In a recent interview, actor Matt Bomer revealed that he missed out on the opportunity to play Superman decades ago due to his sexual orientation.
When asked if his sexuality played a role in losing the part, Bomer responded, “That’s my understanding.” The 46-year-old actor explained that his being gay could have been “weaponized” against him at that time in the industry.
Bomer, born in Webster Groves, Missouri, was referring to an early 2000s film incarnation of the iconic superhero, which ultimately never came to fruition.
Matt Bomer, pictured at a recent event, reflected on missing out on the role of Superman due to his sexual orientation.
Bomer shared that he auditioned multiple times for the role and was the preferred choice of director Brett Ratner, who ultimately left the project.
The actor recalled his experience, stating that he initially went in for a cattle call audition and ended up auditioning “again and again” over the course of a month.
Bomer had even signed a three-film contract with Warner Bros. for the project, which was initially set to be directed by Brett Ratner. However, Ratner departed from the film in 2003 due to casting disagreements, as reported by Entertainment Weekly.
According to Variety, Ratner left the film after the studio refused to cast Bomer, despite him being the director’s choice for the role.
This incident occurred less than a decade before Bomer publicly came out as gay in 2012. The actor’s sexuality had been an open secret in the industry, and author Jackie Collins claimed in a 2012 interview that Bomer’s being gay was the reason he lost the Superman role.
The Golden Globe-winning actor, Matt Bomer, reflected on the challenges of being openly gay in the industry during that time.
The project was initially set to be directed by Brett Ratner, whose career has since stalled due to multiple allegations of inappropriate conduct.
Despite the setback, Bomer went on to have a successful career, and he even voiced the role of Superman in the 2013 animated film “Superman: Unbound.”
The Superman project went through several directorial changes after Ratner’s departure, with McG and Bryan Singer both attached at different points. Ultimately, Brandon Routh portrayed the Man of Steel in the 2006 film “Superman Returns.”