When asked to think of Hollywood icons, Clint Eastwood<\/a> may be one of the first people to spring to mind, with decades of landmark roles under his belt as swashbuckling cowboys, killers and detectives that have captured global audiences.<\/p>\n The actor has dipped his toes into all corners of cinema, with leading roles in crime thrillers such as Dirty Harry, moving romantic dramas like The Bridges of Madison County <\/em>and titular Western films like A Fistful of Dollars <\/em>and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly<\/em>.<\/p>\n In recent years, we\u2019ve seen many talented Hollywood stars become swept up in the world of Marvel films and comic-book adaptations, with some actors expressing dislike towards superhero stories and the credibility of this genre. But for Clint Eastwood, this was something he managed to avoid despite being offered an iconic role in one of these films.<\/p>\n Eastwood has always been very particular about his creative choices<\/a>, with the actor playing Harry Callahan yet turning down the offer to play James Bond, despite the similarities between both parts. It shows careful consideration from the actor in selecting the right projects, only choosing to be a part of movies he truly believes in, which is a level of integrity we don\u2019t see from everyone in show business.<\/p>\n Turning down the chance to play James Bond may seem like a bitter pill to swallow, but there was another role that the actor also walked away from, knowing that someone else was likely better for the part.<\/p>\n Superman<\/em> is one of the most beloved superheroes of all time, with the story of Clark Kent and his alter-ego becoming a tale as old as time. Christopher Reeves famously reprised this role in Richard Donner\u2019s adaptation of the story in 1978, with Gene Hackman playing the notorious villain Lex Luthor.<\/a><\/p>\n While the film has seen many different iterations over the years, this version is one of the most influential within the comic-book canon. While Reeves seems like the perfect choice to play this character, Eastwood revealed that he was considered for the part, saying, \u201cThis was when they first started to think about making it. I was like, \u2018Superman? Nah, nah, that\u2019s not for me\u2019. Not that there\u2019s anything wrong with it. It\u2019s for somebody, but not me\u201d.<\/p>\n Further reading: Cutting Room Floor<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n It isn\u2019t difficult to understand the instinct. Eastwood had made his name playing heroes whose appeal depended on them being slightly difficult to call heroic in the first place, from the Man with No Name to Harry Callahan. Superman required something much more earnest, an essentially decent man whose morality was never seriously in doubt.<\/p>\n Putting Eastwood inside the cape might have been fascinating, but audiences would probably have spent half the movie waiting for Clark Kent to lose patience and start asking questions with a .44 Magnum.<\/p>\n