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In classic Superman lore the Man of Steel acts clumsy and overexcited when he’s in his Clark Kent persona. The reasoning for this varies depending on the incarnation of the character, but it’s generally accepted that this is Clark’s way of making himself seem like an unlikely candidate for Superman.

Brandon Routh has another theory.

Routh, who played the Man of Steel in the 2006 film Superman Returns, recently appeared at Megacon 2025, where he shared his Clark Kent theory. During a spotlight panel Routh spoke about the way he portrayed Clark in the film, and why he believes the reporter acts the way he does.  

“The only conscious shift I thought I had about Clark was I didn’t want him to necessarily be bumbling and be clumsy, Routh said. “I had to figure out a reason why he’s like that. He’s not putting on an act. It’s because he’s excited to [be] human. He hasn’t human-ed and he’s very excited. Listen, I’m a human who didn’t human that much until I got to college and then moved out to LA. I lived a kind of quiet life, and it’s fun to [be] human, as long as we do it safely and with love. That just means interact with the world, be a part of it, and see how cool we all are.”

Okay, this is kind of brilliant, and it’s going to stick in my head every time I see Clark drop papers or accidentally walk into something. I get it Superman, I too enjoy playing human.

Here's how to watch all the Superman TV series and movies in order.