Sam Heughan Narrowly Missed An Opportunity To Become Another Superhero On Screen
Before he became the iconic Jamie Fraser on Outlander, Sam Heughan had a lot of jobs, including playing the role of Batman for a theater production. But aside from the Caped Crusader, the actor also vied for the role of another superhero in Superman Returns.Although the actor never played Superman onscreen, he still has a fondness for the character. Recently, he appeared on the Just for Variety podcast to promote Season 6 of Outlander. He also revealed the reason why he failed to get the superhero role.
Sam Heughan Auditions For Superman Returns
Playing Jamie Fraser on the hit time-travelling TV drama Outlander has made Sam Heughan a household name. The previously unknown actor has been cast in several other projects since landing the starring role. Some fans even decided that he should be the next James Bond!
Thanks to Outlander, Sam doesn’t have to audition as much anymore. Looking back, he had a lot of auditions he didn’t get. Some of them were for huge films such as Lord of the Rings and Tron: Legacy. To that list, add Superman Returns.
Speaking to Just for Variety podcast, the Scottish actor recalled his audition for Superman. He shared, “The movie, it was the Brandon Routh one, [directed by] Bryan Singer. I had a number of auditions and met the producers. We never screen tested or anything but it was the beginning of me coming to America and the audition process.”
He further added, “I realized that I needed to change my body shape for the roles I was going up for.” Obviously, Sam didn’t get the role of Superman in Singer’s 2006 film. But the valuable experience had an unexpected effect on him – changing his eating diets forever.
Sam explained, “I grew up a pescatarian or sort of vegetarian-pescatarian. I didn’t start eating meat until I came to America when I was 24. It was all these delicious burgers and food…At the time I was auditioning for Superman. I had a trainer and he was like, ‘You need to get bigger. You need to be able to fill out the cape.’ He was like, ‘Eat more protein.’”
The actor’s statements shed light on the strong pressure men face to get in top physical form for superhero roles, which often necessitates strict diet and fitness regimens. Good thing, the trainers for Superman Returns helped Sam bulk up. Maintaining that physique certainly paid off for his Outlander role, Jamie Fraser.
Sam Heughan Played Batman Before
Superman was not the only superhero in Sam Heughan’s career. As stated earlier, he also played Batman in a touring production. He said, “I actually played Batman years ago, and Bruce Wayne, in a stage version, sort of Cirque du Soleil and we toured around. We played the Staples Center and Vegas. It was great.”
While fans are wondering if Robert Pattinson will return to reprise his role in The Batman 2, many are still hoping to see Sam as the caped hero. The actor even admitted that he’s excited about the new Batman movie, but explained why he’s become weary of superhero films.
He said, “I think that looks fantastic. I think the other superhero movies kind of lost their way a little bit. They’ve become too obese in a way. Anything character based, Batman’s a great one because he’s a superhero. He’s just a character. Something with a great backstory.”
Fans React To Sam Heughan Being A Superhero
When people think of Sam Heughan, many tend to also picture scenes of war on horseback, sweeping romances, puffy shirts, and all the other things he does on Outlander, the hit Starz TV series, as Jamie Fraser. It is less often that fans associate him with things related to superheroes.
Now that he has revealed some details of his auditions for Superman, and even the job he had as Batman before landing on the time-traveling drama, fans took to social media to express their thoughts.
A fan wrote on Twitter, “@SamHeughan is a versatile, brilliant actor, I’m sure he can do both Bond and Batman. And he would do great!” Another commented, “He has great experience being Batman, he has the build, the jawline, the piercing stare. #SamHeughan #Batman.”
Sam’s fans voted for him to play the role of Batman. One commented on the poll, “Sam would be a great Cape Crusader, Batman!!!! Whomever is in charge of making this happen needs to just make it happen!!!” Another gushed, “He seems more Superman than Batman to me, bit oh well.”
Although he failed to get the Superman role once, perhaps it is time for Sam Heughan to star in one of the Marvel movies or even a DC flick. Only time will tell, then!
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErZ%2Bippeoe6S7zGiuobFdrK60utNmqpqlXZ2ytrPHmqVmoZ5iwLa8xKukmqZdp7K1wdGnqmg%3D