Yeah, I know—Superman. The Man of Steel. Imagine that: Paul Walker as Superman. Sounds wild, right?
But let’s rewind a bit. It’s the early 2000s, and DC was on a mission to reboot their favorite alien in spandex. Enter Superman Returns in 2006, with Brandon Routh in the lead. But before that, Walker was this close to grabbing the cape and tights, and he walked away.
According to I Am Paul Walker, the 2018 documentary that just aired on The CW, Walker’s manager, Matt Luber, spilled the tea about Walker’s “NOPE” moment. When Paul tried on that iconic “S” symbol, he wasn’t feeling it. In fact, he reportedly said, “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.” Like, mic drop—that’s how you quit a superhero gig, folks.
But why would Walker turn down $10 million for the role of Superman? I mean, come on, that’s more than enough to buy your own island.
Well, Paul wasn’t just about the money.
In a 2003 interview with Chicago Sun-Times, he said, “You know what? I don’t need it. My favorite brand of running shoes costs $23. I rarely pay more than $40 for my jeans. Throw in a T-shirt and that costs me $20 or $10 if I buy it on the beach.” This guy was literally the opposite of flashy. A fleet of jets? Nope. A Superman suit? Not for him. He was cool with his simple lifestyle, and no gazillion dollars were going to change that.
The whole “not wanting to be typecast” vibe was strong with Paul. His stunt double, Oakley Lehman, even said he knew Walker wasn’t into being stuck in a Superman suit for multiple movies. “I knew he did not want to do three or four Superman films and be Superman for the rest of his life,” he said. Talk about keeping your options open. Who wants to be Superman forever, right?
Instead, the Superman gig went to Brandon Routh, who was basically a Christopher Reeve lookalike. And, hey, it worked. Superman Returns was a solid hit, and Routh’s portrayal was well-received. But imagine how different it could’ve been if Paul Walker was soaring through the skies instead of behind the wheel of a car. Could he have pulled it off? We’ll never know.
Meanwhile, Brendan Fraser also tried for the role, but he admitted it was a 50/50 shot. “Studio politics” were part of the reason he didn’t land it, and Fraser was only “98% sure” about taking the job anyway. He didn’t want to get stuck in the Superman label, either, fearing it would paint him as a “one-trick pony.”
So, while Paul Walker never became Superman, he sure as hell left a legacy of doing things his way. Whether he was driving fast cars or turning down big roles, Walker was a man who stuck to his principles. We lost him too soon in 2013, but his decision to turn down that cape will forever be a reminder that sometimes, it’s better to pass on the bright lights and keep it real.
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