From cunning businessman to suspicious law officer to determined sports agent, Jon Hamm has played a variety of roles over the years. However, one role he hasn’t jumped into yet is that of a superhero - which is frankly surprising considering his rugged good looks and strong chin. With a face like that, you can definitely picture him putting on a costume and fighting evildoers. With a plethora of actors signing onto superhero films nowadays, there’s always the possibility Hamm will follow suit, right? Wrong! We probably shouldn't expect to see him to star one of these films, as he’s already turned down at least two opportunities.
During an interview with The Radio Times, Hamm was asked whether he’d ever been offered a role in a superhero film. The actor stated that he’d been offered several, but made the "right decision" in turning them down. He didn’t disclose what these parts were, but described these types of movie deals as "draconian." What specifically bothers him is being tied down to future films that haven’t been planned out. Said Hamm,
"For me to sign on now to do a superhero movie would mean I would be working until I am fifty as that particular superhero. It’s a lot of work at one thing, which is not necessarily the reason I got into the business - which is to do many things. If you want to spend all day pressing the same key that… seems an odd choice."
Hamm was propelled to fame when Mad Men debuted in mid-2007, so that’s about seven years worth of superhero movies to pick from. Judging from his comments about the lengthy contracts, I suspect that Hamm is indirectly referencing Marvel, who is notorious for signing actors to multiple movies at once. Hamm was rumored as one of the candidates for the titular character in Doctor Strange, and before Henry Cavill was cast in Man of Steel, many fans wanted him to play Superman. The Sorcerer Supreme would have been an unusual casting, but I definitely could have seen him as Superman, especially if DC and Warner Bros. had gone the Batfleck-route and given us an older version of the Kryptonian.
From an artistic perspective, I understand his comments about wanting to act in different things. If he’s playing a superhero, it restricts what projects he’s able to take on for a long time. What would be great is if he could score a role in a superhero film that’s guaranteed to last only one movie. This would probably have to be a villainous role since most bad guys get killed off, and there have to be a stipulation in his contract that his character will not be revived in the future. That way he can briefly join in on the fun and then go along his merry his way. Unfortunately, in this genre that’s rarely a feasible option.
