10 Riskiest Superhero Movie Castings Which Paid Off

10. Christopher Reeve - Superman

Christopher Reeve may be considered the embodiment of Superman, playing one of the first mainstream superheroes in film, but his casting as the man of steel was anything but straightforward.

As per usual the studio heads wanted a big name attached to the film with names such as Sylvester Stallone and Robert Redford floated around but after failing to make any progress the decision was made to cast an unknown actor instead.

Plucked out of obscurity, Reeve was asked to audition for the much sought after role, and upon seeing his slim frame was advised to wear a muscle suit to convincingly play the superhero.

However, the actor was determined to authentically portray Kal-El, and thanks to a very rigorous workout routine managed to put on over two stone in muscle before filming had even started. Despite these initial concerns among producers Reeve's performance shone and is still widely regarded as the definitive portrayal of both Clark Kent and Superman.