Brendan Fraser is in full return after receiving accolades for her new role in The whale. With the Brenaissance train running, there’s always time to reminisce his best films as well as movies that almost were. One of Fraser’s movies that never came to fruition was when he auditioned to be Superman in the early 2000s, and he now explains what he went wrong in the audition.
While we can’t look past Christopher Reeve’s acclaimed performance as Superman, we’ve also seen actors like Brandon Routh and Henry Cavill don the red cape. It’s kind of crazy to think that Brendan Fraser could have come this close to joining this list. He auditioned before JJ Abrams Superman: Overview it became one of many movies that never happened in DC. The whale the actor spoke The Howard Stern Show on the casting process to become the next Superman, saying:
We test six or seven guys in 2002 or 2003. I remember Paul Walker being there before me. I remember the usual suspects. So surely this is an amazing life changing opportunity but you had to take it… Well let’s just say you get the job of a man of steel who will smash you on the gravestone. Are you okay with that? I intend to be known forever as the Man of Steel. There was a kind of Faustian treatment that went into the sentiment. And I think I don’t want to be known for just one thing because I’ve been proud of diversity my entire professional life. I’m not a one trick pony.
It’s true that Brendan Fraser as Superman could have been a decade commitment because where there are superhero movies, there are usually sequels that follow. But even if the movie offers a big, very lucrative deal, you run the risk of being known only for superhero movies. For example, VandaVisionElizabeth Olsen admitted playing Scarlet Witch stopped her from doing that making more films since signing a multi-film deal with Marvel. So she had to turn down Oscar-nominated films like The lobster. However, playing a superhero can definitely give you exposure in Hollywood as it sends actors to another level of fame. However, it would be nice if the casting directors also considered you as other character types.
Ultimately, no one could play Clark Kent Superman: Overview never because he ended up being one of many Superman movies that never happened. Brendan Fraser later explained how he felt when he learned this superhero film had been cancelled.
I was disappointed that there was an incredible opportunity and it didn’t materialize. It had a lot to do with cheating and studio politics. And probably inherent to my audition, I think that’s why they test. They could see that only 98% was there for them.
In the early 2000s, JJ Abrams reportedly created his own origin story for Superman. Jor-El releases his son Kal-El to Earth before he is sent to prison and must defeat three Kryptonians who come to Earth after the Man of Steel reveals himself to the world. However, there were a lot of them crazy details Abrams included in his storyline that he deviated from the origin story we know as if Krypton didn’t explode, Lex Luthor being a Kryptonian, Matrix– Inspired by Kryptonian kung fu and more.
The closest to Abrams’ vision would have been his own storyboards for fly away They offer glimpses of what we would have seen. But production problems, an abnormally high budget, and an inability to cast the film as the lead led to its cancellation. You can watch Brendan Fraser talk more about that experience with Howard Stern below.
Brendan Fraser may not have been able to play Superman, but he did a key role on HBO Max destiny patrol where he embodied a hero of a completely different kind. Noting that Fraser’s live performance as Cliff Steele was cut short due to his character’s body being destroyed in a car accident, he later voiced Robotman. Until you can see The Mummy protagonist like Man of Steel, you can see him in the DC universe by watching the complete set of all four seasons destiny patrol series with A Maximum HBO subscription .
Source: Cinemablend
