Brendan Fraser says Superman role was taken away from him

Brendan Fraser has opened up about almost playing Superman.

The actor has been thrust back into the limelight amid the so-called 'Brenaissance', and was asked by Howard Stern about 'the role that got away'.

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Fraser is well and truly back in our lives at the moment, having starred in The Whale, with Killers of the Flower Moon and Brothers on the way.

It comes after the George Of The Jungle star suffered a period of depression, and in 2018 he alleged he had been groped by Philip Berk, the former head of Golden Globes organiser the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA).

Berk denied the claim and an independent investigation concluded the encounter was 'inappropriate' but 'the exchange was not an intended sexual advance', according to the HFPA.

Now, to the delight of his adoring fans, he's back in the game.

Warner Bros

Reflecting on the time he came close to donning the famous red cape of Superman, the 54-year-old said: "Everyone in town was reading for Superman.

"They were testing I think maybe six or seven guys in 2002/2003."

Asked who he was up against, Fraser continued: "I remember Paul Walker was before me. There were like, you know, the usual suspects.

"So you know, of course, it's a life-changing, amazing opportunity. But I had to reconcile with, OK, say you do get the job to be The Man of Steel - it's going to be chipped on your gravestone.

"Are you OK with that? And you will forevermore be known as The Man of Steel?"

To be fair, I think I would be OK with that, yes. There are worse legacies.

REUTERS / Alamy Stock Photo

But for Fraser, he wasn't sure he wanted his career to be defined by one role.

He continued: "There was sort of a Faustian bargain that went in.

"I think, inherently, I didn't want to be known for only one thing, because I prided myself on diversity, my whole professional life... I'm not a one-trick pony."

As for whether he was disappointed to miss out, Fraser reflected: "I felt disappointed that there was an amazing opportunity and it didn't come to fruition.

"It had to do a lot with some shenanigans and studio politics. And probably inherently in my screen test - I think that's why you test - they could kind of see I was only there like 98 percent."