Jude Law was apparently offered the role of Superman for 2006’s “Superman Returns,” but he told Stephen Colbert on “The Late Show” that he turned down the role because he wasn’t exactly comfortable with the costume, saying it didn’t really “float his boat.”
“I’m an Englishman and, I don’t know, it just didn’t seem to fit [the role]. I was always worried about the outfit. I just didn’t fancy it,” said Law.
Director Bryan Singer tried to convince Law to take on the role by sending over the revamped suit so the actor could try it on, which Law did. Although he enjoyed putting on the suit, he got out of it just as quick as he got in it.
“I take the suit into the bathroom and I’m putting it on and I look around and I look in the mirror and suddenly I’m Superman. And the music kind of comes in,” he said. “Then I have this picture of me in that costume in posters all over the world and I was like, ‘No way!’ And I unzipped it. But I was Superman for two minutes, that was enough.”
The role would eventually go to Brandon Routh, and Henry Cavill put on the red cape for “Man of Steel” and the recent “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.”
Law did think that at the time he was offered the role he was “young enough to play it.” Colbert, however, tried to convince Law that for the British actor, age is just number.
“I don’t know, I can see a fair amount of your chest right now and I think you’re looking pretty good,” said Colbert.
Law will be starring as Thomas Wolfe in “Genius,” which hits theaters June 10.
