Brendan Fraser Reflects on His Superman Screen Test and Calls SUPERMAN: FLYBY Script “Shakespeare In Space”
We got a fresh cinematic take on Superman thanks to James Gunn, and fans seemed to love the film and how it leans into the character’s humanity. But, before Gunn got to make his movie, the road to get there was filled with abandoned projects, alternate versions, and near castings that still fascinate fans.
One of the most interesting scrapped projects was J.J. Abrams and Brett Ratner’s Superman: Flyby, a film that came close to liftoff but ultimately was cancelled.
Among the actors who nearly suited up was Brendan Fraser, who became a frontrunner during the casting process and even tried on the suit. On the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Fraser opened up about that experience and his reaction to the script.
“Oh, I loved that screenplay. They let me read it. They locked me in an empty office in, I don’t know, some studio lot. [I] signed an NDA. It was printed black, on crimson paper, so you couldn’t photocopy it or sneak it out the door inscospicuously.
“I mean, it was Shakespeare in space. It was a really good screenplay. It really was. But, yes, I was considered. I did do a screen test. I did wear the big guy’s suit.”
That script clearly impressed him, but Fraser also admitted that stepping into such an iconic role came with a level of responsibility he wasn’t sure he was ready for.
“I don’t know if I was ready to take that on then. I mean, I felt I was, because, you know, big opportunity and excitement, et cetera, et cetera. But, I don’t know. Like [Terry George] once said, ‘If it’s not for you, then it’ll pass you by’ […] and it wasn’t for me.”
His Superman era may have passed him by, but Fraser eventually returned to the comic book world nearly twenty years later. He signed on to play the villain Firefly in Batgirl, starring Leslie Grace with Michael Keaton reprising his role as Batman.
Fraser had shot all of his scenes, and the movie was deep into post production when the project was suddenly shut down in 2022. The cancellation shocked fans and industry insiders, and Fraser was among those who stood by the film and the work everyone put into it.
Looking back on Superman: Flyby and the roles that followed, Fraser’s journey through superhero cinema is full of near misses and unexpected turns.
Even so, hearing him describe that unmade script as “Shakespeare in space” makes you wonder what kind of Superman story we missed.