Matt Bomer Was Allegedly Denied A Superman Movie For A Heartbreaking Reason
In a recent interview, "White Collar" star Matt Bomer revealed that he was nearly cast as Superman, but alleges that after he was outed as a gay man, he lost the chance to play the part.
In the early-to-mid-2000s, attempts by Warner Bros. to make a modern Superman film saw Brett Ratner hired as director, while J.J. Abrams penned a script for the project, named "Superman: Flyby." Ultimately, several actors auditioned for the part of the Man of Steel, including Brendan Fraser, Jude Law, and Josh Harnett. The late Paul Walker also revealed he turned down a $10 million paycheck play the DC Comics hero. However, Bomer shared with THR's Awards Chatter Podcast he was among those who went up for the role, auditioning for a month before becoming Ratner's top choice for the role. When asked whether his sexuality played a role in the studio opting not to hire him, Bomer alleges that's exactly what happened. "Yeah, that's my understanding," he told The Hollywood Reporter. "That was a time in the industry when something like that could still really be weaponized against you. How, and why, and who, I don't know, but yeah, that's my understanding."
In 2012, romance author Jackie Collins didn't mince words in suggesting the same, telling Gaydar Radio, "His audition tape went in and he called up the agent and somebody didn't like him and told [the producers] he was gay. They said, 'No, no, we can't cast you.' The reason he didn't get cast was because he was gay." However, sources connected with the film tell Entertainment Weekly those reports weren't true and that Bomer not becoming Superman was simply due to Ratner leaving the project.
Matt Bomer still ended up in the DC Universe
Despite being Brett Ratner's supposed top choice to play Superman and still not getting the role, Matt Bomer later got the chance to join the DC Universe as a queer character, and even played Superman.
In the recently concluded "Doom Patrol" series, Bomer played Larry Trainor in flashbacks and voiced the bandaged character in the present day while actor Matthew Zuk physically portrayed the covered-up hero. Based on the comic of the same name, the series offered a new take on Trainor's origin, making him a closeted gay man in the Air Force with a family, who has an affair with another serviceman. He appeared on the show alongside his fellow "Superman: Flyby" auditionee, Brendan Fraser, who played Robotman on "Doom Patrol." Additionally, Bomer got the chance to voice Superman in the 2013 "Superman: Unbound" animated film. So, while he didn't get the chance to play Superman on the big screen, he did help bring him to life in some capacity.
Losing the role of Superman had to sting — especially if what he alleges about being passed on due to his sexuality is true, a sad indictment on the bigoted nature of Hollywood studio behavior at the time. Thankfully, Bomer continues to be booked and busy, recently appearing in Ryan Murphy's "American Horror Story" anthology series, the queer Cold War drama "Fellow Travelers," and an upcoming reboot of "White Collar."