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Cast any actor from any era as your dream Superman cast

The Borgified Corpse

The Borgified Corpse

Admiral
Admiral
As a companion to the similar Batman thread, cast your ideal Superman movie.

Personally, I think the studios have gotten it pretty right in the past. In some parts, my cast would look more like a best of.

Superman - Christopher Reeve
Lex Luthor - Kevin Spacey
Lois Lane - Teri Hatcher
Perry White - Ed Asner
Jimmy Olsen - Mark McClure
Jonathan Kent - John Schneider (in the future!)
Martha Kent - Julie Christie
Jor-El - Ralph Fiennes
Brainiac - Lance Henriksen
Metallo - Sam Worthington
LiveWire - Eliza Dushku (She doesn't even need to say anything. Just put her in the costume.:drool:)
Supergirl - Kristen Bell
General Zod - Liam Neeson
 
Henry Cavill has always been my ideal choice for Clark Kent/Superman. He was McG and Brett Ratner's top choice back when they were directing the JJ Abrams iteration of the long gestating Superman reboot. I would still like to see Brandon Routh get another chance with the role. I'd hate to see him become the George Lazenby of the actors who have played the Man of Steel.

Jon Hamm would be perfect for an adaptation of It's Superman as directed by the Coen Brothers.

I never liked Margot Kidder in the role of Lois Lane. I thought she was a little too unattractive and annoying. I understand Lois Lane kind of needs to be annoying but I just didn't like Kidder's portrayal. I've come to appreciate Kate Bosworth's more mature take on Lois, but I still expect Lois to be a bit of a spitfire. Erica Durance is pretty much how I envision Lois Lane. Keri Russell could be interesting.

Daniel Day-Lewis or Ralph Fiennes as Lex Luthor. Also, either of them would be very good playing Jor-El as well in my opinion. Liam Neeson would also make a great Jor-El had he not mentored Bruce Wayne and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Dustin Hoffman or Hugh Laurie as Perry White.

An older Logan Lerrman as Jimmy Olsen. Gregory Smith would also do well.

Dennis Quaid as Pa Kent. Annette Bening as Ma Kent.

Patrick Stewart as Brainiac. Jason Statham or Sam Worthington as Metallo. Jude Law as General Zod.
 
Some of the previous casting was perfect (especially Christopher Reeve). I liked Margot Kidder under Donner's direction, not so much after that. Karen Allen would have been my ideal Lois Lane opposite Christopher Reeve in the late 1970s and into the 1980s.

Paul Gross would have been perfect as Superman for a 1990s revival of the film series.
 
Superman: Matt Keeslar would be the best Superman ever. Just watch The Middleman for proof.

Lois: Gina Holden. Her Dale Arden in SciFi's Flash Gordon was very Lois-like, and she's more gorgeous than just about any screen Lois except Kate Bosworth, who was incredible to look at but totally wrong for the part.

Luthor: Several possibilities. Clancy Brown with a shaved head; Sherman Howard (who did a terrific Luthor in the '80s syndicated Superboy); Michael Rosenbaum 15 years from now.

Jimmy: Michael Landes from Lois and Clark, but maybe a few years younger than he was then.

Perry: Hmm... how about Chi McBride?
 
I liked the SR cast very much, especially Routh and Bosworth. However, I think the problem was that they were a bit too young for situations the characters were in. Had it been a movie where Supes was starting out for the first time, the actors and their ages would have been perfect and would have been written differently to reflect that (at least in Lois's case).

Anyway, for me: Christopher Reeve is Superman; Dean Cain is Clark Kent; and Teri Hatcher is Lois Lane. I also realize the oddity of the first two.

So...getting on topic...

I don't know who for Supes or Lois, but if could pick, I would have either Hugh Laurie or Beau Bridges as Perry White.

Also, and this might be a bit of odd (or perhaps fanboy) casting, but someone suggested this here a few weeks ago and I can't shake how much I would like to see this (mostly to see if it works): Faran Tahir as Lex Luthor.
 
Broccoli said:
I liked the SR cast very much, especially Routh and Bosworth.
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I really liked Routh and Bosworth too; they were just stuck with a terrible story/script in my opinion. On the other hand, I believe that Spacey is overrated as Luthor.

Dean Cain is Clark Kent
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Cain is my favorite Clark / Superman; I never expected that to be the case when the initial press photos came out. For me, that first season of Lois and Clark is the pinnacle of live action Superman so far.
 
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. Of course how much of that is the increase in Special effects, who knows. WHen he lifted something, it looked like his body was straining to do so. When he was flying it looked really natural,ect. But as so much of Superman is his body and how it interacts with what he is doing, it really helps sell the character.

For Lois, I really haven't loved any Lois (in the last 40 years). Kate was good, but she was far, far too young. Routh gets a pass because his role is an alien, Kate isn't.

As for the Daily Planet, I loved the cast of SR,I thought they were spot on.

Luthor, sorry but I hate the movie versions of the character (because he reminds me of 50's Luthor which is a laughable form of the character. Rosenbaum is the only modern version that has any merit, though for a true Superman role his character is probably too young.
 
Superman - Josh Brolin
Lex Luthor - Yul Brynner
Lois Lane - Dana Delany
Perry White - Charlton Heston
Jimmy Olsen - Aaron Ashmore
Jonathan Kent - Bruce Greenwood
Martha Kent - Daine Lane
Jor-El - James Brolin
Brainiac - Hugo Weaving
Metallo - Gary Busey
Mr. Mxyzptlk - Gilbert Gottfried

Supergirl - Helen Slater
General Zod - Christopher Plummer
Darkseid - Marc Alaimo
Desaad - Jason Issacs
Kalibak - Ron Perlman
Doomsday - Andre the Giant
Steel - Delroy Lindo
 
Superman - Christopher Reeve (Brandon Routh comes in a very close second)
Lois Lane - Zoe Deschanel (I agree with those who say Margo Kidder was not attractive).
Lex Luthor - Kevin Spacey
Perry White - Robert Duvall
Jor-El - Hugh Jackman
Jimmy Olsen - Elijah Wood
Pa Kent - William H. Macy
Ma Kent - Meryl Streep
 
Broccoli said:
I don't know who for Supes or Lois, but if could pick, I would have either Hugh Laurie or Beau Bridges as Perry White.
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Bridges is a good choice. Reminiscent of Lane Smith, but less quirky.

Also, and this might be a bit of odd (or perhaps fanboy) casting, but someone suggested this here a few weeks ago and I can't shake how much I would like to see this (mostly to see if it works): Faran Tahir as Lex Luthor.
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That's interesting.
 
Superman/ Clark: Christopher Reeve. I'm of that age. No-one will ever top him for me, though I thought Routh was a superb recast. If they make another movie soon, I'd like to see Routh back or else Jon Hamm.

Lois Lane: I think Charisma Carpenter circa Seasons 1 - 3 of Angel would have been ideal. Ditto Courtney Cox around the first few seasons of Friends.

Lex Luthor - Daniel Benzali, best known as Teddy Hoffman from Murder One. I always liked Lex drawn as a chunky bloke and Benzali's husky voice is appropriately villainous.

Jimmy Olsen - Ron Howard circa Happy Days

Perry White - Jason Robards circa All the President's Men. A little typecasting perhaps, but still ...

Pa Kent - Dennis Quaid

Ma Kent - Though Smallville has gotten dire lately, I actually like Annette O'Toole a lot in this role

Jor-El - Brando works for me but 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!

General Zod - No-one could bellow 'Kneel before Zod!' like Terence Stamp

Lana Lang - Laura Prepon from That 70s Show
 
Brendan Fraser as Superman/Clark Kent
Erin Grey as Lois Lane
Shia LaBeouf as Jimmy Olsen
Jason Robards as Perry White
Orson Wells as Lex Luthor

Brendan Fraser was even a journalist in real life for a short time. But for me George Reeves was the real Clark Kent and Christopher Reeve was excellent as Superman.
 
Christopher said:
Broccoli said:
I don't know who for Supes or Lois, but if could pick, I would have either Hugh Laurie or Beau Bridges as Perry White.
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Bridges is a good choice. Reminiscent of Lane Smith, but less quirky.
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Yeah, and I really liked Lane Smith's Perry White. He really made that role his own.

Also, and this might be a bit of odd (or perhaps fanboy) casting, but someone suggested this here a few weeks ago and I can't shake how much I would like to see this (mostly to see if it works): Faran Tahir as Lex Luthor.
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That's interesting.
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I admit, I haven't seen him in much, but the few things I have seen him in, he has a presence about him (even in small roles). I also think that he can pull off being equal parts threatening and charming (which is something, I think, is important for Luthor to have). John Shea had it and, overall, Spacey was able to pull it off.

And even though Tahir isn't white as Luthor has been portrayed, I think mixing it up would be a fresh change.
 
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?)
 
Christopher said:
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?)
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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.
 
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!
 
mswood said:
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.
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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 said:
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!
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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 said:
The DCAU Luthor is modelled on Telly Savalas, who was Greek, and has a fairly swarthy complexion.
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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.
 
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