Fifty Shades of Grey's Jamie Dornan recently revealed his unorthodox outfit choice for his Man of Steel audition: a pair of Superman pajamas.
Dornan recalled his ill-fated tryout for the lead role in Zack Snyder's 2013 DC Extended Universe blockbuster in an episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast. "The only [superhero role] I auditioned for is Superman," he said. "That was way back when, like when Henry Cavill got cast. That's probably 12 years ago or something. I wore my own suit there. Was that a mistake? They were Superman pajamas, they weren't an actual suit. I remember an early audition for that. I got nowhere near putting the [real] suit on… I've had meetings with heads of studios that do those things and would talk about it, but I never got deep in any audition process for them."
As Dornan notes in the Happy Sad Confused episode, Man of Steel's Superman role ultimately went to Henry Cavill. The British actor then reprised the role in 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, 2017's Justice League (and its 2021 re-edit Zack Snyder's Justice League), and 2022's Black Adam. Cavill was also slated to headline a belated Man of Steel sequel, however, the project was canceled and Cavill dropped as Superman after DC Studios co-chairs and co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran were appointed in October 2022. Gunn has since offered a different version of events, insisting that Man of Steel 2 was never officially greenlit.
James Gunn Discusses the DCU's New Superman
Regardless of exactly how things shook down behind the scenes, one thing is clear: the revamped DCEU (now referred to simply as the "DC Universe") has found its new Superman. Gunn confirmed in June 2023 that The Politician star David Corenswet will take over from Cavill as the Last Son of Krypton in the upcoming franchise reboot Superman: Legacy. Corenswet reportedly beat out Nicholas Hoult and Tom Brittney for the coveted part, which will partner him with Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane.
Gunn hyped Corenswet and Brosnahan's casting on Instagram shortly after the news broke, adding that he's already raring to go on Superman: Legacy despite its 2025 premiere date. "It may seem far away to many of you, but it's close to me! We have a lot to do between now and then. But I haven't been more excited about a project in forever… and this cast, slowly coming together… holy cow," he wrote.
Man of Steel is currently streaming on Max.
Source: Happy Sad Confused