Jude Law was a top contender to play Superman for Brett Ratner but talked himself out of the role before anyone else did.
Jude Law may have steely blue eyes but he wasn’t quite ready to play the Man of Steel himself, confirming that while he had the chance to portray Superman, he just couldn’t find the inner strength to do so.
Speaking with The Playlist, Jude Law said he was a serious contender to play the DC superhero for Brett Ratner’s scheduled movie, titled Superman: Flyby. “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.”
Jude Law said he even did costume tests, although he never got a chance to actually try on Christopher Reeve’s Superman get-up. “It was kind of like it was more metallic. Anyway, I tried 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.”
Brett Ratner’s Superman movie – which had a script by J.J. Abrams – was just one of several that Warner Bros. was trying to produce to revive the franchise. But Jude Law wasn’t the only one in the running, as Matt Bomer was considered and a costume test for Josh Hartnett has been floating around.
Honestly, it’s a little tough to see Jude Law as Superman, as talented as the guy is. To me, he gives off more of a villainous vibe and may have fared better as someone like The Riddler for a ‘90s Batman movie.
The franchise would eventually land on Brandon Routh for Superman Returns before Henry Cavill would don the cape for a series of movies. Now we have David Corenswet and his own costume to look forward to as he will star in James Gunn’s movie, set for a July 11th, 2025 release.
How do you think Jude Law would have done as Superman? What do you think immediate fan reaction would have been? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below.