Brendan Fraser On How Studio Politics Cost Him 2000s Superman Role

Brendan Fraser opens up about how studio politics cost him the role of Superman back in the early 2000s before 2006’s Superman Returns happened.

Brendan Fraser opens up about how studio politics ended up costing him the role of Superman back in the 2000s. The character of Superman has been reimagined in live-action several times both in the world of TV and film. For decades, many actors have had the honor of bringing the Man of Steel to life. However, for as many times that Superman has been depicted in live-action, there have been more than a dozen stars that were close to playing the DC icon. Over the years, there have been many Superman movies that Warner Bros. attempted to make but never got off the ground.

One of the projects that never went anywhere was J.J. Abrams’ Superman: Flyby. Someone who almost landed the Superman gig was Fraser, who recently appeared on The Howard Stern Show and talked about his experience. While Fraser was close to booking it, studio politics intervened and prevented him from donning the iconic suit and cape. According to Fraser, it was a big disappointment to lose out on the role, sharing the following:

Everyone in town was reading for Superman. Like, again, we’re testing I think six or seven guys in 2002/2003. Paul Walker, I remember Paul Walker was before me. They were like the usual suspects. Okay, say you do get the job to be the Man of Steel, it’s gonna be chipped on your gravestone, are you okay with that? I mean, forever more known as the Man of Steel. There was a sort of Faustian bargain that went into it. I think inherently, I didn’t want to be known for only one thing because I prided myself on diversity my whole professional life and I’m not a one-trick pony. I felt disappointed that there was an amazing opportunity and it didn’t come to fruition. It had to do a lot with some shenanigans and studio politics. And probably, inherently, in my screen test. I think that’s why you test… they could kind of see I was only there like 98%.

RELATED: Blast From The Past Is Brendan Fraser’s Most Important Role (Not The Whale)

Could Brendan Fraser Join James Gunn’s DCU?

Fraser is no stranger to the DC Universe as he has been busy starring as Cliff Steele, a.k.a. Robotman, on HBO Max’s Doom Patrol. While Doom Patrol season 4 will sadly be the show’s final season, DC viewers have already gotten a taste of Fraser in a superhero property. Fraser was also set to star in another DC project for HBO Max as part of the Batgirl cast. Tapped as a new take on the Batman villain Firefly, Batgirl was unfortunately canceled in 2022 despite having wrapped filming.

While Batgirl is not happening as planned, the DCU is about to get a reboot with James Gunn and Peter Safran. Given Fraser’s recently increased buzz, primarily through The Whale, it wouldn’t be shocking if he gets tapped for a role in the new DCU. It likely wouldn’t be for Superman, though, as Gunn is writing a new movie for Clark Kent during his younger years. However, the DCU has an endless list of characters that Fraser could be cast as in the new universe.

For Fraser, it would be more than fair for him to get another chance to play a DC hero or villain. Given the Batgirl movie’s cancellation, seeing Fraser get a different DCU role would be a great opportunity for DC Studios, especially with the actor’s current buzz. It will also be comforting for viewers of Doom Patrol when season 4 wraps up his show for good later this year. Hopefully, whether it’s a supporting role in the Superman reboot or a different DCU project, Fraser will be back in that world sooner rather than later.

MORE: Brendan Fraser Is Right About Mummy Returns’ Bad Scorpion King CGI

Source: The Howard Stern Show