The future of Superman remains up in the air, as Henry Cavill might not have any interest in further exploring the character. It changed his career but at the same time, the role can be a curse, just ask Brandon Routh who starred in Superman Returns during the early 2000s. In truth, his career was never the same. Brendon Fraser came close to getting the part instead. He's enjoying huge success at the moment thanks to The Whale, but one can't help but wonder what his career would have looked like had he got the Superman role. Let's take a look back at how the audition and everything else went down.
Brendan Fraser Auditioned For The Role Of Superman But Was Turned Down
During the late '90s and early 2000s, there weren't very many parts Brendan Fraser could not get his hands on. Fraser became huge star and a lot of the success came thanks to his role in the many Mummy films. In addition, Fraser was open to all action films.
However, there was one he was turned aside from. Looking back, one can't help to wonder how different Superman might've looked with Brendan Fraser in the spotlight. The actor revealed that he had high hopes about getting the role.
"I auditioned for Superman [in what would become Superman Returns]. I even wore the suit. It was cool, it was pretty cool. I mean, I didn’t get the job. It went away."
Ultimately, Brendan Fraser did point the finger at Brett Ratner, who was the director at the time. "Brett Ratner was a bit “woo hoo” in those days, and that’s well documented. And that was a script J.J. Abrams wrote but it never got made. And it was freaking Shakespeare in space. It was so cool. It was worlds colliding and, it was really, really cool. But you know, I hear he’s done well since then."
Brandon Routh ended up getting the role, but the playing field for Superman Returns wound up being extremely different.
New Line Cinema And Brett Ratner Parted Ways On The Superman Project
Bryan Singer ended up taking over and New Line Cinema could not have been more pleased. According to a press release, Ratner had stepped down because of a scheduling conflict with Rush Hour 3.
However, Variety linked it to a deeper issue. According to the speculation, Ratner's casting choices and huge budget made it seem as though he was losing complete control.
"Studio also became uncomfortable with Ratner’s collaborative decision-making style that sought to please everyone but ultimately didn’t please Warners," Variety wrote.
"The “Superman” budget also had escalated to $225 million, even with the hiring of a second line producer to bring the budget down to $200 million."
It is said that Ratner's casting choices also did not sit well with the studio, "The final straw for Ratner seems to have been the unwillingness of Warners execs to approve Ratner’s choice as the Man of Steel, soap star Matthew Bomer. Among the actors who tested for the role were Brendan Fraser, Paul Walker and Josh Hartnett."
In 2006, Superman Returns got its release without Ratner linked to the project. It did well at the box office bringing in $391 million, but that came with an absurd budget of $204 million.
Critically, the film received mixed reviews and one can't help but wonder what it would have looked like with Brendan Fraser in the spotlight.
Brett Ratner's Rush Hour 3 Took A Hit At The Box Office Compared To The Sequel
Rush Hour 3 got its release in 2007 and compared to the other films, it took a major hit at the box office, bringing in $258 million. Although it is a strong enough number, it was a major downgrade compared to the sequel, which brought in huge success with critics and the box office, made $347 million.
We haven't seen a fourth installment yet and fans are asking if it'll ever take place. Despite the constant rumors, there seems to be no plan at the moment.
