The folks over at Think McFly Think report that Jon Hamm is being “seriously considered” for the role of Clark Kent in the Warner Bros. reboot of the “Superman” franchise. While the “Mad Men” star is certainly capable of pulling off a suit and Kent’s goofiness (as seen on “Saturday Night Live”), age may be one consideration holding him back. Currently 39 years old, Hamm would be well over 40 by the time the film comes out on its expected release date of December 2012. Not exactly ideal if Warners plans to spin the reboot into a multiple installment franchise (don’t get too caught up in it all WB/Legendary have a long list of possibles — just as every studio has on every frickin’ project).
However, franchises fronted by actors in their 40s are not exactly unheard of these days. Robert Downey (45) fronts both “Iron Man” and “Sherlock Holmes” and Tom Cruise is coming back for another go at “Mission Impossible” (although rumors are that he will passing the reins over to Jeremy Renner).
Playing Superman wouldn’t be the first time Hamm portrayed a character from the comic book. In this popular “Funny or Die” clip, Hamm plays Lex Luthor looking for a government bailout. It would be the first major starring role (and needless to say, the most high-profile) for Hamm since his “Mad Men” ascendancy, although he appears in this coming week’s “The Town” in a supporting role, and had a supporting appearance in 2008’s “The Day The Earth Stood Still” to boot. He can also be seen in a non-starring role in the upcoming indie drama “Howl” and a more central one in the thriller “Stolen.”
“Superman” will be produced by Christopher Nolan and was once said to possibly be directed by his brother, Jonah Nolan (though we’ve heard lately, that’s more and more looking completely unlikely) Ben Affleck’s “The Town” is released Friday.