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Brandon Routh on joining a new sci-fi universe in 'Quantum Leap,' the end of 'Legends of Tomorrow'
The much-loved actor talks about his affinity for time-travel storytelling.
In the next Quantum Leap episode, "S.O.S." which airs March 6, Dr. Ben Song's next leap finds him a member of the crew of the USS Montana. More importantly, he's serving under Addison's (Caitlin Bassett) dad, Executive Officer Augustine played by none other than Brandon Routh.
A fixture in contemporary genre film and television, Routh donned the red cape to play Superman on the big screen in Superman Returns (2006), was super-powered vegan Todd Ingram in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and superhero/inventor Ray Palmer in DC's Legends of Tomorrow and across the Arrowverse shows.
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It was on Legends that Routh really got to embrace his love of time-travel storytelling as Atom bounced around time with his fellow heroes. And it was certainly the perfect primer for Routh guest starring on the revival of Quantum Leap. Since the cancellation of Legends at the end of the seventh season in 2022, Routh has been plenty busy with other film and television roles. But the unfinished storylines left dangling with that abrupt ending is something the actor says still doesn't feel right.
"We were done in 2019, so we've been coming to terms with that for some time," Routh tells SYFY WIRE. "But you know, I just love all the Legends fans, and they deserve some kind of a wrap up, so I hope that they get it." But he's admits that he's happy to be back on another time travel series like Quantum Leap. "I just love this type of world of time travel where anything's possible. And I'm so excited to be a part of another show like that."
In the tense thriller themed episode, Routh teases that Addison's daddy is going to have quite the 24-hours of hell when their ship gets caught up in a potential international incident. And with Ben and Addison's help, they just might change XO Augustine's whole future.
The episode also afforded the actor to work on the actual USS Iowa ship which is named after his home state. Plus, he gets to wear a Naval uniform and bark orders. However, he's quick to admit that some of the fancy moves his character does in the episode aren't all him. "I had a wonderful stunt double," he laughs. "So, I do everything leading up to it. And it's really all about setting your teammates up for success," he jokes. "I take the snap, but then I hand it off to the professional people."
He also teases a big emotional moment with his daughter that he says was a joy to play with actress Caitlin Bassett, even if it was the last shot during one of their very late night shoots. "It's always the last shot of the night," he laughs about when they had to squeeze in the sequence. "The most intense things are always pushed off to the end of the day. Whether its's a huge fight scene or the biggest, most emotional scene where you're like, 'All day I've been holding all this emotion, so I don't let go of it!' And then you got to hurry up and go."
To see how that scene plays out and the fate of Addison's dad, tune in for the new episode of Quantum Leap airing Monday at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, then stream next-day on Peacock. A second season is currently in development.
