6 Super Men Who Could Play Superman On ‘Supergirl’

Superman in Supergirl

As you’ve probably heard by now, Superman is coming to Supergirl! Of course, for those of you who watch the show, you’ll know that Supes has been around from the very beginning. He’s shown up in silhouette or as a small crimson blur in an award winning photograph or as a pair of boots conspicuously placed in the background of a shot. And yet, while Kal-El has been a presence in his cousin’s life, we, as an audience have not been witness to much of it. The most we know about the Last Son of Krypton in the world of Supergirl is that he sends IMs.

But, when Supergirl‘s new season starts on its new network this fall, we’re actually going to get to meet the guy, see his face, and, presumably, hear him speak. Will wonders never cease?

Anyway, all this means that the CW is going to need a guy with a face and a voice to show up and actually act alongside the Girl of Steel. Who is that going to be? Beats us, but you clicked into this article expecting to see a list of actors who could play Superman, so, gosh darnet, that’s what we’re gonna give you! Let the irresponsible speculation commence!

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau

You probably know Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister on Game of Thrones, a character who maybe doesn’t quite embody truth, justice, or the American way. That said, while the Last Son of Krypton probably would not approve of the actions of the so-called ‘Kingslayer,’ the surprising depth of character that Coster-Waldau has brought to Lannister over time proves the actor is capable of more than villainy. If you take Lannister’s wit and superimpose it on a character of higher moral fiber, I think you have the makings of at least a half-decent Superman. Beyond that, he’s got the prerequisite good looks – give that man a shave and he’s almost a doppelganger for Henry Cavill.

Whether or not he’s actually available for the gig is another question. With the production of Game of Thrones generally being centered in Europe, popping over to Vancouver to shoot a couple episodes of a funny book show just might not be practical. Still, if he has the availability to do it, he’d be a good fit.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan

While the hike between Spain and Vancouver might prove to be impractical, The Walking Dead‘s Georgia-based production is a smaller hurdle to leap. If cast, Jeffrey Dean Morgan would be a noticeably older Superman than his filmic counterpart, but I think that makes sense on a couple levels. For one, having a noticeably different version of Superman on TV will help to mitigate the issue of audience confusion (an area where Coster-Waldau’s aforementioned resemblance to Henry Cavill becomes a liability). Not only that, but in the world of Supergirl, Superman has been around doing his thing for decades. It makes sense for him to have a bit more mileage. There’s also the added bonus that Morgan has been around the block with the DC universe before, having been featured as both the Comedian in Watchmen and Batman’s Batdad in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Having him take on a more lighthearted character could be an exciting change of pace.

Armie Hammer

As one of the approximately four people who actually likes Gore Verbinski’s The Lone Ranger (yes, really!), I’m kind of bummed about the way its apocalyptic failure has tarnished Armie Hammer’s once promising career. The movie that was supposed to catapult him to superstardom ended up doing quite the opposite. Still, I like the guy. He’s got some solid chops, both in terms of acting and comedy, and I think he’d be a swell choice for an earnest, goofy, CW version of Superman. Not only that, but George goddamn Miller wanted him for his version of Justice League (albeit in the role of Bruce Wayne). If one of our modern cinematic geniuses sees superhero potential in this guy, then I don’t feel like I’m going out on too much of a limb here.

Matt Bomer

Most recently seen with a hockey puck on his face in Shane Black’s The Nice Guys, you might know Matt Bomer from his roles in Chuck, American Horror Story, Magic Mike, and Glee. Bomer’s another one of those guys who excels at bringing straight-faced silliness to a role, and when you combine that with his chiseled jaw and impeccable cheekbones, it’s a wonder that this man has not already been cast as Superman. Oh wait, he has!

Okay, so Bomer’s stint as Superman may not be as iconic as Christopher Reeve’s, but if you put this man in the cape and boots for more than 20 seconds, and I bet you get something pretty great.

Jon Hamm

While I think any of the other names on this list would be solid choices for TV’s Supes, there’s almost no one I’d rather see get the job than Jon Hamm. The man is a powerhouse performer, equally adept at drama and comedy, he has an almost anacrhonistic star charisma that harkins back to the movie stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood, and I’ll be damned if he doesn’t look just like an Alex Ross drawing of the big blue Boy Scout. Back when Man of Steel was still little more than an idea that David Goyer pitched to Chris Nolan, Hamm’s name starting cropping up all over the place as a possibility for Superman. Those rumors, sadly, turned out to be baloney, but maybe that dream can live again.

Hamm, after all, is no stranger to TV work, and even though he might be out of the CW’s price range for a series regular, they might be able to splurge for a two-episode guest spot. I’d be way into it if they did.

Brandon Routh

As much as I’d love to see Jon Hamm get a chance to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but I f it were up to me (it’s not) Brandon Routh would be the only man for the job. Superman Returns was undeniably a dud, but it’s no fault of Routh’s. Quite the contrary, Routh rather excellently captured the essence of Christopher Reeve with just enough of a modern spin to make it his own. In other words, he did the job the movie failed to do all by himself. His Superman would be a perfect fit for the world of Supergirl. Earnest, old fashioned, and slightly goofy, but absolutely oozing charm and charisma. Seeing Routh’s Superman play off of Benoist’s Kara would be just about as exciting as it was to see Grant Gustin show up in National City. A match made in superhero heaven.

Of course, the naysayers will point out that Routh is already on one of these DC/CW shows – one that will almost certainly cross over with Supergirl in the not-too-distant future. I, on the other hand, don’t see that as a problem. I very seriously doubt that Supes is going to be a regular character on Supergirl (one of the show’s essential themes is Kara creating a name for herself that’s separate from her cousin’s), so it’s not like Kal-El and Atom would ever have to come face-to-face. As for the similarity of their appearance, that can be tossed away in a cute joke, which is the same way the show already handled the crossover with The Flash.

David Daut

David Daut

Though his taste has been described as ‘broken’, David maintains that the Fast & Furious series is the greatest cultural achievement of the modern era.