Cast any actor from any era as your dream Superman cast

[Christopher]

Luthor hasn't always been lily-white. The DCAU Luthor is modelled on Telly Savalas, who was Greek, and has a fairly swarthy complexion.

Besides, ethnicity shouldn't be a dealbreaker. We've had the half-Japanese Dean Cain as Superman, the half-Chinese Kristin Kreuk as Lana Lang, Sam Jones III as Pete Ross, Michael Clarke Duncan as the Kingpin (a particularly apposite example), Billy Dee Williams as Harvey Dent, Dania Ramirez as Callisto... heck, we even had Eartha Kitt as Catwoman in the late '60s. (And you could include Halle Berry, though her "Catwoman" was a totally different character, and really, why would you want to?)

[Broccoli]

Christopher wrote:

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Luthor hasn't always been lily-white. The DCAU Luthor is modelled on Telly Savalas, who was Greek, and has a fairly swarthy complexion.

Besides, ethnicity shouldn't be a dealbreaker. We've had the half-Japanese Dean Cain as Superman, the half-Chinese Kristin Kreuk as Lana Lang, Sam Jones III as Pete Ross, Michael Clarke Duncan as the Kingpin (a particularly apposite example), Billy Dee Williams as Harvey Dent, Dania Ramirez as Callisto... heck, we even had Eartha Kitt as Catwoman in the late '60s. (And you could include Halle Berry, though her "Catwoman" was a totally different character, and really, why would you want to?)

Oh, I agree entirely. In fact, I usually like it when productions cast against typical expectations and really do think it keeps things fresh, especially in a long-running property. Obviously, there are some cases where that wouldn't work, but more often than not, no one really thinks about doing it until it is already done.

I was actually thinking of Michael Clarke Duncan when I suggested Tahir.

[Mr Light]

Watching the Emmys just now it occurs to me that Jon Hamm guy from Mad Men would make a perfect Superman/Clark Kent. He's definitely got the chin and hair for it!

[The Borgified Corpse]

mswood wrote:

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My favorite Superman surprisingly is Brandon Routh. Out of the character who portrayed him I honestly felt he had pre crisis Clark down (I liked Cain on a more post Crisis take), and I loved that Routh actually looked like he was doing those stunts.

What's the difference between pre-Crisis Clark Kent & post-Crisis Clark Kent?

I'm glad to see some decent love here for Brandon Routh. Count me as another fan who hopes he comes back. He's not my favorite Superman but he's as close as you can get without using voodoo to resurrect Christopher Reeve.

Captaindemotion wrote:

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I think Julie Christie would be a better Lara than Susannah York, the actress from the first two movies. I've stolen someone's Ma Kent, sorry about that!

That was me. No biggie. That one was the hardest for me to cast. And you're probably right that Christie would be better for Lara than for Martha Kent.

Christopher wrote:

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The DCAU Luthor is modelled on Telly Savalas, who was Greek, and has a fairly swarthy complexion.

And Telly Savalas made a cameo appearance in one of the early drafts of Superman: The Movie. Superman would be searching the streets for Lex Luthor and apprehend a bald man, who would turn out to be Savalas.

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

The Borgified Corpse wrote:

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What's the difference between pre-Crisis Clark Kent & post-Crisis Clark Kent?

Post-Crisis Clark doesn't put on the fumbling geek act the way that pre-Crisis Clark does. Post-Crisis Clark is like Dean Cain's portrayal, pre-Crisis Clark is like Christopher Reeve's portrayal.

[Christopher]

The Borgified Corpse wrote:

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What's the difference between pre-Crisis Clark Kent & post-Crisis Clark Kent?

Pre-Crisis, Superman was the real person and Clark Kent was just a role he played. Post-Crisis, Clark was the real person and Superman was just a role he played. So post-Crisis Clark is less of a "mild-mannered" caricature, more of a fully realized and nuanced person.

[JacksonArcher]

I dunno. To me, Superman will always be the real person. Then again, to understand Clark, or Superman, or WHATEVER -- you have to realize that Clark Kent is who he is because of how he was raised by the Kents. They raised him with good morals and beliefs, and that is what makes him Superman -- strip him of his powers, and he's still the same 'ole Boy Scout, who believes in "Truth, Justice, and the American Way". So I guess that makes him more Clark Kent as the real person, and Superman as the secret identity. Hmm. Never thought about that.

[Captaindemotion]

Christopher wrote:

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Luthor hasn't always been lily-white. The DCAU Luthor is modelled on Telly Savalas, who was Greek, and has a fairly swarthy complexion.

I think Savalas in On Her Majesty's Secret Service mode would have been an excellent Lex. A tad obvious perhaps, but his Blofeld is nicely menacing without being as hammy as Donald Pleasance's or as camp as Charles Gray. He could have been equally impressive opposite Christopher Reeve's Man of Steel as opposite Lazenby's 007.

[Spaceman Spiff]

I've always thought Cary Grant would have made a great Superman.

Same with Gregory Peck. Atticus Finch has a very Golden/Silver Age Clark Kent look to him.

[JacksonArcher]

Eva Marie Saint on the set of Superman Returns compared Brandon Routh to Gregory Peck.