Yahoo News Jacob Elordi Refused to Audition for Superman Because ‘That’s Too Dark for Me,’ Calls ‘The Kissing Booth’ Films ‘Ridiculous’: ‘I Didn’t Want to Make’ Them
Jacob Elordi revealed in a new interview with GQ magazine that he turned down a request to audition for Superman. While the actor did not name the specific superhero movie project, it’s likely he was referring to James Gunn’s 2025 tentpole “Superman: Legacy” as the film went through casting in the spring and summer months. David Corenswet was announced in June as Gunn’s Superman, with Rachel Brosnahan cast as Lois Lane. Elordi told GQ that he doesn’t see himself in a superhero film anytime soon.
“I’ve always been told to say a rounded answer or my agent will get mad at me. ‘Anything can happen!’” he said. “And obviously anything can happen, but at this stage in my life, I don’t see myself having any interest in that. I like to make what I would watch, and I get very restless watching those movies.”
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“I’m supposed to finish it with: ‘Never say never!’” he added about how to answer questions about superhero movie. “Well, they asked me to read for Superman. That was immediately, ‘No, thank you.’ That’s too much. That’s too dark for me.”
Elordi has a banner acting year thanks to roles in Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla” and Emerald Fennell’s “Saltburn.” He’s currently in production with Paul Schrader on the film “Oh, Canada,” and there’s a third season of the HBO hit series “Euphoria” to shoot next year. All of these projects are a far cry from where Elordi got his breakthrough: Netflix’s “The Kissing Booth” franchise. The YA-romance trilogy made Elordi and co-star Joey King social media superstars between 2018 and 2021, but it was hardly the work Elordi wanted to be doing.
“I didn’t want to make those movies before I made those movies,” Elordi told GQ. “Those movies are ridiculous. They’re not universal. They’re an escape.”
When the idea was brought up that “The Kissing Booth” trilogy fit into the “one for them, one for me” Hollywood, Elordi responded, “That one’s a trap as well. Because it can become 15 for them, none for you. You have no original ideas and you’re dead inside. So it’s a fine dance. “My ‘one for them,’ I’ve done it.”
“How is caring about your output pretentious?” Elordi later asked. “But not caring, and knowingly feeding people shit, knowing that you’re making money off of people’s time, which is literally the most valuable thing that they have. How is that the cool thing?”
While “The Kissing Booth” trilogy dominated Netflix’s streaming numbers, it tanked hard with film critics. The original film sports a 15% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while the two sequels didn’t perform much better with 27% and 25% ratings, respectively. Critics hated the trilogy, but Elordi’s co-star King has long defended them.
“I couldn’t be prouder of those movies,” King told The Independent last year. “I loved them so much and playing that character made me happy. I’ll never regret those movies, and I love them so much no matter what anyone says.”
Head over to GQs website to read Elordi’s latest profile in its entirety.
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