Superman is one of the most popular comic book characters of all time, so he's been adapted for film a number of times throughout the years. While fans are looking forward to the new upcoming DC movie from James Gunn (which will kick off the DCU's first phase: Gods and Monsters), a few actors have recently revealed that they missed out on the role in the past. Namely, Matt Bomer and Jude Law. Let's break it all down.
Fans who have watched the DC movies in order know that there have been a number of live-action Supermen over the years. While most of these can be streamed with a Max subscription, a few actors never got to actually don the cape. And they're telling their story as the cast of James Gunn's Superman continues filming their new movie.
Matt Bomer says he lost Superman due to being outed as a gay man.
Matt Bomer has had a successful career on the stage and screen, with a number of truly iconic projects on his resume including Magic Mike, American Horror Story (which can be streamed with a Hulu subscription) and Fellow Travelers. But it turns out that he very nearly got to play the Man of Steel in a scrapped Superman project by J.J. Abrams.
The 46 year-old actor recently spoke on THR's Awards Chatter podcast about his career, and specifically being a rare LGBTQ+ leading man. But achieving this title wasn't always easy, and he was told that his sexuality would detract from what opportunities come his way. Despite signing a multi-picture deal to star in J.J. Abrams' scrapped film Superman: Flyby, it fell through. He was asked if his sexuality affected his casting, and he said:
That was a time in the industry when something like that could still really be weaponized against you. How, and why, and who, I don’t know, but yeah, that’s my understanding.
On paper, Matt Bomer seems like a perfect actor to play Clark Kent. He's got a ripped physique, piecing blue eyes, and would no doubt look amazing with Superman's signature hair curl. But he believes that his sexuality ended up negatively affecting his chances at taking on the role. Of course, he's not the only actor who has revealed tales of missing out on playing Superman this week.
What Jude Law said about missing Superman role.
The famously handsome Jude Law is another choice for Superman that seems pretty solid on paper. After all, he's a heart throb who has captured the hearts of moviegoers for decades. While speaking recently with The Playlist, the Grand Budapest Hotel actor spoke about flirting with the idea of playing Clark Kent/Superman on the big screen. As he put it:
So this is true. Yeah. And there was a process of flirtation going on,” said Law. “And I always resisted because it just felt like [off]. And I know you can say, ‘Well, but you played Yonn-Rogg and Dumbledore!’ It just felt like a step too far.
Points were made all around. Jude Law clearly isn't against genre/franchise work, especially given recent roles in Captain Marvel and the Fantastic Beasts franchise. So how close did the 51 year-old actor get to actually playing the role? Close enough that he got to try on his very own suit, as he shared:
And it was when Brett Ratner was going to direct, I think. And they didn’t have a script, if I remember rightly. Did they have a script? I don’t remember reading one. This is a long time ago. They brought me the suit. They thought, ‘This might change your mind.'
In the end, Superman's suit and cape weren't enough to convince Jude Law to play the Man of Steel. He no doubt would have been excellent in the role, but that's show business. And ultimately neither of the movies that Bomer or Law could have signed up for actually happened. So perhaps its all for the best.
With a new DCU coming to play, it should be interesting to see which actors get to occupy James Gunns' world. David Corsenswet will be Superman, but not much else is known.
Superman will hit theaters on July 11th, 2025. While we wait, check the 2025 movie release dates.
