Josh Hartnett “Superman: Flyby” Costume Test Photo

A photo has emerged online of Josh Hartnett’s costume test for the canceled “Superman: Flyby” movie.

While we are unsure of the authenticity of the photo, Hartnett was the top contender back in 2003 for the role of Clark Kent/Superman in a movie written by J.J Abrams.

The Superman Homepage reached out to costume designer Betsy Heimann, who worked on the project at the time, to ask her about the photo. “I can confirm that I designed a Superman costume for Flybuy, but I can’t remember if Josh Hartnett ever had the costume on. I don’t remember him,” said Heimann. “I remember some other actors.”

Reports were that the then 24-year old actor turned down the role multiple times, even in the face of a $100 million pay packet.

“It just wasn’t the kind of movie that I wanted to do,” he told to Zap2it.com back in 2003 while doing press for his film, Hollywood Homicide. “They offered me the role while I was shooting ‘Hollywood Homicide.’ I said no. They offered it to me again, I said no. They offered it to me again, I said no. They offered it to me again, I said no.”

With Brett Ratner hired as director, the film was eventually cancelled, reworked, with Bryan Singer coming on board to film “Superman Returns” instead.

In 2006, when news broke that Brandon Routh had been cast to play the role in “Superman Returns,” Hartnett told The Calgary Sun, “Thank God I’m not wearing the tights!”

“You get offered things every day. If you’re lucky enough to be offered movies in Hollywood and you’re lucky enough to be able to choose between them, there are a million different people trying to pull you in a million different directions, whether it’s because it will be more successful for you or more successful for them. You have to find what you want…”

While he wished Brandon Routh well at the time, he added, “it’s not my kind of thing, you know.”

The script for the un-made “Superman: Flyby” film by J.J. Abrams is available for download (4.6mb PDF).