Superman and the Mole Men of 1951 was the first live-action theatrical feature film based on the Kryptonian superhero and George Reeves was the first actor to play him on big-screen. And, we all know who's playing the latest version of Clark Kent - Henry Cavill of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Cavill made his debut in 2013 as Superman in the Zack Snyder flick Man of Steel and will reprise the role in next year's Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, the two Justice League movies of following years and perhaps a bunch more DCEU ventures.
Between George Reeves and Henry Cavill, two other actors too have played the most popular superhero of all-time. Back in the late 1970s and throughout 1980s, Christopher Reeve played Clark Kent in a bunch of movies. After around nineteen years of absence on the silver screen, the superhero returned with Bryan Singer's Superman Returns which featured Brandon Routh in the titular role.
So, there've been just four different actors who played the DC superhero in its six and a half decades of survival on the big-screen. But you might not know that there've been a whole lot of other actors who were considered for the role over the years. Around a couple of hundred actors were auditioned for the Salkinds' Superman movie alone!
Here we have made a list of 20 actors who were close to playing Superman on the silver screen - interesting in either a remarkable or a weird way!
Let's get started with the list on the following page!
Al Pacino
Ilya and Alexander Salkind, along with Pierre Spengler bought the film rights of Superman back in 1974 following which Christopher Reeve starrer Superman movies were made. Before signing Reeve, the Salkinds considered a wide range of actors for the titular role. Al Pacino, one of the very few actors who dubbed the Triple Crown of Acting (i.e. won an Oscar, an Emmy and a Tony Award), was one of the candidates.
Linking so many actors might have been a strategy to create speculation among the fans - so we are not sure whether he was genuinely considered for the role. But we are thankful that he didn't get to play the role, aren't we?
Robert Redford
The two times Academy Award winning actor and one of the founders of the Sundance Film Festival, Robert Redford, was a candidate for the role of Superman before it went to Christopher Reeve. It was the actor who turned down offer that was made to him. He was actually offered "˜a large sum' to play the role. We aren't sure if he was a remarkable choice or a weird one!
One of the two actors on the next page could grab the role of Hal Jordan, but not Superman!
David Boreanaz
Hardly anyone doesn't know that the Angel and Bones star David Boreanaz was running for the role of Clark Kent for J.J. Abrams' cancelled project Superman: Flyby. He did audition for the role but eventually had to back out. The actor said (via IGN):
"I did go in and read for the part, but I can't do it because of my schedule with Angel."
Moviehole reported in January 2011 that the actor had requested for an audition when Zack Snyder was searching for the titular superhero in his Man of Steel. He was already 40 plus then, so his not getting the part for the DC Extended Universe is quite understandable. But a consolation price - he voiced Hal Jordan, aka Green Lantern, in 2008 animated flick Justice League: The New Frontier. He would have made a cool Supe – don't you think so?
Jason Behr
Jason Nathaniel Behr, best known for his roles in Roswell and The Grudge, was also a contender for the role of Supe for Superman: Flyby. He had auditioned for the role but since the movie never happened, he never got the role! Good that it didn't happen - that's what we believe!
One of the two actors on the next page was the icon of action movies in 1970s and 1980s!
Sylvester Stallone
With his Rocky and Rambo movies hitting the theaters almost every other year, Sylvester Stallone proved to be one of the biggest names in Hollywood's action genre in 1970s and 1980s. The actor was eager to play the role of DC superhero for the Salkinds but he actually never get a call, not even for an audition!
It is popularly believed that Sly Stallone couldn't make it because of Marlon Brando's interference over casting of Supe. Brando played the part of Jor-El, and Sly was totally out of his consideration. Well, mustn't we thank Brando?
James Caan
In an interview with Howard Stern back in 2013, James Caan admitted that he was offered the role of the Salkinds' Superman but he had passed it on. The veteran actor didn't disclose the exact reason why he didn't sign on for the project, but revealed some exciting details from the original script of the movie written by Mario Puzo.
It seems like the not-so-serious tone of that script might have stood against his taking up the role. However, after Richard Donner was hired, the script got polished by Tom Mankiewicz. Caan also claimed that Marlon Brando, too, had requested him to take the part. We don't think we needed a better or worse Superman than Christopher Reeve - so we can be glad that he didn't sign for the role!
One of the two actors on the next page is our latest Batman!
Burt Reynolds
Burt Reynolds was the macho sex symbol of Hollywood back in the 1960s, 1970s and even some part of 1980s too. That was why he was envisioned as the Superman by the Salkinds. The actor was approached initially to play the part but he passed it on. If he had signed for the role, those 200 actors would have never auditioned! We wouldn't have minded to watch him play Clark Kent - that's for sure!
Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck is set to debut as the Caped Crusader in next year's Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice where Henry Cavill will reprise his Man of Steel role. But you might not know that he almost played Cavill's character long time ago. No, we aren't talking about his portrayal of George Reeves in Hollywoodland where he actually dressed as the Kryptonian superhero.
Before Ben had even played Daredevil, he was Kevin Smith's top choice for the role of Clark Kent in the never made flick Superman Lives, suggests SupermanHomePage. However, when Tim Burton was appointed to direct the movie, Ben Affleck's chances of playing the role got axed! And eventually, the project too got axed! He had fallen once as Daredevil to learn to pick himself up as Batman - he didn't need to fall twice!
One of the two actors on the next page has played one of the most popular Marvel antiheroes!
Nicholas Cage
Ben Affleck as Supe might have made you think that Superman Lives would have been a real disaster, perhaps as bad as George Clooney starrer Batman & Robin of 1997. Tim Burton's choice for the role was no better – at least that's what we think! He picked Nicholas Cage to play the character! Now, the documentary "˜The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened?' might make you think that Cage wasn't that bad choice.
But how many of you are really convinced? To be honest, we aren't! He was a better fit for the Ghost Rider which he eventually played!
Matt Bomer
The Golden Globe winning actor Matt Bomer isn't unrecognizable today - but he was not that well-known back in 2002. He didn't even debut on big-screen then. That was when he auditioned for the part of Superman for Brett Ratner and J.J. Abrams' eventually cancelled project.
Last July, in an interview with Happy, Sad, Confused podcast, Bomer claimed that he has "˜zero regrets' about not playing the role. Don't we, too, have zero regrets about the fact that he didn't play Supe?
One of the two actors on the next page has been Steve Jobs!
Ashton Kutcher
Ashton Kutcher, the actor who portrayed the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in the 2013 controversial (in terms of historical accuracy) biographical flick Jobs, was once considered for the role of Superman. It was Ratner's cancelled venture for which he auditioned wearing the superhero's costume as well as that of his alter-ego. He read lines with Keri Russell - the actress who was reading the lines of Lois Lane.
In an interview with MTV News, the actor claimed that he "˜didn't feel right' as he looked "˜funny' like "˜a rail with fake muscles'. Isn't that cool that he didn't finally play the role? We think it is!
Josh Hartnett
Josh Harnett was definitely a heartthrob in his late teen years and early twenties. And he was so much in style that he was approached for three of the most popular superhero roles - Batman, Spider-Man and Superman. The actor talked about it in a 2014 interview with Details. Here's what he said:
"Spider-Man was something we talked about. Batman was another one. But I somehow knew those roles had potential to define me, and I didn’t want that. I didn’t want to be labeled as Superman for the rest of my career. I was maybe 22, but I saw the danger."
Sorry if it sounds offensive but we don't consider as any of the three superheroes!
One of the two actors on the next page didn't play Superman because he didn't want to mess with WHITE PEOPLE'S HEROES!
Will Smith
Will Smith, who is set to debut on the DC Extended Universe with next year's Suicide Squad role Deadshot, was offered the role of Supe once! It was the Bryan Singer venture Superman Returns that he declined straight away. In an interview with MTV News back in 2008, the most bankable star worldwide provided two reasons for not playing the role.
One of the reasons is that he had already played the role of Jim West of Wild Wild West. The other reason is far more interesting - he didn't want to mess with "˜white people's heroes'! The actor said:
"You mess up white people's heroes in Hollywood, you'll never work in this town again!"
Well, that would have been controversial to be honest - we recently witnessed a similar controversy with Michael B. Jordan as the Human Torch in this year's disastrous Fant4stic! Casting a black actor for Superman would have surely created even bigger one!
Clint Eastwood
The Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood did not only turned down offer to play Superman, but also the offer to play James Bond! For both rejections, he had the same excuse, "It's for somebody, but not me." At least that's what he told to Hero Complex back in 2010.
The veteran actor clarified that he didn't feel "˜anything wrong' with the role unlike most others who turn down superhero roles. He also shared that the-then Warner Bros. President Frank Wells himself approached him for the role. Well, if he didn't feel it right, it is good that he didn't do it!
One of the two actors on the next page felt proud putting on the Supe costume, but didn't want to show that to the world!
Brendan Fraser
The Mummy star Brendan Fraser too was close to play Clark Kent! It was for J.J. Abrams' Superman: Flyby! While talking to Voices from Krypton, the actor confirmed that he was offered the role and he did some test footage. He further expressed that he was very excited about the role.
According to the actor, the cancelled J.J. Abrams's flick would have been "˜far superior' than Bryan Singer's Superman Returns. He also claimed that it was as huge as Lords of the Rings. But honestly, if Brendan Fraser played Clark Kent, that would have hardly anything better than a comedy film!
Jude Law
In spite of being a life-long comic book fan, Jude Law turned down the role of Supe! He was Ratner's first choice and to convince the actor despite initial rejection, he gave the iconic superhero's suit to him to try. What happened then? Here's how Law described it to MTV News earlier this year:
"I go in the bathroom, put it on and look in the mirror, and suddenly, I am Superman. And it is an amazing costume. My chest pops up and the music comes on"¦ That was it. I got it out of my system. I took it off, put it in the bag, and was like, 'I'm not going to do it.’ I saw myself. No need for the rest of the world to see me."
Thankfully, he didn't follow that for every other role – otherwise the rest of the world would have not seen such a cool actor!
One of the two actors on the following page is the one for whom we sing "˜SEE YOU AGAIN'!
Paul Walker
Alongside Jude Law, Josh Harnett and Brendan Fraser, Fast and Furious star Paul Walker, too, was approached for Ratner's Superman: Flyby lead role. However, after being approached, the first thing the late actor did was to talk with Richard Donner - the man who directed the original Supe flick. Here's what Walker shared on the conversation back in 2003 (via SuperHeroHype):
"We had conversations and by the end of it, the closing thing I said, "˜Do you think I need it, should I do it?' He said, "˜For what sake?' I said, "˜Financially.' He said, "˜No kid, you do it if you want to do it.' I said, "˜Well I don't think I want to die as Superman.' And he said, "˜Well there's your answer, don't do it.' And that was it."
Since he didn't feel like doing it - it is better that he didn't do it! By the way, even if he wanted to do it, the movie eventually didn't make it to production - so, he took a good decision!
Zac Efron
Neighbors star Zac Efron was offered the role of Clark Kent for Zack Snyder's Man of Steel, suggests the gossip site Surfme. And he turned it down on the advice of his friend and acting idol Leonardo DiCaprio! The Titanic actor thought that it was better for his friend and devotee actor to let go the big franchise role. Well, you might be a great fan of Zac Efron but do you really think he would have made a better Superman than Henry Cavill? Nah, we don't!
However, one of the two actors on the next page might have been a better Superman than Cavill!
Joe Manganiello
True Blood star Joe Manganiello was approached by Zack Snyder for the Man of Steel lead role before it went to Henry Cavill. The actor claims to be a fanboy at heart, has watched every comic book movie made, and was highly interested to play Superman, but still passed it on! Why? Scheduling issues! He said (via ScreenRant):
"There's just no human way possible I could be in two places at once when I'm contracted to be on "˜True Blood.’"
Since he believed that it was only because of the HBO series that he was considered for the role, he didn't want to let down their trust. Well, that's something we should respect, but Joe Manganiello as Supe would have been really cool!
Arnold Schwarzenegger
The former Mr. Universe and Terminator star Arnold Schwarzenegger was a contender for the role of Superman. He was actually a contender from the sense that he lobbied hard for it! The Salkinds seemed to have no interest at all in casting him for the role. Thankfully they didn't show any interest because Arnold, with his mammoth muscles and thick Aussie accent, would have surely made a disastrous version of the DC superhero - very unlike Christopher Reeve!
Which Superman candidate do you think should have played the role? Share via comments!
