Kevin Smith (Clerks, Jay and Silent Bob Reboot) has already spoken at length about his time writing the Superman Lives movie that was in development back in the '90s for Tim Burton to direct (the giant spider story is the stuff of internet legend), but the filmmaker has now shared another interesting tidbit.
While participating in a Mallrats watch party for Focus Features, Smith revealed that he envisioned Michael Rooker (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Walking Dead) as Lex Luthor while working on the script, and that's why he had the actor shave his head for his supporting role in Mallrats.
“When I wrote my Superman Lives script, Rooker was who I saw in my head as Lex Luthor," said Smith. "So his head shaving became yet another comic book reference."
Of course, even if Superman Lives had of moved forward, there's nothing to say that Rooker would have even been considered for the role as Smith would have had very little/any say in casting the film. Still, it's fun to consider what might have been, and the Yondu actor certainly would have been an out-of-the box pick for the Man of Steel's nemesis.
What do you guys think? Could you see Michael Rooker as Lex Luthor? Drop us a comment in the usual place.
About The Author:
Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.