Arrow Adds 'The Atom' for Season 3 by Casting Former Man of Steel Brandon Routh

CW's Arrow is shaping up to be an incredible season 3 with a Flash crossover in the works, the recent addition of Katana, and now Ray Palmer aka The Atom will be making a recurring appearance. Brandon Routh has been cast to take on the role of the scientist/inventor and new owner of Queen Consolidated.

Routh, formerly of Chuck and as one of Ramona Flowers ex-boyfriends in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, is probably best remembered for playing Clark Kent/Superman in Bryan Singer's 2006 Superman Returns. The mediocre Man of Steel reboot was dreadfully written but Routh came away relatively unscathed as his performance echoed the charm and charisma of the beloved Christopher Reeves. 

Now he'll get a chance to join an established hit show based on another DC Comics superhero and appear as one himself. Ray Palmer, according to TVLine, "will play an unexpected role in the lives of Oliver and (rumored love interest) Felicity as the new owner of Queen Consolidated. Palmer’s plans for Queen Consolidated’s Applied Sciences Division will be shrouded in mystery."

The Atom can shrink to subatomic levels while maintaining his regular mass and capable of superhuman strength. In the comics he's been a member of the Justice League, Teen Titans, and the Suicide Squad. The character was created in 1961 by Gardner Fox and Gil Kane. 

It looks like the CW is assembling their own Justice League - Arrow, The Flash, Black Canary, Red Arrow, Vibe, and The Atom. In theory anyway. It's great to see Routh back on television and in superhero mode. Arrow is a comic book fans dream series. 

The show returns for its third season on Wednesday, October 8.