10 Actors Whose Career Has BOMBED After Their Biggest Hit

It's a depressing thought that playing Superman can be both the best and worst thing to happen to a rising actor, but that's definitely true in the case of Brandon Routh.

A largely unknown Routh was plucked out of obscurity to play the Man of Steel in Bryan Singer's 2006 reboot-sequel Superman Returns, and despite Routh's strong performance, the film received a lukewarm response from both critics and general audiences.

Despite the immense visibility the role lent to him, Routh's Hollywood trajectory never quite took off in the way most would've expected.

The planned Superman Returns sequel was eventually scrapped, and beyond small supporting roles in Zack and Miri Make a Porno and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, he has no major or acclaimed films to his name.

Routh has at least enjoyed a recurring role in the Arrowverse as Ray Palmer aka The Atom, and recently reprised the Superman role for the universe's Crisis on Infinite Earths event, yet despite his good looks and sharp comedic timing, he's failed to graduate far beyond the Man of Steel.