TradeEdge-Matt Bomer Says He Lost Superman Movie Role Because of His Sexuality

With a long list of film and TradeEdgeTV credits and several award-winning performances, Matt Bomer has had a super career.

But the Fellow Travelers star recently shared that two decades ago, he lost out on the role of Superman—for which he said he spent several months going through auditions, screen tests and chemistry reads.

"It looked like I was the director's choice for the role," Bomer said on the June 10 episode of The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast. "This was a very early iteration of Superman written by J.J. Abrams called Superman: Flyby, I think is what it was called. It never came to light."

At the time, the actor was appearing on the soap opera Guiding Light. However, he said an executive producer "very kindly" wrote him off the show in case he was cast as Clark Kent in the film, which was originally set to be directed by Brett Ratner.

And Bomer noted it seemed like the role was his as he "had signed a three-picture deal at Warner Bros." But the 46-year-old—who publicly came out as gay in 2012—said his sexuality appeared to be part of the decision to go in a different direction.

"Yeah, that's my understanding," Bomer shared. "That was a time in the industry when something like that could still really be weaponized against you. How and why and who I don't know. But yeah, that's my understanding."

E! News has reached out to Warner Bros. for comment but has yet to hear back. 

While the film Bomer auditioned for was never made, Bryan Singer ended up directing the 2006 film Superman Returns starring Brandon Routh.

Though Bomer wasn't cast as the Man of Steel, he's starred in several film and TV series, including Fellow Travelers, Magic Mike, White Collar, In Time and The Normal Heart—with him winning a Golden Globe and receiving an Emmy nomination for his work in the latter.

And in a 2020 interview, he spoke about what it was like for him to come out when he did.

"I came out at a time when it was very risky to do so—I had a studio film that was about to premiere, and a television series coming out," Bomer—who shares three kids with husband Simon Halls—told Attitude. "But to me it was more important to be my most authentic self, both for my family, and for myself."

He added, "I wasn't trying to be a role model, nor am I now, but I thought if it could help just one person, then it would be worth it. But to say that didn't cost me certain things in my career would be a lie. It did."