Ray Palmer: Why the Arrowverse Hero was More than a Man in A Suit

Ray Palmer, one of the central characters of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, was a superhero with and without his super-suit. What made Ray Palmer one of the most compelling Arrowverse heroes?

The Atom, aka Ray Palmer, a stalwart of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, and the Arrowverse, has made his exit from The CW universe.

The CW announced the news of The Atom actor Brandon Routh leaving months ago while the show was still on hiatus. Still, many fans believed that Routh, and co-star/wife, Courtney Ford, who played Nora Darhk, the Fairy Godmother, would see out the end of season 5.

However, at the end of Season 5 Episode 8, ‘Romeo V. Juliet: Dawn of Justness’, Ray Palmer and Nora Darhk decided to leave the Waverider to start living their married life together.

In typical Legends of Tomorrow style, the episode was as amusing as it was touching and served as a fitting send-off to a character who was beloved by fans and will be sorely missed.

Routh’s infectious enthusiasm when playing Ray Palmer made him a massive draw on Legends of Tomorrow — a show that has consistently hosted larger-than-life characters, though many have lasted only a season or two.

What made Ray Palmer/The Atom an even more critical endeavor on Routh’s part was that the character wasn’t his first foray into the world of superheroes.

Routh took on the role of Superman in 2006’s Superman Returns, a film that was unfortunately not well-received by fans or critics, despite being a box office hit. Though set up to spawn a sequel, Warner Brothers and DC decided to go in a different direction, handing the reigns over to Zack Snyder, who birthed the much-debated DCEU, with Henry Cavill as Superman.

Then came Ray Palmer, a character who has gone through multiple interpretations in the Arrowverse but came out on the other side a multi-faceted and beloved character.

What made The Atom stand out in the crowd of heroes, and why will he be missed so much? We break it down for the fans.