5 Actors Almost Cast As Superman In Man of Steel Before Henry Cavill (Including 1 DCEU Villain)

Henry Cavill famously played Superman in 2013’s Man of Steel, but he wasn’t the only actor considered for the role. Man of Steel marked the beginning of a new era for DC adaptations, as it served as the foundation for the first attempt at a shared DC universe on the big screen. Zack Snyder’s 2013 movie served as an origin story for Henry Cavill’s Superman, pitting him against the villainous General Zod and forcing the hero to announce himself to the world as Earth’s Kryptonian protector. The movie itself proved relatively divisive, with some fans loving Snyder’s grittier vision for the iconic character and others finding it less palatable. Regardless of the reaction to the movie’s tone, it was almost universally accepted that Henry Cavill was a great fit for the role of the titular Man of Steel.

As with any casting process, Cavill wasn’t the only contender for the role, though. In fact, we almost saw several other actors play Superman in the movie, with the names of some of these DC hero hopefuls having since been revealed. In fact, some of the actors that were considered or connected to the role might actually have been incredible had they been cast, creating an intriguing “what if” scenario. While we’ll never truly know what Man of Steel might have been like had these actors been cast instead of Henry Cavill, each of them reveals a little more about the thought behind casting the hero for the DCEU.

5) Jamie Dornan

After rising to prominence with his role in Once Upon a Time, Jamie Dornan was one of the contenders for the role of Superman in Man of Steel. At the time, Dornan was relatively unknown, as the role that catapulted him to superstardom, Fifty Shades of Grey, wasn’t released until 2015. Dornan has since revealed that he actually auditioned for the role of Superman for the DCEU’s Man of Steel, ultimately losing out to Henry Cavill. According to Dornan, he did not get far enough in the casting process to screen test wearing an actual suit, but he claimed to have arrived at his audition wearing his own Superman pyjama suit. While Dornan clearly wasn’t what Zack Snyder had in mind for the role, his chiselled good looks and brooding screen presence could easily have worked for the part. While it’s a shame Dornan didn’t get the opportunity to play Superman, we’re glad his career didn’t suffer in the slightest after missing out on the DCEU role.

4) Matthew Goode

One of the names that is often reported as being Henry Cavill’s closest competitor for the role of Superman is Matthew Goode. Goode had previously worked with Zack Snyder on Watchmen, where he played the genius entrepreneur and secret villain Ozymandias, so it’s perhaps unsurprising that the director was interested in bringing him back for another superhero movie role. The British actor has racked up credits in several prominent series since, such as starring in the romantasy TV show A Discovery of Witches as well as Downton Abbey, The Crown, and The Good Wife. Goode’s leaner frame makes it a little harder to picture him playing the iconic role of Superman, though judging by reports from the time, he was one of the closest contenders for the starring role in Man of Steel. Considering the scrutiny that comes with playing such a prominent character, it would have been very interesting indeed to see how Man of Steel would have looked with Matthew Goode cast in the lead role.

3) Armie Hammer

Of all the names connected to the role of Superman in the early days of Man of Steel‘s production, there are few that create feelings as mixed as Armie Hammer. On the one hand, it’s easy to see exactly why he would have made such a strong contender, as his physical appearance and build make him look very much like a real-life superhero. His chiselled features and muscular frame pretty much directly qualify him as a contender, but on the other hand, the more recent controversies surrounding the actor put his career in a new light. Regardless, it’s clear that he would have been a good fit for the Zack Snyder movie, or, at least, he would have seemed so during the casting process. The various high-profile scandals that have since marred his career make his otherwise perfect casting seem more like a near-miss than a missed opportunity, but still, he was reportedly close to securing the DCEU role.

2) Matt Bomer

There are a handful of Hollywood actors that it seems impossible to believe haven’t yet played a major movie superhero, and Matt Bomer deserves to be at the top of that list. Now considered a perfect replacement for Robert Downey Jr.’s MCU Iron Man should the role be recast, Bomer was also once in close contention for the role of Superman in Man of Steel. It’s not difficult to see why he was a contender: Bomer’s good looks and everyman charm make him seem a great fit for the dual role of Superman and Clark Kent. In fact, of all the names on this list, Bomer is likely the one who would be the easiest to imagine starring in Man of Steel instead of Henry Cavill, as he’s very much capable of giving a similar performance. Perhaps the only difference is that Bomer gives off a slightly more relaxed air than Cavill, which perhaps went against him when casting Zack Snyder’s grittier vision for the DCEU.

1) Joe Manganiello

Interestingly, one of the actors who was reportedly considered for the role of Superman in Man of Steel later went on to become a perfect Deathstroke casting in the DCEU. Joe Manganiello is said to have been a contender for the iconic role in Man of Steel, and in some alternate reality, he became the franchise’s Superman. Reportedly, HBO refused to give Manganiello time off from filming True Blood, forcing him to drop out of the running to play Superman in Man of Steel. Manganiello would have been a fascinating choice for the DCEU’s Superman, especially as he would have been able to play a prominent role in the short-lived franchise. Instead, he was perfectly cast as Deathstroke for a brief post-credits cameo tease that ultimately never came to fruition, leaving Manganiello’s DCEU history looking like an incredibly frustrating run of wasted opportunities rather than the career successes he deserved.

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