Hollywood film roles come, go, get replaced, and are taken over. However, there are a handful of enigmas that forever become the literal trademark for a particular role, especially in specific genres like that of Superhero movies. One of them is a currently under-works iconic character of Clark Kent’s Superman. Along with being the soul of the superheroes squad, Henry Cavill‘s this flagship role remains etched in our hearts, forever. Being one of the most sought-after roles in its domain, various actors have tried and successfully bagged the same, but some could not.

Recently, Philadelphia talent David Corenswet took over part of the 2025 Superman: Legacy. Nonetheless, there were a few other A-listers who dreamed of landing the iconic Superman role but could not make it, like Jamie Dornan. 

Jamie Dornan auditioned for the Superman role in pajamas 

The British bigwig who gained worldwide acclaim for his hit steamy movie, 50 Shades of Grey, opened up on what it was to let go of the spot. In an interview with Josh Horowitz a couple of days ago, Dornan revealed the bad call which made him wash his hands off the role. While he was supposed to be in something sort of the iconic Superman compression cape, he instead showed up in Superman pajamas to the set. 

“I wore my own suit there. Was that a mistake?” joked the star, pretty aware that, that was the one which cost him the role. “They were Superman pyjamas, they weren’t an actual suit,” he added. Further clarifying that he did not move ahead with the role, Dornan said he “got nowhere near putting the [real] suit on“. Following the hilarious yet embarrassing call, the star stopped in the early rounds of The Man of Steel auditions. 

Latest updates on the role, post the Henry Cavill exit 

The role, as was destined to be, would then go to its rightful owner, Henry Cavill. The star dominated the entire Hollywood industry with this alone, starring in five such movies. He appeared in Man of Steel, Batman vs Superman, Black Adam, and Justice League (two versions), before finally losing it to Corenswet. Reasons behind the shuffle point at James Gunn’s requirement for his new revamped DCU. 

The director apparently wanted a younger actor to fit the role. Although he has left the door open for Cavill to explore new opportunities in DC, it was certainly a deal breaker. Fans went bonkers with disappointment as the star took to his social media to announce that he was no longer a part of Peter Safran and James Gunn’s ten-year DC plan and thus declared his exit. 

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