For my money, Brandon Routh proved to be a perfectly acceptable Clark Kent/Superman.
He embodied the heroism captured by the late Christopher Reeve, as high a compliment as WWTW can pay to any Man of Steel.
But the 2006 film “Superman Returns” didn’t set the box office ablaze, and some saw Routh as an emasculated superhero, too pretty for his own good. So a reboot has been ordered by “The Dark Knight” director Christopher Nolan.
If Hollywood insists, then they’ve picked the right person to oversee the project. But who should play Superman? Lois Lane? Lex Luthor or any other supervillain?
(Photo: Unknown Brandon Routh took over for Christopher Reeve in the 2006 film “Superman Returns,” director by Bryan Singer.)
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{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
I didn’t mind Brandon Routh but I think he will always be associated with the train wreck that was Superman Returns. Too bad for him, I guess. At one point there was a rumor that Jim Caviezel wanted to play Superman, I thought that was a good choice.
Superman is a hard role to cast, I don’t think that you can just cast any Hollywood jackass in the role. The character is so iconic, I think you need to find a good actor who is a “boyscout” in real life, a la Christopher Reeve.
I say use an unknown for Superman. Which is fan-speak for “I miss Christopher Reeve.”
While I don’t think she’s necessarily feature-fim ready, Erica Durance from the Smallville version is a better Lois Lane than the actress in Superman Returns. Lois is a feisty gal, and Kate Bosworth was a bit too precious for the role.
But as for the villain: I’m pretty sure they have settled on General Zod, but someday, somehow, I want to see JEFF BRIDGES as DARKSEID.
A fan can dream…
Agreed about Routh- he played Superman as well as he could be played, given the script he had to work with, and his work since then, especially as a villainous spy on the last season of “Chuck,” has impressed me.
Zack Snyder has been mum on what actors he’s considering for Supes, except to say that whatever actor he picks “will be a man,” which is good enough for me. Jim Caviezel is an excellent choice, or maybe Matt Bomer from “White Collar.”
For Lois, I’d pick Zooey Deschanel- she does cute and spunky like nobody else. Jon Hamm was very funny as Lex Luthor in that Funny or Die video (http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/f26c4046b0/lex-luthor-bailout-with-jon-hamm), so I’d pick him for that role. And if they decide to bring back General Zod, my choice would be Rutger Hauer.
How about we don’t cast a new Superman at all. I am almost as tired of this franchise as I am the Star Wars franchise. What more can we explore about a man whose only weakness is a green crystal (and other variations) which is featured prominently in too many of the stories. Let it lie fallow for a couple of decades and then come back with the original concept of a man who was immensely strong and invulnerable to ordinary weapons.
Couldn’t agree more with Caviezel and Zooey inspired picks.
But Kbiel is right … let the franchise rest for a spell and let our collective interest in it grow.
I disagree about letting it rest. The last movie, other than the cartoons, was in 2006. Prior to that, the last movie was 1987. Since 1987, we have had-
6- Batman films
4- X-men films
2- Iron Man movies
No one thinks that the Batman franchise should take a rest and the market is a lot more saturated with those movies than Superman. If Zach Snyder makes a quality Superman movie that upholds the ideals of the Superman in the comics (not emo, no kid, believes in truth, justice, and the American way), all will be forgiven and the franchise will be welcomed. Superman has to be larger than life, a symbol if you will, of all that’s best about mankind, specifically America. If it holds to that, it will be successful.
This is way outta left-field, but judging from the picture they always show of Penn State kicker Collin Wagner, he’s got the perfectly shaped head to play Brainiac. Just puttin’ it out there…
Love the Bridges as Darkseid nod, too.
The only comparison that works is to Batman. X-men and Iron Man were not major franchises before the movies and have yet to spawn much in other media (outside of their the obvious comic book origin). While I believe that if there is anybody who can bring out the paddles and successfully revive the film franchise Nolan and Snyder can do it, I think they have a much larger hill to climb than Nolan did with Batman.
The Batman movie franchise ended rather horribly in 1997 and the only new visual media after that were the usual animated series. Superman on the other hand has had a muddled universe of the usual animated series, “Superboy,” “Lois & Clark,” and “Smallville” since Christopher Reeves killed the movie franchise in 1987. Then they dropped “Superman Returns” on us concurrently with “Smallville” and stripped Superman of his defining characteristic, his virtuousness. It is clear to me that we have reached the saturation point with Superman.
At the very least, can we agree to finally end “Smallville” before we add yet another interpretation?
kbiel- I am okay with killing Smallville, I’ve never watched it. Thanks for the good counter point to my argument.
If you’re going to reboot, then do it different. Very different.
Gerard Butler: THIS IS METROPOLIS!!!!!!
Butler as Superman? I like it … but his accent creeps into all his “American” roles
Routh was good, and frankly I thought Spacey was the best Luthor of any other. (Sorry Hackman fans. I’m one too but I call it like I see it) I won’t sit here and say no one else could play either part but it depends on where they want the story to go.
The problem with Superman Returns was that it didn’t reboot the franchise. I could care less if they included the who back story thing. I think it would have been a much better story if it were an actual reboot told from the point of view of the public. We don’t need to see Krypton, Smallville and young Clark discovering his powers. Begin in modern day times with all the characters going about their days, TOLD FROM THEIR POINT OF VIEW, and all of a sudden, Superman appears. WITHOUT WARNING. Does he need to battle Luthor? No. The first film mearly works as a vehicle to relaunch the character.
My two cents is that this is how a reboot could work.
And again Routh, Spacey, I think Zooey’s sister Emily would work better, and Jeff Bridges as Darksied or Brainac.
Jon Hamm all the way as Superman!
He has the acting range, charisma and the necessary manly look to play Clark Kent and Superman!
Lets hope Nolan and Snyder do NOT cast any pretty boy unknown actors with limited experience to be a lead in this film.
We don’t need Jon Hamm. Get over this crap. Whoever ask for him and started rumor is a freaking idiot. He is too old.
Look at the comics and story of Superman. He doesn’t age man and is immortal after certain point.
Lets make a movie based on comics and facing his real enemies: Darkseid, Mongel, Parasite, Metallo, Bizarro, Doomsday and Brainaic. Lex Luthor should be secondary villian only and be based on comic character not the stupid movie versions.
We need a action packed Superman along with story and heart. No more campy Superman leaving Lois pregnant storties and having him stalk her.
No damn Kevin Spacey as Luthor. Cast Michael Rossubaum since is the only true incarnation of the character. Routh as Superman, its not the end of the world but may confuse people.
No more Richard Donnor worship anymore in movies. We want comic Superman and not his version.
I agree with lot of you routh tried but Chris passed it to tom welling giving the right writers he could susceed Chris give tom a shot at first I was a sceptic of smallville but it modernized the classic tale give tom a chance he’s built for the part & can act
I honestly liked superman returns and wouldn’t mind Routh coming back in the red cape, but I would also like to see To Welling in the superman suit, with Billy Zane as Lex Luthor, and, Ralph Finnes as Braniac. Welling is 3 years older than Routh and 7 years older than Reeves when he was superman, plus he knows how to play the dark superman.