Brendan Fraser and the canceled Superman movie: “I didn’t want it to appear on my tombstone”

Brendan Fraser as Superman in the movie that was supposed to resurrect the franchise. How about? Can you imagine? Do you think it’s a success? Crazy? And not like any Superman, but like the protagonist of Superman Returns in 2003 when it was still Superman Flyby and it was based on the script that JJ Abrams had just written in early 2000, before the project was canceled and later resurrected with Bryan Singer and a new script. Now that there is speculation about who is going to be the new Superman who is going to replace Henry Cavill in the new Superman movie that James Gunn plans, who, once again, has the task of resurrecting the franchise, and that many actors are campaigning for Supporting their Oscar nominations is normal for this type of curiosities to sprout like mushrooms. Brendan Fraser, nominated for Best Actor at the 2023 Oscars for his role in The Whale, has confirmed that he was about to become the character in the film written by JJ Abrams, but also that he was not the only one who auditioned for the role (the actor recalled that Paul Walker was also on the list, as that Ahston Kutcher, James Mardsen, Joel Egerton and Matt Bomer) and that if he had gotten that role he would not be where he is now. He has also revealed that, deep down, he didn’t want the part and that it came as something of a blessing that no one was convinced by his audition. The truth is that if I had gotten the role, I would not be where he is now. And not because playing a superhero could have closed the doors to serious projects, but because the JJ Abrams movie was destined to fail. The best thing that could happen to Brendan Fraser’s Superman is to get cancelled. The script had neither head nor tail. Fraser doesn’t lament that the film didn’t pan out, although he acknowledges that it did disappoint him two decades ago.

“Of course, it’s an incredible life-changing opportunity,” Fraser said in an interview with The Howard Stern Show, although he has also admitted that, in a way, not getting the role was good for his career in the long run. “I think I inherently didn’t want to be known for just one thing because I prided myself on diversity my entire professional life… I’m not a one trick pony,” she has said. Although yes, he has qualified that: “I felt disappointed that there was an incredible opportunity, and that it did not come to fruition.” “[…] probably inherently had to do with my screen test… [los director de casting, los productores, el director] they could see it was only about 98 percent there. 2% of me didn’t want to be there,” she said.

He said the script was a lemon zest. the canceled Superman: Flyby by JJ Abrams told the story of a Krypton beset by civil war between Jor-El and his corrupt brother, Kata-Zor. Before Kata-Zor sentences Jor-El to prison, Kal-El is sent to Earth to fulfill a prophecy. Adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent, he falls in love at college with journalist Lois Lane. Lex Luthor is a CIA agent obsessed with UFO phenomena. Clark brings Kata-Zor’s son Ty-Zor and three other Kryptonians to Earth. Superman is defeated and killed. His spirit/soul of him/call it what you want visits Jor-El (who committed suicide on Krypton while in prison) in Kryptonian heaven. Resurrected, he returns to Earth and defeats the four Kryptonians… Well, that.

The project was jinxed from the beginning. Christopher Reeve, project consultant, assured that the ideal candidate had to be an unknown person and gave Tom Welling as an example, who he considered to have been a success for Smallville. They ignored Reeve. Paul Walker auditioned the same day as Fraser. The producers also saw Matthew Bomer and Ashton Kutcher, who in theory had taken the cat into the water and who alleged “scheduling conflicts with a television series”, apart from the fact that he did not want to be pigeonholed. Jerry O’Connell was also interested in the role, while David Boreanaz went so far as to audition, although he withdrew due to scheduling conflicts with the television series. Angel. Victor Webster, if the newspaper library serves me correctly, also did a full screen test that included costumes like Clark Kent and Superman, and James Marsden met with director Brett Ratner, who was going to bring the script to the screen. JJ Abrams. Joel Edgerton auditioned for another role

Joseph McG Nichols replaced Ratner on the project when Ratner backed out citing creative differences. Selma Blair was in talks for Lois Lane. McG approached Shia LaBeouf for Jimmy Olsen, Scarlett Johansson as Lois Lane, and Johnny Depp for Lex Luthor. McG Nichols wanted an unknown to play Superman. McG did a few screen tests on none other than Jason Behr, Henry Cavill and Michael Cassidy before leaving the project.