Matt Bomer Was Rejected from J.J. Abrams’ Superman Movie for Being Gay

Despite being Brett Ratner’s supposed top choice to play Superman and still not getting the role, Matt Bomer later got the chance to join the DC Universe as a queer character, and even played Superman.
In the recently concluded “Doom Patrol” series, Bomer played Larry Trainor in flashbacks and voiced the bandaged character in the present day while actor Matthew Zuk physically portrayed the covered-up hero. Based on the comic of the same name, the series offered a new take on Trainor’s origin, making him a closeted gay man in the Air Force with a family, who has an affair with another serviceman. He appeared on the show alongside his fellow “Superman: Flyby” auditionee, Brendan Fraser, who played Robotman on “Doom Patrol.” Additionally, Bomer got the chance to voice Superman in the 2013 “Superman: Unbound” animated film. So, while he didn’t get the chance to play Superman on the big screen, he did help bring him to life in some capacity.
Losing the role of Superman had to sting — especially if what he alleges about being passed on due to his sexuality is true, a sad indictment on the bigoted nature of Hollywood studio behavior at the time. Thankfully, Bomer continues to be booked and busy, recently appearing in Ryan Murphy’s “American Horror Story” anthology series, the queer Cold War drama “Fellow Travelers,” and an upcoming reboot of “White Collar.”