When it comes to the world of comic book films, there are inevitably always changes made to adapt the source material for a wider audience. After all, what works on the page may not translate well to the big screen, no matter how much purists may protest otherwise.
Naturally, heroes and villains clad in colorful outfits often find themselves in very different costumes than their comic book counterparts by the time they hit theaters. However, few superhero costumes are as iconic as Superman’s, and now we have a glimpse at two takes on the Man of Steel that nearly made it to film before Superman Returns.
Courtesy of Think McFly Think, we have a look at some images from a pair of screen tests for the canceled Superman: Flyby project that nearly hit theaters in the mid-2000s. The actors in question – Brandon Routh and Henry Cavill – both wore a prototype design of the character’s signature red-and-blue suit for their auditions.
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CLICK HERE TO SEE BRANDON ROUTH IN COSTUME
CLICK HERE TO SEE HENRY CAVILL IN COSTUME
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The film – which was set to be directed by McG (Terminator Salvation) and scripted by J.J. Abrams – would have rebooted Superman mythology but was ultimately scrapped in favor of Bryan Singer’s nostalgia-fueled 2006 film Superman Returns, starring Routh in the title role. Cavill, of course, inherited the part in Man of Steel when plans for a Returns sequel fell by the wayside, and Routh got another chance to join the DC universe as Ray Palmer/The Atom on The CW’s Arrow, a role which may earn him his own spinoff.
These new images offer an interesting look at yet another interpretation of the characters, including a more armored look than either of the suits worn by Routh and Cavill in their respective films. While the dark red cape resembles the one Routh wore in Superman Returns, the larger chestplate and more toned torso do offer hints of the look depicted in Man of Steel.
Superman has worn endless variations of his famous suit over the years, and while every fan no doubt has his or her favorite version of the Man of Steel’s costume (with another one on the way next year), it’s always fun to speculate on how the character could be translated from page to screen and especially noteworthy to compare the suit Routh and Cavill wore in their auditions to the ones they ended up wearing on film.
What do you think of this unused design of the Superman suit? Is it better than the ones we got in Returns and Man of Steel? Sound off in the comments with your thoughts.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice hits theaters on March 25, 2016.
