonderful, dedicated, and hardworking crew members and cast members across multiple shows that I’ve been able to team up with. Thank you to all. Thank you especially to my #Legends family, on-set crew, office staff, writers, and cast. Also thank you to the media & reviewers who get us, & let the world know! You all have made the experience worthwhile, for me personally, and I think, for the fans as well. Speaking of... #FanFamily—thank you for being you. For loving this show and allowing us to grow through our awkward teenage years. There is no show without you. I’m so grateful that we found you—you found us! It’s been a joy collaborating with you. 🧡 We are a show for those who are okay with accepting the flaws of others—because they are working on accepting their own. We are goofy, irreverent and earnest all at the same time. Hopefully showing a world where many different types of people can exist—not always perfectly, but always with humor. A balance of Light & Dark. Pessimism & Optimism. Free Will & Destiny. There’s no disputing it’s been a challenge to say goodbye. And that’s because we love this show, these characters, and you the fans. ❤️🙏🏼 With love & gratitude, Brandon Routh #RayPalmer #TheATOM

A post shared by Brandon Routh (@brandonjrouth) on Mar 17, 2020 at 4:37pm PDT

We've rounded up some of the saddest, angriest, and best responses to Routh and Ford's departure from around Twitter. Check 'em out below, and keep your handkerchief at the ready.