After the tragedy that claimed Christopher Reeve's life and prevented the continuation of Superman's story, it took some time before the iconic hero was brought back to life, this time by Brandon Routh, who did not hadn't really had a chance before that. Bryan Singer, director of Superman Returns (2006), said that a controversial actor, Jim Caviezel, wanted to be Superman, but Singer refused.
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In 2004, two years before the film's release, Bryan Singer, Dan Harris and Michael Dougherty were looking for the perfect cast to bring their film to life. With already big names like Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor and James Marsden as Richard White, Bryan Singer was determined that his Superman would be someone who wasn't already famous, as he wanted a fresh face for bring this iconic character to life. He said: “I committed to playing an unknown person.”
Of course, he then opted for Brandon Routh, who rose to incredible fame thanks to his role and will forever be known as Superman in Superman Returns. However, other big stars still wanted the role.
One of the stars who really wanted to play Clark Kent/Superman was James “Jim” Caviezel, one of the most charming actors in Hollywood in the late 1990s. When Singer talked about his superhero, Caviezel said: “I love playing iconic characters, and I view the role of Superman as a big responsibility. Playing Superman would be a big challenge.”
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Jim Caviezel loves playing iconic characters, which is an understatement, as he played one of the most iconic and controversial characters ever, playing the lead role in Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, which was released in 2004, the same year Singer was looking for his Superman.
While the film was a huge commercial success, grossing over $612 million worldwide, it was also widely considered controversial as a biblical drama directed by Mel Gibson. Both Gibson and Caviezel knew the possibilities of the business they were undertaking. Although he cast Caviezel for the role and let him know he had landed it, Gibson called him 20 minutes later to try to dissuade him from accepting the role, knowing it would likely mean a spiral descending for his career. Despite the warnings, Caviezel told Gibson, “We must all embrace our crosses,” and he proudly and brilliantly accepted the role.
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