Paul Walker On Why He Turned Down Superman Role & $10 Million Deal

Paul Walker could have been cast as Clark Kent, the Man of Steel. The late actor’s manager, Matt Luber, and stunt double, Oakley Lehman, revealed in the 2018 documentary I Am Paul Walker that the Fast & Furious star walked away from a multi-million dollar deal.

Luber said in the doc, which recently aired on The CW, that Walker “was screen testing for Superman,” adding, “I think it was a $10 million deal, and he was the frontrunner.”

Lehman, who was also Walker’s childhood friend, said the actor “was up for it” and “knew he was thinking about doing it.”

“I knew he did not want to do three or four Superman [films] and be Superman for the rest of his life,” Lehman continued.

According to Luber, Walker was auditioning for the superhero role and donning the Superman costume when the actor decided it was not for him.

“‘I’ve got an ‘S’ on, I got a cape, boots, tights … this is not me. I’m getting the f*** out of here. Gotta go. F*** you.’ And he was gone,” Luber said that Walker told him.

Walker died on November 30, 2013, at the age of 40, following a car accident.

In 2006, Brand Routh starred as Superman in Superman Returns. It wasn’t until the 2013 release of Man of Steel that Superman returned to film with Henry Cavill now sporting the red cape. Cavill would go on to portray the Man of Steel in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, 2017’s Justice League and a cameo appearance in 2022’s Black Adam.

I Am Paul Walker is a documentary originally aired on the Paramount Network in 2018. The Adrian Buitenhuis-directed doc features interviews with Walker’s family and friends who knew him best, including Cody Walker, Caleb Walker, Ashlie Walker, Cheryl Walker, and Paul Walker III. His Fast & Furious co-star Tyrese Gibson, director Rob Cohen and director Wayne Kramer also appeared.

Back in 2003, Walker opened up about why he turned down the role of Superman as DC tried to reboot the franchise.

“Yes, I could have made a gazillion dollars on that franchise. I could probably have bought my own fleet of jets or my own island,” he said in an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times. “You know what? I don’t need it. My favorite brand of running shoes costs $23. I rarely pay more than $40 for my jeans. Throw in a T-shirt and that costs me $20 or $10 if I buy it on the beach. I don’t need a gazillion dollars to manage that kind of lifestyle.”