In the previously mentioned DC interview, Brown shared his story of reading for the role of Superman and his slight annoyance at being asked to read for the villain of the series, Lex Luthor. At this point in Brown’s career, the actor had begun to be typecast in antagonistic roles. As Brown explained the struggle of wanting to be on the show but also growing tired of playing the same kinds of characters:
“So I went in there and read for Superman. As I was packing up to leave, Andrea Romano asked if I minded reading for Lex Luthor. I kind of rolled my eyes, and she said, ‘It’s okay; you don’t have to read for Lex. Thanks so much for coming in.’ I told her I will definitely read for Lex. I was just frustrated because every time I try to be the good guy, I end up being the bad guy. I wanted to be in this show.”
Voice director Andrea Romano would also recall a conversation with Bruce Timm about Brown’s audition. Hearing the actor’s deep and authoritative voice alarmed the director, as she posited that if he played Superman, it would be much harder to find voice actors to play villains that sound stronger than him. Romano would say: “If we hired Clancy Brown for Superman, how would we ever cast Lex Luthor to be a tougher guy?”