Brendan Fraser is one of those actors who never gives up. The youngest of four boys, he was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Canadian parents. His family frequently traveled and while on vacation in London, England, he attended a professional theatre show in the West End which sparked his interest in acting. After making his film debut in 1991 in Dogfight, he went on to act in the teen comedy Encino Man as well as the drama film School Ties in 1992. He continued to gain momentum with various films in the ’90s, from George of the Jungle to the massive hit The Mummy.

After starring in The Mummy trilogy and Journey to the Center of the Earth, it seemed like Fraser was unstoppable, having had established himself as a leading man in action films. However, his work slowed in the late 2000s after dealing with some health problems and personal losses. He continued to act in smaller projects and made his mark in the world of television by acting in the history miniseries, Texas Rising (2015), the Showtime drama, The Affair (2016–2017), and the HBO Max-DC Universe series, Doom Patrol (2019–present).

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Recently, Brendan Fraser has put himself back in Hollywood’s limelight by playing the main character in The Whale (2022), a psychological drama about an obese man named Charlie. The reception of his performance has been astounding, with the Venice Filme Festival standing ovation for his performance going viral. Therefore, it seems that his career has made a triumphant comeback.

Like any actor, Fraser has seen his share of ups and downs. In addition, he has had many successful films as well as projects that didn’t perform well at the box office. Like most successful actors, he has had several roles which he has turned down or wasn’t offered, and like all actors there are some roles that he lost; there are even a few he accepted and filmed, but for one reason or another, the films were never released. Here is a look back at all those what-ifs and could-have-beens as we count down the major roles we never got to see Brendan Fraser play.

George of the Jungle 2

     Walt Disney Pictures

During the height of his career in 1997, Brendan Fraser played the title character in the Walt Disney family comedy film, George of the Jungle. While the film received mixed reviews, it performed well at the box office and a sequel was ordered. However, when it came time for the casting of this second film, Fraser turned down the part of George because the salary was too low for him. The part was then given to actor Christopher Showerman. Without Fraser as the leading man, George of the Jungle 2 was a direct-to-video release and was a major flop for Disney.

Superman Returns

     Warner Bros.

Many actors have been fortunate enough to play Clark Kent in a Superman film but sadly for him, Brendan Fraser never got the chance. That’s because he auditioned for the part but wasn’t cast. According to The Things, Fraser said, “I auditioned for Superman [in what would become Superman Returns]. I even wore the suit. It was cool, it was pretty cool. I mean, I didn’t get the job. It went away.” It’s difficult to imagine what the movie would have been like if Fraser had been Superman.

Dazed and Confused

     Gramercy Pictures

Dazed and Confused is a 1993 cult classic that follows the lives of a group of rowdy teenagers in Austin, Texas, as they live life to the fullest and celebrate the last day of class. Many celebrities wanted to be in the film so director Richard Linklater and casting director Don Phillips had their pick of the litter. It’s reported by Slash Film that rising stars Claire Danes, Elizabeth Berkley, Ashley Judd, Vince Vaughn, and Brendan Fraser all wanted a piece of the action and auditioned but weren’t cast. While it’s not disclosed what role Fraser wanted or auditioned for, it’s safe to say that he would have been perfect as any of the characters.

Big Bug Man

     Studio-Free Studio

Do you remember that time Brendan Fraser and Marlon Brando made an animated film? No? If you don’t, you shouldn’t, because that film sadly never saw the light of day. The film, titled Big Bug Man, was sort of an offshoot of Spider-Man as it’s about a candy factory worker (voiced by Brendan Fraser) who receives special powers after being bitten by an insect. Sound familiar? Brando was going to star as the founder/matriarch of the company, an old woman named Mrs. Sour, a role which he had always wanted to play.

As his health was quickly deteriorating and Brando had to be on oxygen for six hours each day, the voice recordings took place at his home, with Brando diving deep into method acting by putting on a blonde wig and even dressing up for the part. Unfortunately for all those involved including Fraser and Brando, Big Bug Man was never released or distributed by the studio. Just a month after the recordings took place, the legendary actor passed away and Big Bug Man was cited as his last film.

Batgirl

     20th TelevisionWarner Bros.

Another of Fraser’s films that will never be released is Batgirl, which was supposed to debut on HBO Max and be another installment in the DC Extended Universe. Fraser spent months in Glasgow, Scotland portraying his pyromaniac character Firefly in a film that was scrapped as a result of the merging between Discovery and WarnerMedia which is now known as Warner Bros. Discovery.

According to Variety, Warner Bros. Discovery didn’t want to spend $90 million on a project that was meant for streaming but felt that “Batgirl wasn’t commercial enough to retrofit as a theatrical release, and it was easier to take a tax write-off and shelve it permanently.” Sadly, all that means is that there is just another brilliant Fraser performances that we will never get to witness.

The Whale (Almost)

     A24

Brendan Fraser has made a terrific comeback into the world of film acting with the 2022 film, The Whale. Although, that comeback may not have happened due to the fact that Fraser, unfortunately, contracted Covid-19 right before shooting was about to start. According to GQ, Fraser said that he was worried that he would lose the part and his opportunity at making a comeback. He was also worried that he might lose his life to the disease.

However, luckily for him, the exact opposite happened. Instead of firing him, director Darren Aronofsky covered for him, pushed back the filming date, and even sent Fraser a get-well care package. Fraser went on to recover, film The Whale, and is now enjoying his glorious comeback with a stunning performance under his belt and a Golden Globe nomination.