Probably the most genuinely exciting take on Superman on this entire list, JJ Abrams' solo outing for the Man of Tomorrow had some great ideas and a solid foundation that saw Clark Kent as the real character and Superman as his persona but was ultimately the victim of Warner Bros. being too greedy for comic book projects. Handing in a draft in 2002, Abrams' Superman script was an origin story that involved a civil war between Jor-El and his brother, making other Kryptonians the villains of Flyby. The story is as much about prophecy as it is about action, with Kal-El dying at one point and meeting his suicidal father in Kryptonian heaven before being resurrected and defeating his murderers. Lex Luthor was also featured as a UFO-obsessed FBI agent, a unique take on the character that we're surprised hasn't been seen more. Brett Ratner and McG both took on the project as director at certain points, but an inability to track down the right actor (who was also willing) to play Superman proved impossible. Those considered included but was not limited to Josh Hartnett, David Boreanaz, Joel Edgerton, Paul Walker, Jude Law, Brendan Fraser and even Henry Cavill, who we all know went on to win the role a decade later. Eventually McG was replaced by Bryan Singer, who threw out Abrams' script and began work on the film that would become Superman Returns.
