Yes, really. What Happened? Another of the Salkinds' odd-ball suggestions for the role, Hoffman seems to have been one of those actors under consideration because of the quality of his acting ability, rather than any semblance of suitability for wearing spandex and looking muscular. Thankfully someone came to their senses and apparently offered Hoffman the chance to play Lex Luthor before Gene Hackman signed on, but he passed, possibly because of the devastating realisation that he wasn't cut out to play one of Earth's mightiest defenders. Would He Have Worked? Watching All The President's Men proves that he could have been a good Clark Kent, and he certainly knows how to play vulnerability into his performances, but the idea of him wearing a muscle suit for Superman is a bit like imagining Woody Allen as Batman. Yes Christopher Reeve almost lost the role himself thanks to a lack of physicality, but he at least had a strong foundation that allowed Darth Vader actor David Prowse to help build him up to play a more believable Superman. Hoffman meanwhile had the perfect figure for Tootsie.
