Former WWE star looks back on failed audition for Superman Returns

Former WWE Superstar Paul London reflects on auditioning for the role of a lifetime he didn’t get because of height, Superman.

Wrestler Paul London was one of WWE’s top cruiserweight stars of the late 2000s with multiple title wins in that division, as well as tag team championships, to his name. But, decorated as his arguably short-lived ring career was, he had goals to accomplish outside it.

In a bit of trivia that few were aware of until now, London hoped to break into acting in a big way around 2006 and wanted to land a part everyone dreams of – the legendary Man of Steel.

London Calling for Superman

The film being made at the time was Superman Returns. Directed by the controversial Bryan Singer, it was the first Superman film to take flight in two decades – thanks in part to the success of Batman Begins the year before.

London was invited to audition in Dallas to play the next Big Blue Boy Scout, he explained on the podcast Cafe de Rene, hosted by a fellow former WWE wrestler of his era, Rene Dupree.

Filling Christopher Reeve’s shoes

They were “blanketing the country,” London said, to find the one who would take over for Christopher Reeve.

This takeover was quite literal as it turned out. Superman Returns took place in the continuity of Reeve’s film series and sought to answer lingering questions from the end of Superman II where Clark flew into space for a five-year sabbatical.

London revealed he read scenes from those movies directed by the late Richard Donner so they could see how he performed as Superman and Clark Kent without giving away any of Singer’s story.

He added it went very well and came with positive feedback but the process was bittersweet. “It was one of those auditions where you sadly get your hopes up because the feedback was so good,” London said.

What did in his chances was the rigid height requirement. At 5′ 10″, London was under the mark to play an over-6-foot superhero. The then-unknown Brandon Routh would win out over hundreds of prospects to star in the film and London thought Routh did “a really solid job” for what wasn’t “one of the more praised Superman movies out there.”

After the Return

Saying that, London also admitted he thinks Henry Cavill, whose time in the cape may not be up just yet, is the best Superman since Reeve.

Bryan Singer’s career came to an end when sexual misconduct of young actors came to light. Like most, Paul London didn’t know any of that at the time but said people can Google Singer and draw their own conclusions about him.

Fallout from similar though unrelated allegations would hit Kevin Spacey who played Lex Luthor and, like his character and director, would prove to be the downfall of his career.

Brandon Routh didn’t get a sequel but was able to wrap up the Reeve Superman saga during The CW’s “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover event.

Did you find that interesting? Where does Superman Returns rank among your favorite DC movies? Can you picture Paul London playing the Man of Steel? Answer in the comments.