Mark Millar is a renowned comic book writer known for his work on titles like Superman Adventures and Superman: Red Son. He recently reminded everyone that we almost had a very accurate-looking version of Superman.
Millar posted a tweet detailing his belief that the world is worse off for not seeing Brendan Fraser as Superman. Millar’s statement was accompanied by an image of Fraser in a Superman costume and the message “We’re weaker as a species because this didn’t happen 20 years ago.” Millar’s sentiment relates to the potential casting of Fraser in J.J. Abrams’ Superman: Flyby project, which ultimately never came to be.
It’s very hard to disagree that Fraser would have been a great casting choice for Superman. The image above shows how he really embodies the look. This reminds me of when Ben Affleck first appeared as Batman. Affleck was the first person who looked like the comic version of the character; Batman is a much more built and sizable guy than other actors have given him credit for. Luckily, many Superman actors look like the character, so we didn’t miss out on that.
Related: Spider-Man Voice Actor Comments On ’97 Continuation
Unfortunately, the Superman: Flyby project was abandoned in favor of Superman Returns, released in 2006 and starred Brandon Routh as the titular superhero. That movie was very divisive, to say the least, and was one of the few Superman movies in which Superman never threw a punch. He caught a foot, but he didn’t hit anyone—peak cinema.
Fraser, known for his roles in films like The Mummy and George of the Jungle, has already achieved critical acclaim and an Academy Award for his performance in Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale. His career obviously went on to be successful, Fraser has no regrets even without being cast as Superman.
Related: Venom Retcons Eddie Brock Scene In Spider-Man No Way Home
Fraser confirmed last year that he was in the running for the role, but ultimately, he believes playing Superman would have limited his career options. Fraser said he “didn’t want to be known for only one thing” and valued his career’s diversity. It’s true that superhero roles were once limiting, especially when you’re type-casted. However, it’s pretty cool to think about what could have been.