The list of actors to have almost played Superman is every bit as long as the roll-call of names to have actually donned the costume and played the Kryptonian superhero, such are the vast number of projects revolving around the DC Comics icon to have stalled in development hell at one time or another.
Kirk Alyn, George Reeves, Christopher Reeve, Brandon Routh, Tom Welling, Dean Cain, Tyler Hoechlin, and Henry Cavill have all gotten their shot, but countless others were either cast or considered to suit up and swoop into action to save Metropolis. That includes (but is in no way limited to) the likes of Nicolas Cage, Will Smith, Brendan Fraser, Josh Hartnett, Matt Bomer, and plenty others, but we’d feel pretty confident in saying that Steve Buscemi was never in the running.
Sure, he’s a phenomenal actor and a beloved fixture of Hollywood, but he’s not exactly Clark Kent material. As if you needed that point hammered home any further, a nightmarish AI creation has been making the rounds on Reddit to showcase just how terrifying a computer-generated Buscemi could look as the Man of Steel.
We can only apologize if you find yourself unable to sleep tonight, because we’ll be in exactly the same boat, and only part of it will be down to wondering why on earth an AI decided that if Steve Buscemi were to become Superman, he’d be obligated to have a mustache. On second thought, it’s probably best not to think about it too much…