Bradley Cooper wishes to star in his own movie following his iconic portrayal of Rocket Raccoon in James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy. A new scoop also claims that the actor has been tapped to play a role in a major franchise under DC Studios.
Cooper has done a lot of highly acclaimed movies in the past where he played lead roles, such as American Sniper, A Star is Born, and Silver Linings Playbook. His recent project, although a major franchise expected to succeed at the end of its theatrical run, only rendered him a supporting cast.
Bradley Cooper Reportedly Wants To Lead A Major Franchise After Turning Down Lex Luthor Role
In an episode of The Hot Mic podcast, Jeff Sneider revealed that Bradley Cooper has been in talks to play in James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy movie:
“I had heard that James Gunn had been talking to one of his Guardians actors for a role, and I am told, that is, in fact, Bradley Cooper.”
The role in question was none other than Lex Luthor, the main antagonist of the franchise. Previous actors who portrayed the villain include Gene Hackman, Kevin Spacey, Michael Rosenbaum, Clancy Brown, and Jesse Eisenberg. Sneider also noted that the 48-year-old star has been looking for a job for quite some time now:
“Obviously, they worked together for movies but in a different capacity because he’s just doing voice. Here’s what else I’ve heard about basically the whole situation: Bradley Cooper has been looking for a payday for a while and to re-establish himself basically as a movie star.”
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As someone who has been cast in supporting roles, Cooper is reportedly keeping his fingers crossed that James Gunn will give him another breakthrough in his career. The insider added:
“He’s been busy making movies, and now he’s doing the Bernstein movie, and he’s obviously the star of these movies as well, but I think he wants to be the star of a big franchise and assert himself in a sort of dominance so he trusts James Gunn.”
As James Gunn gears up for the highly anticipated Superman: Legacy movie under the newly established DC Universe, only time will tell whether Cooper reconsiders the offer, as recent rumors suggest he turned down the Lex Luthor role.
The casting department has been actively looking for actors to complete the lineup of the movie. Aside from Cooper, Nicholas Hoult was also up for the role.
Will Bradley Cooper Finally Get A Lead Role In The Future?
Whatever reason Bradley Cooper has for reportedly turning down the Lex Luthor role may have something to do with what Sneider mentioned earlier about the actor wanting to headline a franchise and rebuild his reputation as a Hollywood star.
As for the actor’s next project, he will appear in the upcoming Netflix biopic movie, Maestro, as Leonard Bernstein – a conductor, composer, music educator, pianist, author, and humanitarian.
Meanwhile, James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy will reintroduce Clark Kent/Superman into the new DC Universe and is set to premiere in theaters on July 11, 2025.
Source: The Hot Mic
