“I didn’t sell myself to myself” - Jude Law reveals he turned down Superman role for Brett Ratner’s unmade movie after trying on the suit

The Talented Mr. Ripley star Jude Law opened up about passing up an opportunity to play Superman. In a Thursday, June 13 episode of The Playlist’s The Discourse podcast, the actor revealed that he almost suited up for a Brett Ratner Superman movie. Law kept refusing the role as it felt "a step too far."

However, the actor recalled the studio bringing him the suit with the hope that it would change his mind. Despite an initial positive reaction, Jude Law felt like he couldn't do it. The actor recalled:

"I didn’t sell myself to myself. And I stepped away and the film never happened anyway. So maybe it probably wouldn’t have done anything."

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"It just felt like a step too far": Jude Law on almost getting cast as Superman

Jude Law made a recent appearance on The Playlist’s The Discourse podcast in promotion of his upcoming movie Firebrand alongside Alicia Vikander. During the show, the actor was asked about his time as a potential Superman actor in the early 2000s.

Law agreed that the rumors were true and that there was a time when he had a "process of flirtation going on" with the role. He stated:

"I always resisted because it just felt like [off]. And I know you can say, ‘Well, but you played Yonn-Rogg and Dumbledore!’ It just felt like a step too far."

Jude Law recalled that his "flirtation" with the role occurred when Brett Ratner was supposed to direct the next Superman movie, potentially titled Superman: Flyby. The actor didn't recall reading a script for the movie. He remembered the Superman suit being brought to him in the hope that suiting up would change his mind.

Jude Law confirmed that the suit wasn't the same one worn by the legendary Christopher Reeve but was "more metallic." The actor recalled:

"Anyway, I tried on and I looked in the mirror and part of me initially was like, ‘Wow, this would be a [good thing],’ and then I just thought, ‘No, you can’t – you can’t do this. You can’t.’ "

Being unable to sell himself to none other than himself, Law stepped away from the role and the movie. Just like the canned Tim Burton Superman movie that came before, Brett Ratner's version of the DC character too failed to lift off the drawing board.

After the Christopher Reeve series of films, it was 2006's Superman Returns, directed by Bryan Singer, that finally brought the man of steel back to theaters. According to Box Office Mojo, the movie grossed a respectable $391,081,192 worldwide. This time, Brandon Routh donned the iconic red and blue suit while Kevin Spacey portrayed the menacing Lex Luthor.

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Maestro star Matt Bomer also nearly played Superman

During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Matt Bomer of White Collar fame revealed that he was potentially Brett Ratner's final pick for the role. He even signed a three-picture deal at Warner Bros. The actor told the publication:

"I went in on a cattle call for Superman, [which] turned into a one-month audition experience where I was auditioning again and again and again,"

At the time, Bomer was working on the soap opera Guiding Light and had to be written out of the show, in case the Superman gig landed. He said:

"On Guiding Light, there was a killer in town, so the executive producer, very kindly, wanted to free me up just in case the [Superman] job came through,"

Therefore, the executive producer of Guiding Light wrote him out of it, which he described as getting fired but "in a generous way." When Bomer, who is gay, was asked if his s*xuality affected the role falling through, he replied:

"Yeah, that’s my understanding. That was a time in the industry when something like that could still really be weaponized against you. How, and why, and who [outed me], I don’t know."

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Jude Law and Alicia Vikander's Firebrand, directed by Karim Aïnouz, is all set to hit theaters across the country on Friday, June 14. The film premiered at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in May 2023.