Paul Walker Nearly Played Superman but Passed on the $10 Million Offer

May 2024 · 2 minute read

Paul Walker was on a short list of high-profile young actors to play Superman, but he passed on playing the last son of Krypton. In the 2018 documentary I Am Paul Walker, it was disclosed by the late actor’s manager, Matt Luber, that Walker had auditioned for the legendary superhero role before his untimely death. “I think it was a $10 million deal, and he was the frontrunner,” Luber recalled.

Meanwhile, Walker’s stunt double, Oakley Lehman, also confirmed the casting rumor in the documentary. “I knew he was up for it,” Lehman said. However, he believes Walker didn’t want to be associated with the character for a decade or more. “I knew he was thinking about doing it, and I knew he did not want to do three or four Superman [films] and be Superman for the rest of his life.”

Luber also recalled a distraught phone call from Paul Walker over the potential Superman part. It reveals that perhaps the Fast & Furious star may not have been ideal in the first place. “‘I’ve got an ‘S’ on, I got a cape, boots, tights … this is not me. I’m getting the f— out of here. Gotta go. F— you.’ And he was gone,” Luber noted.

Paul Walker Wasn’t the Only High Profile Actor Up for Superman at the Time

On The Howard Stern Show last year, Brendan Fraser revealed that he and Paul Walker were considered for the role of Superman in 2002 or 2003. Warner Bros. had hired J.J. Abrams to write a script for a new Superman movie, but it never materialized, and none of the tested actors ended up playing the part. Of course, in 2006, Brandon Routh scored the part in Superman Returns.

The audition for Abrams’ unreleased Superman movie would have happened shortly after Walker’s breakout role in The Fast and the Furious (2001), which paved the way for the mega-franchise still rolling today. Walker went on to star in five more Fast and Furious films. Furious 7 marked his final appearance due to his untimely death.

On November 30, 2013, Walker tragically died from injuries sustained in a high-speed, single-vehicle collision while riding as a passenger. Following his passing, Hollywood and the Fast and Furious franchise have remained dedicated to preserving Walker’s legacy. In 2023, the actor was posthumously awarded a star on Hollywood’s renowned Walk of Fame.

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