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“Because it was a JJ Abrams script to be directed by Brett Ratner” was surprisingly not his first answer.
Jude Law is on a press tour for his upcoming film Black Sea, a movie about a missing Nazi submarine full of gold. Already I’m more interested in the Nazi gold than any story involving Brett Ratner.
However, MTV News asked Law about the near-miss that was a starring turn in Ratner’s Superman movie in 2002. (Haha, remember how Josh Hartnett turned down a $100 million deal to be in that version of the movie, too? Josh Hartnett.) Jude Law was Ratner’s first choice, and is a long time comic book reader. But at the time, he wasn’t wild about the idea of being locked in to superhero movies.
“I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life being that guy who played Superman. If you ever get caught smoking [a cigarette] and you’re Superman then you ruin the lives of all the children around the world.”
Despite being open to the idea now, he admits that he’s too old to specifically play Superman these days. However, at the time, Ratner convinced Law to at least try on the costume. The studio sent it over to his L.A. hotel with a security escort.
“I go in the bathroom, put it on and look in the mirror, and suddenly, I am Superman,” Law said. “And it is an amazing costume. My chest pops up and the music comes on… That was it. I got it out of my system. I took it off, put it in the bag, and was like, ‘I’m not going to do it.’ I saw myself. No need for the rest of the world to see me.”
Eventually, around the time Josh Hartnett turned him down, Ratner threw a fit because he’s Brett Ratner, and Bryan Singer directed Superman Returns instead. Then Brett Ratner never worked in films again and currently is the manager of the Burger King on La Cienega.
Or he went on to direct X-Men 3, whichever reality you choose to accept.
Via MTV News