Hollywood Road

The image captured by the camera lens was immediately displayed on the director's monitor in front of Murphy. The person in the frame had skin as white as the snow on Canadian mountains; his strikingly handsome features, especially his lips, appeared almost as if they were rouged.

And then there was his tall, slender figure, which could make many female actors envious.

Beautiful, young, sunny, youthful, and handsome... all these descriptions flashed through Murphy's mind, ultimately coalescing into one term—effeminate!

He shook his head; Haicheng Christensen's face might be acceptable, but his physique certainly was not.

It seemed Haicheng Christensen wanted to demonstrate his strength, as he swiftly did thirty push-ups on the spot.

"Alright, Mr. Christensen," Murphy stopped him from continuing, "you may put your shirt back on. We will inform your agent of the audition results within three days."

Haicheng Christensen stood up, put on his shirt, and gave Murphy another look. Seeing no particular reaction, he turned and left the audition room.

Murphy picked up the audition list, crossed out Haicheng Christensen's name, and wrote a note: Too slender, lacks a sharply defined sculptural physique, unsuitable for the lead role, hence further consideration is abandoned.

To be precise, Haicheng Christensen indeed had a face for a leading role but not the physique that befits a man. Perhaps his type of pretty boy would be popular in South Korea, but in North America, not so much.

If such a person played Superman, even the term 'effeminate' might be considered a compliment.

Hollywood indeed has many pretty but insubstantial male actors—going back there's Tom Cruise, more recently, Orlando Bloom.

But these individuals, if they strip or don tight clothes, reveal robust muscular contours, unlike Haicheng Christensen's almost feminine slimness.

Unlike in Asia, where pretty boys are popular, the majority of North American audiences still prefer muscular men. More and more male stars are working out to develop robust and muscular physiques, not just in action films but even in dramas—every move, even a dance, is performed with vigor.

Especially in recent years, in life and romance films, the good physique of male stars has become increasingly valued, sometimes even more than their facial attractiveness.

A character like Superman certainly cannot be portrayed by a pretty boy.

More young male actors auditioned, some with physiques like Haicheng Christensen's.

In Hollywood, there are always young male actors like Haicheng Christensen who believe their good looks and naturally excellent body conditions absolve them from putting in effort, though among them are certainly some who are quite intelligent.

When Murphy asks them to take off their shirts to show their muscles, and then seriously scrutinizes them for a few minutes with a slight frown, the ambitious young men understand that they should sign up at a gym right away.

However, Murphy doesn't have the time to wait for them to build a robust physique.

This audition was relatively simple, mainly focusing on physical appearance, and was very efficient. Murphy shortlisted several individuals for a second audition but didn't see any young male actors who were particularly striking until the very end.

"I am Chris Evans, born in 1981, from Boston, Massachusetts..."

A rather sturdy-looking brown-haired young man stood in front of the camera, "Previously, I played the Human Torch in 'Fantastic Four.'"

After a brief introduction, the routine muscle display followed. Chris Evans' strong and well-defined physique, although still a bit off from Superman's requirements, was one of the best among all the young male actors Murphy had seen.

Simply put, Chris Evans was a typical American handsome man with both good looks and a great body.

After the audition, Murphy specifically marked his name.

As for the slight differences in hair color and height from the traditional Superman, these were minor issues easily addressed in film production.

Murphy ultimately shortlisted six male actors for a second audition. Naturally, some of those not selected were not entirely pleased, like Haicheng Christensen's agent, who tried to reach Murphy through mutual contacts at CAA. But Murphy, no longer a minor director, held significant power in the 'Man of Steel' project, and casting such an iconic role as Superman was not open to compromise.

Over the next two days, auditions for the major villain, Lex Luthor, were also held.

Among those invited, Heath Ledger, now a literary type, outright declined; Jake Gyllenhaal was too young and lacked the mature, seasoned air required for the role; Jared Leto, a radical departure from the typical character actor, was still a rock youth; Matthew McConaughey had scheduling conflicts...

After a full circle, Murphy finally settled on Nicolas Cage and adjusted the script to make Lex Luthor a middle-aged character.

Though uninterested in rescuing fallen Hollywood stars, Murphy also helped Nicholas

 Cage, who was mired in financial troubles, in passing.

An actor with a neurotic edge playing a somewhat insane character was actually quite fitting.

The second audition for Superman began quickly, and after reviewing the makeup test results, Murphy soon finalized Chris Evans for the role. Although some had reservations about his previous role as the Human Torch in 'Fantastic Four,' that film hadn't been a major hit, and the Human Torch hadn't left a lasting impression, much like the earlier Captain America. Choosing Chris Evans wouldn't bring any negative impact.

After settling on Chris Evans, Murphy made it clear to the actor and his agent that they needed to engage in fitness training under the guidance of the production's nutritionist and fitness coach to build muscle.

Chris Evans was still somewhat lean, and he needed to gain at least as much muscle as the earlier Captain America before filming started.

Superman is a super-muscular man, and that would not change.

Gal Gadot also auditioned for Wonder Woman, and while the producer from Warner Bros. had some reservations, especially regarding her suitability for the Wonder Woman physique, Murphy had absolute authority over casting. His strong advocacy ultimately secured Gal Gadot the role.

With Superman, Wonder Woman, Lex Luthor, and Lois Lane as the four main characters, three had been finalized, leaving the audition for Lois Lane till last.

It was unclear why, but an executive director from the Warner Bros. board recommended Amy Adams, whom Murphy turned down.

Murphy would not pay for others' profits.

Compared to Wonder Woman, Lois Lane was really just a decorative role in this film. In Murphy's eyes, Amy Adams was neither tall enough nor pretty enough to be a suitable decorative figure.

Perhaps her acting was indeed better than the typical decorative actress, but Murphy's vision for the role didn't require much in terms of acting ability.

If not for inappropriate skin tone and her commitments to filming the second season of 'Game of Thrones,' Murphy might have considered Jessica Alba for the role.

However, he had his eye on another super decorative figure, having sent an audition invitation to Megan Fox, who had just starred in 'Transformers.' Michael Bay's 'Transformers' wouldn't be released until the next year, and Megan Fox's fees were not high.

Similarly, Megan Fox and her agent responded positively and would participate in an audition next week.

As for Margot Robbie, who had appeared at the Warner Bros. studio a few days ago to offer herself for the role, Murphy unhesitatingly rejected her. She was too young and lacked the mature, professional woman vibe needed for Lois Lane.

Moreover, she was also committed to the second season of 'Game of Thrones.'

With most of the main cast and crew in place, Murphy held a formal project kick-off meeting, emphasizing the preparations, filming, and production aspects of 'Man of Steel.'

This 'Man of Steel' would be unlike any previous Superman movie or TV show—it had to honor the legacy while bringing something new.

At the meeting, Murphy told all attendees, "Consider this: if we finally got the chance to make a movie we've always wanted to make, and there had never been a Superman movie before, we would start from a respect for Superman's tradition but must not become slaves to the comics and 'predecessors.'"

"Superman is a constant in the universe," Murphy further emphasized, "If we get Superman right, at least by approaching the material with respect, we'll feel we can do it exceptionally well. On the other hand, this topic is virgin territory; no one really knows what Superman is about. He's the most famous superhero on our planet but also the least understood. What is he, really? People have various preconceived notions about Superman, but maybe they're all wrong."

As for the stylistic direction of 'Man of Steel,' Murphy stated directly, "I want to change the usual exaggerated comic style of Superman and pursue a dark, realistic, and technological style."

Although these ideas were still early and not set in stone, Murphy consistently conveyed to the producers that he wanted to make 'Man of Steel' his darkest, most realistic film yet.

"It might sound odd, but I think it's cool and interesting," Murphy concluded, "It could also be fun because the most realistic film I'm going to make is called 'Superman,' which probably says how crazy my other films are. I believe Superman is a credible character; you can bring a believable reality to this character, both emotionally and visually."

With the meeting concluded, people like Gal Gadot and Chris Evans dove into their fitness and related training, while Murphy accepted an invitation from Robert Downey Jr. to a social gathering within the industry.

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