There's something rare and special about a superhero actor that returns after an extended leave of absence. Whether their tenure in their roles was beloved or not, there is a certain rush that comes with seeing a long-thought-gone actor-character match-up.
Much to the delight of superhero fans everywhere, this has become a common trend among major franchises, especially Marvel and DC. With films such as Crisis on Infinite Earths popularizing this trend, there are certain actors whose returns deserve special mention.
Anson Mount - Black Bolt
Anson Mount got the short end of the stick with his casting as Blackagar Boltagon, King Black Bolt, in the short-lived ABC Marvel series far more comics-accurate version of Black Bolt in 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, five years after the end of his infamous series.
Mount's return finally did right by both the actor and the character, depicting Black Bolt in his classic comic-accurate suit. The cameo went a long way in redeeming the Inhumans in fans' eyes, though it still remains unclear if the superhuman group will ever be adapted for the MCU proper.
Patrick Stewart - Professor X
Sir Patrick Stewart was the definitive version of Professor Charles Xavier for years, portraying the character over the course of 17 years in Fox's X-Men franchise. After appearing in seven films as Professor X, Stewart took his bow in 2017's Logan, only to return to the character one last time in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, depicting one member of the ill-fated Illuminati of Earth-838.
While many fans might have been hoping for confirmation that Stewart would be returning as Professor X for the MCU's reboot of the X-Men, the British actor's cameo instead served to establish a deeper multiverse within the franchise and, though Earth-838's Xavier died a gruesome death, there still remain other variants of the character who could appear in future projects.
Tom Welling - Superman
Tom Welling is the Superman for an entire generation, starring as Clark Kent in the long-running CW superhero series Smallville for ten seasons. When the series finally ended in 2011, fans thought they'd seen the last of Welling's Superman, only for the actor to make a short cameo eight years later in the 2019 Arrowverse crossover event Crisis on Infinite Earths, alongside Lois Lane actress Erica Durance.
Welling's and Durance's cameos in Crisis on Infinite Earths serve as an epilogue to their Smallville arcs, revealing a brief snippet of Clark and Lois's life together after the series came to an end. And, while their future remains unclear following the multiversal reboot at the end of the crossover, fans can rest assured that the two iconic characters got the happy ending they deserved.
Andrew Garfield - Spider-Man
Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man never truly got his chance to shine in his own franchise of films. Starring in The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in 2012 and 2014 respectively, Garfield's tenure as the wall-crawling superhero was cut short when Sony and Marvel Studios made a deal to reboot the character for the MCU. Nonetheless, Garfield would make a triumphant return in late 2021, seven years later, in the hit film Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Garfield's return did wonders for fans' general perception of his stint as Spider-Man, leading many viewers to call for his return in future films. While there have been no official announcements regarding The Amazing Spider-Man 3's status, many fans have theorized that Garfield could in fact be the Spider-Man of Sony's cinematic universe of Marvel characters.
Brandon Routh - Superman
Many fans felt that Brandon Routh was cheated out of the superhero role of a lifetime after Bryan Singer's Superman Returns underperformed in 2006. However, the actor continued in the superhero genre for some time, portraying Ray Palmer, the Atom, in the Arrowverse for many years. Routh would get one last shot at Superman during 2019's Crisis on Infinite Earths event, putting on the cape once more 13 years after his initial outing.
Routh's return as Superman proved to be both cathartic for fans of his take on the character and tragic, as it was revealed that his version of Lois Lane was murdered by the Joker sometime after the events of Superman Returns. However, thanks to the multiversal meddling of the Arrowverse's heroes, it is implied that this version of Superman got a happy ending after all.
Tobey Maguire - Spider-Man
Tobey Maguire is best known for bringing to life one of the most likable versions of Spider-Man ever put to screen, portraying the character throughout Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, which came to a conclusion in 2007. After months of fan speculation, Maguire returned to the role one last time in Spider-Man: No Way Home, uniting with Andrew Garfield's and Tom Holland's versions of the character.
Maguire's return satiated fans who had grown up watching his version of Spider-Man. While No Way Home likely serves as the last time audiences will ever see Maguire's superhero, fans are simply happy to have seen the weathered and experienced version of the character one last time.
Ashley Scott - Huntress
Many superhero fans may not be aware of the short-lived Birds of Prey series that ran on the WB from 2002 to 2003. The 13-episode series starred Ashley Scott as the Huntress, a version of the character that went unseen for 15 years until her surprise cameo in the Arrowverse event Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Scott's cameo in Crisis on Infinite Earths is relatively short, with Huntress discovering with horror that her universe is about to be destroyed by a wave of anti-matter. While there is little substantial about her appearance, the cameo deepens the lore of the crossover event by including even little-known DC properties into the story.
John Wesley Shipp - The Flash
John Wesley Shipp was one of the first actors to ever play Barry Allen in live-action, starring as the speedy superhero in the short-lived '90s series, The Flash. The show, which concluded after only one season in 1991, would later be revisited when Shipp reprised his character in the Arrowverse's Elseworlds crossover, 27 years later.
The Flash's cameo in Elseworlds helped establish the threat of the Monitor while also setting up the character's more substantial return in the landmark Crisis on Infinite Earths event. In this second cameo, Shipp's version of the character would sacrifice himself for Grant Gustin's Flash, experiencing an emotional death that served as a fitting end for the character.
Michael Keaton - Batman
Michael Keaton became the definitive Batman of the late '80s and early '90s in Tim Burton's Batman. The actor would later return for the 1992 sequel, Batman Returns, before hanging up the cowl, which would then be ed on to several different actors over the decades. However, 31 years after his last outing as the Caped Crusader, Keaton is confirmed to return in 2023's Flash movie.
Fans are anxiously awaiting Keaton's return to his iconic character, unsure of how exactly he will factor into the plot of The Flash. Surprisingly, Keaton was actually set to appear earlier in Leslie Grace's canceled Batgirl film, leaving fans to wonder if the actor has returned to the role permanently.
Burt Ward - Robin
Burt Ward is best known for his iconic portrayal of the Boy Wonder and Batman's trusty sidekick Robin in the landmark Batman live-action series that ran from 1966 to 1968. The actor would return for a brief cameo as his character, who is confirmed to reside on Earth-66, in the Arrowverse crossover event Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Ward's cameo is relatively short, as his character discovers that his world is about to be destroyed by a wave of anti-matter. Nevertheless, he receives a fun callback to his character's iconic series of catchphrases, exclaiming in surprise as he sees a wall of red energy approach him.
