Following the success of “The Death of Superman” comic event in 1992, Warner Bros. Pictures snagged the film rights to Superman from producers Ilya and Alexander Salkind.
They then spent well over a decade trying to get various versions off the ground before eventually succeeding with 2006’s “Superman Returns”. Two versions came close in that decade – Tim Burton’s “Superman Lives” starring Nicolas Cage, and the J.J. Abrams-penned “Superman Flyby” which landed Brett Ratner as director.
The original plan was for Jude Law and Josh Hartnett to play Superman and Batman respectively, but neither actor wanted to sign the three-picture deal required. They then sought or tested multiple actors including Paul Walker, Ashton Kutcher, Matt Bomer, Victor Webster, Joel Edgerton, James Marsden and Brendan Fraser at around “The Mummy Returns” phase of his career.
Appearing on Howard Stern this week, Fraser was asked about the Superman role and whether he thought it was the role that got away from him. Fraser confirmed he was up for it and “everyone in town was reading for Superman”. He adds:
“Of course, it’s a life-changing, amazing opportunity, but I had to reconcile with, ‘Okay, say you do get the job to be the Man of Steel. It’s going to be chipped on your gravestone. Are you okay with that? You will forevermore be known as the Man of Steel. There was a sort of Faustian bargain that went into [the] feeling, and I think inherently, I didn’t want to be known for only one thing because I prided myself on diversity my whole professional life. I’m not a one-trick pony.”
He then says he was both disappointed and relieved he didn’t get the part because he had lingering doubts. He adds his not getting the part:
“[it] had to do with 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%.”
The pair also talked about another lost DC superhero project for the actor, the “Batgirl” film in which he plays the villain Firefly and will never be seen as the project was scrapped after it wrapped production. He spoke about his character in fairly good detail:
“It was a story about a guy who had been in the service and his benefits were cut, and he was very angry with the system and what else is he gonna do but burn it to the ground. That’s all you need to know. That’s a supervillain right there.
You’ve got some sympathy for him. You’ve also got some humanity to him and on top of that a screw loose cause you know he’s the bad guy, but is he really like all the best bad guys, you kinda like them a little bit. That was this role. On paper, very, very good. I relished this part.”
Sadly the film has essentially been locked away in a vault somewhere in an unfinished state. Fraser also spoke about his disappointment over its fate, and you can see him discussing both Superman and Batgirl in the clips below.
