In 2004, before Henry Cavill was Zack Snyder's Superman in
Man of Steel, Cavill was cast by McG ("Charlie's Angels") to play Superman/Clark Kent in his unproduced Superman film,
Superman: Flyby. A film that was written by J.J. Abrams ("Star Trek Into Darkness"), and would've also starred Robert Downey Jr. as Lex Luthor. That's why you see him in the banner above. Keep in mind, this took place two years before Bryan Singer's super-dull,
Superman Returns. So what killed McG's
Superman: Flyby? Well, the director revealed that it was his fear of flying that grounded the production. Warner Bros. wanted the film to shoot in Australia for cost-savings, while McG wanted it to be shot entirely in North America so that he never had to get on a plane. Even though Cavill would have to wait nearly a decade to suit up as the Man of Steel, we can now see an image of his
Superman: Flyby screen test, via
ThinkMcFlyThink.com.
Image: ThinkMcFlyThink.com
Image: Tim Burton JP
STORY: Young PRINCE KAL-EL is rocketed to Earth in an effort for Jor-El to allow Kal-El to fufill the prophecy of being the chosen Kryptonian to end a century old Civil War. On Earth Kal-El is found by the KENTS a kindly couple who's hopes were to be parents. After surviving the years Kal-El now Clark Kent's life is shown through a series of scenes showcasing his life before Superman which leads right up to the moment he meets Lois Lane at a Metropolis College. All the while the young TY-ZOR Cousin to Clark Kent goes from Planet to Planet in search of his Cousin in hopes of killing him and crushing the war. When he arrives to Earth he discovers his Cousin has become SUPERMAN Earth's greatest protector and the two engage in a battle for the Earth it self. - CBM's Robert Garlen
Ain't It Cool News Breakdown Of JJ Abrams' Script
SUPERMAN:FLYBY Storyboards By Adolfo Martinez Perez