Jude Law has opened up about turning down the role of Superman in the early 2000s – see what the actor had to say below.
Yesterday (June 12), The Playlist released the latest episode of the ‘Discourse’ podcast series. In the new episode, Jude Law spoke about getting the chance to play Superman in a Brett Ratner’s 2002 film that ultimately never came to fruition.
He confirmed that Ratner was meant to direct J.J. Abrams’ Superman: Flyby. Law revealed when asked if the rumours were true: “So this is true. Yeah. And there was a process of flirtation going on. 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.”
Law continued: “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.’”
He went on to explain that the suit was “more metallic” than fans are used to seeing, and it had softened the actor up to the idea for a minute: “Anyway, I tried it on and I looked in the mirror and part of me initially was like, ‘Wow, this would be a [good thing],’ and then I just thought, ‘No, you can’t – you can’t do this. You can’t.’ And I didn’t sell myself to myself. And I stepped away and the film never happened anyway. So maybe it probably wouldn’t have done anything.”
Prior to Ratner’s failed attempt at creating a Superman film, Tim Burton‘s Superman Lives starring Nicolas Cage collapsed before it could ever take off. However, footage of Cage testing out his suit found its way onto the Internet afterwards, and was later shortly revived through CGI for last year’s The Flash movie.