Legendary actor Clint Eastwood is one of the few yesteryear stars who is still active in the industry. The Gran Torino star has made a mark with his Westerns and is known as one of the most prolific directors to work with. At the age of 93, the veteran is still going strong by directing and starring in acclaimed dramas.
Back in his heyday, however, Eastwood was pursued by many studios to star in their blockbuster productions. While the action star has done a variety of roles, he has never played a superhero. The actor reportedly had a favorite Marvel character on his wishlist of superheroes, who was only recently introduced in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Clint Eastwood’s Rejected The Role Of Superman
Legendary actor Clint Eastwood was one of the biggest stars of the late ’60s and ’70s when he starred in the TV Western Rawhide and Sergio Leone’s Dollars trilogy. He became known for his Westerns and then transitioned to directing, starting with the mystery Play Misty For Me. He also gained notoriety for his police procedural action franchise Dirty Harry.
At the peak of his career, Eastwood was reportedly offered the role of Clark Kent in Richard Donner’s Superman. The film was going to star Gene Hackman and Marlon Brando in supporting roles and was going to be a huge project. However, comic book films were not the hot property they are now and were not a huge draw for stars at the time.
Clint Eastwood reportedly turned down the role as he was not a fan of the character. He mentioned in an interview (via FarOut Magazine),
“I was like, ‘Superman? Nah, nah, that’s not for me.’ Not that there’s anything wrong with it. It’s for somebody, but not me.”
The role ended up going to Christopher Reeves, a then-relatively unknown actor who became a huge star because of the role. He would go on to star in three more sequels. However, the Million Dollar Baby star was not completely apprehensive about the superhero genre and actually had a dream Marvel character in mind to play if he ever got the chance.
Clint Eastwood’s Dream Marvel Superhero
While Clint Eastwood rejected the role of Superman in Richard Donner’s epic two-parter, he reportedly had a dream Marvel character in mind to play on screen once. He revealed that he was a fan of the Marvel superhero Namor, the Sub-Mariner in the comics, and that he used to collect the comics as a kid.
Prince Namor is a mutant who is the son of a human and an Atlantean. He is part of the Atlantean royalty and is a fierce warrior who protects his homeland of Atlantis. The character was introduced in the MCU with last year’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, where he was played by Tenoch Huerta.
Namor has been a part of many Marvel superhero groups in the comics, including the Avengers and the X-Men. He is considered to be a nemesis for the Fantastic Four, especially Reed Richards. Namor had once taken away Susan Storm a.k.a the Invisible Woman after falling in love with her. There are also hints of Storm having feelings for Namor as well. In a ‘What If’ comic run, Sue Storm actually gets together with Namor and becomes the Atlantean Queen.
Clint Eastwood’s golden age dreams finally seem to have come to fruition as Namor was introduced in the MCU. Though he could not play the role, he can at least watch his beloved comic be realized on screens as the X-Men and the Fantastic Four are soon set to debut in the MCU.