After getting standing ovations and applause at festivals during the 2023 awards season, Brendan Fraser secured the Best Actor Oscar for his role in Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale. The beloved actor is known for his excellent dramatic skills as he mostly starred in physical comedies like Encino Man and George of the Jungle. But do you know, he was almost ready to be part of the most anticipated genre?
DCEU is looking to expand the multiverse by allowing them to explore different versions of characters, set up stories for future flicks, and create crossovers. And it is not a hidden secret that the studio is looking for A-listed stars to feature in their upcoming movies. But there was a time when Brendan Fraser (mostly known for his dramatic portrayal at that time) almost became Superman in the DC Universe.
Brendon Fraser was Almost the Superhero in J.J. Abrams’ Superman: Flyby
In a recent conversation with Howard Stern, the Oscar nominee shared the experience of being considered for Superman. No doubt, Abrams’ script for Superman: Flyby, attracted many A-list stars in Hollywood during that period.
Fraser recognized that landing the role of Superman would be a life-changing opportunity for him, but he also had to come to terms with the idea that was coming to his mind:
‘Okay, say you do get the job to be the Man of Steel, it’s gonna be chipped on your gravestone, are you okay with that? I mean, forever more known as the Man of Steel.’”
The Whale actor continued:
“There was a sort of Faustian bargain that went into it, I think inherently, I didn’t want to be known for only one thing because I prided myself on diversity my whole professional life and I’m not a one-trick pony.”
Although he didn’t get the role, Superman: Flyby didn’t progress beyond development at Warner Bros. either, to which he says:
“I felt disappointed that there was an amazing opportunity and it didn’t come to fruition,” Fraser said about not landing the role. “It had to do a lot with some shenanigans and studio politics. And probably, inherently, in my screen test. I think that’s why you test… they could kind of see I was only there like 98%.”
Warner Bros. and Abrams were working on Superman: Flyby around 2002. But the studio changed direction for the character when the project was put on hold. This led to Superman Returns, directed by Bryan Singer, where Brandon Routh played the leading role.
Brendan Fraser is No Longer a Stranger to DC Anyways
Even though Fraser didn’t get the chance to feature as one of the strongest characters of the DC universe, he is no longer a stranger to DC. Brendan Fraser would have portrayed the DC supervillain Firefly. Although his portrayal of Firefly in Batgirl (a now-canceled movie) might be the only comic book of his role of his that remains unseen.
Besides that, Fraser voiced Cliff Steele (in flashback sequences), aka Robotman, in Doom Patrol and also physically portrayed the character’s past self in certain parts, sharing the role with Riley Shanahan. It was recently announced that the show’s fourth season would be the last, ending Fraser’s work in that cosmos.
Source: Variety
