Matt Bomer Almost Played Superman

Matt Bomer has opened up about his brush with Metropolis. Speaking with Happy Sad Confused, the Magic Mike actor discussed his potential role as Superman in the J.J. Abrams film that never was.

Abrams’ Superman: Flyby was posed as an alternate origin story. In this version, the planet Krypton never exploded, and Jor-El was imprisoned. Thus, an infant Kal-El was sent to Earth, with a civil war following closely behind. Bomer, along with several others, tested for the lead role. Significant names include future Superman stars, Brandon Routh and Henry Cavill, as well as Oscar-winning Brendan Fraser.

But it was Bomer who secured the job, and things got incredibly close. In fact, he even donned the suit and cape:

“I was such an unknown at the time. It’s so hard to know. I mean, I, you know, went in on a cattle call. Then I got a phone call from the casting people. Then I went and met with a director and read with an actress. Then I went back in and screen tested in the suit and signed the contract, you know, all that stuff that you do where it’s like, ‘Okay, this is the next step. You’re doing the role.’ And I know that I was the director’s choice for the role. And then, wah, wah, it happens.”

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Ultimately, the film was scrapped. Thankfully, it gave Bomer a Hollywood boost regardless:

“It was all so surreal to be going from a total cattle call to that, and suddenly everybody in LA wants to meet you, and all I really remember is playing ‘Lose Yourself’ by Eminem in my headphones before every audition and just trying to stay in the mindset of somehow that I could believe that this could be real, you know?”

In 2013, Bomer finally got his chance to play the Man of Steel, voicing the character in the animated film Superman: Unbound.

Superman returns to the big screen in Superman: Man of Tomorrow on July 9th, 2027, with David Corenswet returning as the Man of Steel as he goes against Lars Eidinger’s Brainiac in James Gunn’s sequel

About the Author

Ibrahim Azam

Editor

Ibrahim is a film journalist, writer and lecturer of media studies. He has written for The People's Magazine, BFI, The Face and more. His four favourite films are: The Lord of the Rings, Seven Samurai, 12 Angry Men and The Passion of Joan of Arc.

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