DC’s Legends of Tomorrow roster is about to become a bit lighter. It has been announced that Brandon Routh and Courtney Ford have exited the show as series regulars.
Brandon Routh plays Ray Palmer/Atom while Courtney Ford plays Nora Darhk. Executive producers Phil Klemmer, Grianne Godfree, and Keto Shimizu had this to say about their departure:
“Brandon and Courtney have been invaluable members of the Legends family. They have always brought a level passion and collaboration to their characters and to the show — both on and off the screen – that we deeply admire and for which we are eternally grateful.”
Routh and Ford’s exits stem from a creative decision to wrap up their storyline. Because of the nature of the time-traveling Legends of Tomorrow, there has been a natural character turnover, with series regulars leaving as their stories come to an end and new ones coming on board. Of the large regular ensemble cast that started in Season 1, only a couple will still be on the show by the end of this coming season.
Routh was among the core group of fan-favorite recurring actors from Arrow and Flash who were recruited to anchor the third Arrowverse series, along with Victor Garber, Wentworth Miller, and Caity Lotz, and has been a series regular from the start.
Routh’s wife, Ford, joined Legends of Tomorrow as a recurring in Season 3 and was promoted to a regular at the beginning of Season 4. Much like in real life, their characters became romantically linked on the series.
The exit should take place sometime during the upcoming fifth season. Routh and Ford are expected to film their final episode in October. Producers, however, have left it open for either of them to return:
“Of course, when we have had main characters in the past whose journeys take them away from the Waverider, it’s never truly goodbye. We love these characters and hope to check in with them in future seasons, to see how life off the ship has transformed them for better or worse.”
Routh will be pulling double duty in the upcoming Arrowverse crossover where he will be playing Atom and Superman, a role he played in the 2006 Bryan Singer film, Superman Returns.
