Summary. Three Western actors - Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, and Robert Redford - all turned down the lead role in the 1978 Superman movie, fearing it would overshadow their own personas. McQueen, who was near the end of his career, didn't want the burden of such a massive role.
Both Neil Diamond and Arnold Schwarzenegger lobbied hard for the role, but were ignored. James Caan, James Brolin, Lyle Waggoner, Christopher Walken, Nick Nolte, Jon Voight, and Perry King were approached. Nolte wanted to play Superman as a schizophrenic.
Other Superman actors include Christopher Reeve, John Haymes Newton, Gerard Christopher, Dean Cain, Tom Welling, Brandon Routh, Henry Cavill and Tyler Hoeshlin.
The folks at Warner Bros Discovery, or more precisely the folks at newly christened DC Films called DC Studios, thought it best to abandon Henry Cavill's Superman. The reason for the recasting is that filmmaker James Gunn and producer Peter Safran are looking for a younger Superman in their burgeoning DC Universe.
Here's your first look at David Corenswet as the new Superman for DC's upcoming film about the "Man of Steel." DC on May 6 released an image of Corenswet in his Superman outfit, appearing to adjust his left boot. "Get ready," an X message accompanying the photo read, along with the film's release date: July 11, 2025.
The first actor to play the role of Superman on film, Kirk Alyn passed away on Sunday, March 14, 1999 in a hospital in suburban Houston, Texas at the age of 88. Alyn portrayed the Man of Steel in two 15-part movie serials in 1948 and 1950.
Captain Marvel was one of the Marvel Comics' first Superman clones, but his origin story was quite different from the Kryptonian saga. The character Mar-Vell has evolved over the years, finally culminating in the most recognizable form of Captain Marvel - Carol Danvers.
During the casting process for the Zack Snyder-directed Man of Steel, Joe Manganiello was considered to be a primary front-runner to become the Superman to lead the then-newly forming DCEU. This reached the point where the actor was having meetings with Zack Snyder himself and other producers attached to the film.
1. Christopher Reeve ("Superman," 1978; "Superman II," 1980; "Superman III," 1983; "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace," 1987; "The Flash," 2023) From that smile to the bumbling way he played Clark, and, of course, how he flew, Reeve was born to play Superman.
After months of scouting, Tom Welling was cast as Clark Kent. Zachary Levi initially auditioned to play Clark Kent, but was asked instead to audition for Lex Luthor, a role Levi did not get either. Jensen Ackles, the runner up for the role of Clark Kent, would go on to play Jason Teague as a season four regular.
However, Ratner left the project and was replaced by Bryan Singer, who turned it into a sequel titled "Superman Returns" (2006). Bomer reportedly auditioned to play the Man of Steel but was passed over for Brandon Routh.
At 42, Christopher Reeve had an accident which would change his life. Read more about his amazing story. After a fall from a horse caused a spinal cord injury, Christopher Reeve dedicated his life to advocacy and research.
Once it hatches, Luthor names the creature "Doomsday" and sends it to kill Superman. It is ultimately defeated by Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, though Doomsday kills Superman in turn.
Did Clint Eastwood turn down the role of Superman?
Hollywood star Clint Eastwood was approached for the role of Superman for the eponymous 1978 film but rejected it as he wanted to play Marvel hero Namor the Sub-Mariner. "I was like, 'Superman? Nah, nah, that's not for me.
As a character, Daredevil takes the title of Marvel's Batman. As the years have gone on, the hero's rogues gallery has come to resemble some of Batman's, especially as he shares some enemies with Spider-Man.
But the actual answer is Hyperion. He was created as a pastiche of Superman. He's got super strength, different vision powers, near invulnerability, flight, and the “homeworld destroyed, so he was sent to earth” background (at least a couple versions do).
Although DC Comics accused Fawcett's Captain Marvel/Shazam of copying Superman, the Man of Steel's Silver Age resembled Billy Batson's adventures. Superman was the top dog of superheroes when he first debuted, spawning countless ripoffs and wannabes.
Summary. David Corenswet, the new Superman actor, is the tallest to play the character since Christopher Reeve, standing at 6'4", towering over his predecessors.
Henry Cavill played Superman in Zack Snyder's DC Universe, starting with his own 2013 standalone movie “Man of Steel” and continuing with 2016's “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and 2017's “Justice League.” He intended to return as the superhero after reprising Superman in the post-credits scene of 2022's “Black ...
David Corenswet will play the new Superman in the upcoming superhero film, which is written and directed by James Gunn and produced by Peter Safran. On May 7, James Gunn, the CEO of DC Studios and the writer-director of Superman, unveiled the first photo of David Corenswet as the Man of Steel.
More recently, Ben Affleck and Robert Pattinson have played the role, with Pattinson set to return as the character in a sequel to 2022's The Batman. The Batman Part II was recently pushed back by a year, and now has a release date of 2 October 2026.
Nicholas Hoult on Becoming the New Lex Luthor in James Gunn's “Superman” Nicholas Hoult has revealed a bit about what it was like to audition for James Gunn's upcoming Superman, the first movie to be released by Gunn and Peter Safran's new DC Studios.
