Brandon Routh Joins CW's 'Arrow' With Stephen Amell, Five Reasons To Be Excited About 'The Atom!'

Another DC Comics superhero will be appearing in the upcoming third season of Arrow, starring Stephen Amell. Superman Returns actor Brandon Routh will be joining the Green Arrow cast as Ray Palmer, also known to comic book fans as The Atom.

As reported here, Routh will have a recurring role alongside Amell in the live-action TV series. Rumors swirl that he will play a supposed love interest for Felicity Smoak (Emily Brett Rickards). Here are five great reasons be excited about the Atom showing up with the archer.

1) Ray Palmer

In the DC Universe, Palmer is an intelligent scientist who built the invention that can miniaturize himself to a subatomic size. To travel long distances in a hurry, the Atom shrinks himself to fit through telephone land lines. Because we live in a modern age of cell phones, it will be interesting to see how the miniscule hero will travel through iPhones.

Check out Palmer in his DC Nation Short:

2) Scott Pilgrim

I thought Routh did a fantastic job playing the Man of Steel in Superman Returns. The Dylan Dog actor continued playing comic book characters in Scott Pilgrim vs the World. The comedic actor delivered laugh out lines as the bassist/bad boy Todd Ingram.

Check out this clip of Todd the Vegan:

3) Jean Loring

If they're going to put in the Atom, the showrunners have to introduce Jean Loring as well. In the comics, Jean is Palmer's love interest, who later on becomes his wife. This is would be great way to present a love triangle between Ray, Felicity, and Jean.

4) Identity Crisis

In the shocking conclusion of Identity Crisis, Jean is revealed to be murderer of Sue Dibny, the pregnant wife of The Elongated Man. After Atom arrests his own wife and puts her in Arkham Asylum, the superhero shrinks himself to size, practically disappearing from the rest of the world. If season three is meant to go dark, this is the way to do it.

5) Justice League

With The Flash getting his own series, with Firestorm joining along, and the Atom showing up soon, audiences are getting their own TV version of Justice League. I can't wait to see the crossover episode where every one of these DC superheroes shows up.

These are five great reasons why viewers should be excited about seeing Brandon Routh as The Atom in Arrow. Readers, can you another reason to the list?