Somewhere in the multiverse, there’s a live-action Warner Bros. movie (or three) starring Matt Bomer as Superman. Bomer doesn’t particularly care to visit that universe.
In 2024, Bomer revealed on The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast that he’d been in the running to play Superman in an early iteration of a Warner Bros. movie written by J.J. Abrams back in the 2000s. He said he auditioned for months, flying between New York and LA for chemistry reads and screen tests, and it appeared he was the “director’s choice” for the role. But ultimately, he didn’t get the part after his identity as a gay man was “weaponized” against him.
The project later switched hands and was eventually scrapped entirely, making way for Bryan Singer’s unpopular “Superman Returns,” a reboot of the franchise starring Brandon Routh.
Though Bomer’s revelation made headlines last year, he’s not hung up on it. In fact, he thinks his career turned out better this way.
“I think I’ve actually had a much more varied career, which is what I always wanted as an actor who went to theater school to play different characters, because I didn’t necessarily play an iconic role,” Bomer told Business Insider. “That’s kind of hard for an audience to break away from or separate you from.”
Playing a superhero can vault a rising actor to icon status, but the success can be a double-edged sword. “It’s a great blessing. You’re rich, and you have the luxury of choice, and you get to be in big movies,” Bomer added. “But I think it’s probably a lot to shake off.”
Bomer called going through the audition process for Superman “a beautiful experience” even though he didn’t land the role.
“It advanced my career in an incredible way, opened up a lot of doors — and even though maybe some things closed off, it opened me up to all kinds of artists like Ryan Murphy that I probably wouldn’t have had the opportunity to work with otherwise,” he said.
The actor went on to work with Murphy on “Glee,” “The New Normal,” “The Normal Heart,” and “American Horror Story.” He also made his directorial debut on an episode of “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story,” which was produced by Murphy.
Bomer also pushed back on the suggestion that he “lost out” on playing Superman for being gay.
“I don’t think it was quite as cut-and-dried as what you just said, and I certainly don’t view myself as a victim,” he said. “I don’t see myself as a victim and I don’t like being perceived as a victim. This is a business. Decisions happen all the time. I love my career. I’m grateful for my career.”
“I’m really happy with the way things have shaped up for me,” he added.
Not playing Superman clearly didn’t stall Bomer’s career. He led the popular USA Network series “White Collar” for its six-season run as the charming con-man Neal Caffrey. And he eventually did play a DC superhero — Negative Man on Max’s “Doom Patrol.”
More recently, Bomer starred opposite Bradley Cooper in the Oscar-nominated 2023 film “Maestro.” He also led the critically acclaimed, Peabody award-winning historical romance thriller “Fellow Travelers,” which netted him Golden Globe and Emmy nominations in 2024.
He’s following that up with “Mid-Century Modern,” a new Hulu sitcom from “Will & Grace” co-creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan. Bomer, Nathan Lane, and Nathan Lee Graham play a trio of longtime best friends who decide to live together after the death of the fourth member of their group.
For Bomer, playing a proud gay man in a show that centers his identity and community is something he never imagined would be possible earlier in his career.
“It’s definitely something that I don’t take for granted,” Bomer said, adding that he’s grateful to be working with groundbreaking artists like Mutchnick, Kohan, and Murphy, who have made huge strides in LGBTQ+ representation on screen. (Murphy and Bomer are also credited as producers on “Mid-Century Modern.”)
“I’m grateful for every day at work — even when it’s one of those sweaty days where your jokes didn’t land.”
“Mid-Century Modern” is now streaming on Hulu.
