Christopher Reeve’s caped flight to stardom in 1978’s “Superman” movie, a NYC auction house is listing rare documents revealing the other leading men the studio cleared to be cast in the iconic role, including Clint Eastwood, Jack Nicholson, Robert Wagner and then-closeted Richard Chamberlain.Auction house Metropolis Collectibles revealed the names of 24 leading men and 23 actresses DC Comics officially approved to be Superman/Clark Kent and Lois Lane, characters ultimately played by the relatively unknown 26-year-old Juilliard alum Reeve, and established 30-year-old Margot Kidder. “This has been a well-loved topic over the years and for the first time we have confirmation” about the approved list of actors “DC was comfortable with, as far as their public image,” said J.R.

Taylor, a researcher for Metropolis. “The casting has always been the most talked about thing and this list has names no one ever knew before.”The celebs who coulda been contenders were:The caped crusader with a deadly squint? “A lot of actors probably weren’t thrilled at the idea of playing Superman.

This was a time when starring in a comic book movie certainly sounded like a risky proposition,” said Taylor.The veteran actor and husband of Natalie Wood (whose name was on the list for Lois Lane) would have been 48 when the movie premiered on Dec.

15,1978. “At that point he was a television actor,” said Taylor.The “Chinatown” actor and “Cuckoo’s Nest” Oscar winner with the unnerving grin would ultimately go on to play the Joker in 1989’s “Batman.” But he was no obvious Superman, said Taylor. “You can see DC probably was considering nothing more than people who they considered to be bankable” stars, but he would have brought “baggage” from his previous.

Caped Clint Eastwood? Raquel Welsh? These famous actors were almost Superman and Lois Lane

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