Matt Bomer says he was set to play Superman in Brett Ratner’s cancelled film

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Matt Bomer is an actor whose name has been linked to countless movie projects ranging from playing Superman to Christian Grey. Fan campaigns have lobbied for the unfairly attractive Bomer to get one of these high profile roles, but he has yet to gain one. So far, his biggest roles have been on the USA series White Collar and a supporting role in MAGIC MIKE and MAGIC MIKE XXL. But, it could have been very different.

Bomer stopped by the podcast Happy Sad Confused to talk about MAGIC MIKE XXL and revealed he was cast as Superman in Brett Ratner's cancelled film that eventually became SUPERMAN RETURNS. Here's what he sad to say about screen testing opposite Amy Adams and going up against the other top contenders for the role that included Paul Walker and Brendan Fraser.

Brett chose me for the project and then it all fell apart. It was a very lengthy process to get the role, I think it was over the course of three months because I went in in a cattle call. It sort of evolved from there," he said. "It was a month of, 'Okay, looks like this is going to happen'. And then it slowly fell apart. I have zero regrets about that, I feel like I've gotten to do such a rich array of roles in so many different things. I haven't been too locked in… I mean that's a very iconic role to portray, to suddenly be that character in everyone's minds forever.

Since Bomer lost the chance to play Superman, the character has twice been played by Brandon Routh and currently by Henry Cavill. Cavill seems to have a lock on the role for the foreseeable future, next in next year's BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE. But, it does make one wonder what could have been if Bomer had played the role on screen. We will always have this Japanese commercial to tease what could have been.