Here’s a good argument for why, even though they’re rebooting the story, Warner Bros. should really stick with Brandon Routh as their Superman. See so far we’ve been incredibly lucky with our Clark Kents. Whatever you think of Chris Reeve and Routh (I loved them both) you have to admit they’re at least in the ballpark of what a Superman should be. But before either of them were cast, a lot of other people almost had the job. People who would have been terrible. People who would have ruined the movie.

In the modern era it was Nic Cage who would have ruined Superman. He was set to play the Man of Steel before his take on the superhero collapsed a decade or so ago. And apparently, before Reeve got the job as Clark Kent in the 1978 version, Clint Eastwood was a candidate for the blue tights.

The now 80-year-old actor tells LA Times, “I can remember – and this was many years ago – when [Warner Bros. President] Frank Wells came to me about doing Superman. So it could have happened. This was when they first started to think about making it. I was like, ‘Superman? Nah, nah, that’s not for me.’ Not that there’s anything wrong with it. It’s for somebody, but not me.” Good move Clint. I’m a big Eastwood fan, but watching him squint his way through Richard Donner’s movie would have been painful.

Eastwood also reveals that he was offered James Bond after Connery left. That, aside from his lack of a British accent, actually could have worked. But Superman? No way. We’ve been lucky with our Supermen. It could have been bad, really bad. Why risk disaster by recasting? Just stick with Brandon Routh.