  Graphene holds promises for exploring exotic superconductivity with
Dirac-like fermions. Making graphene a superconductor at large scales is
however a long-lasting challenge. A possible solution relies on
epitaxially-grown graphene, using a superconducting substrate. Such substrates
are scarce, and usually destroy the Dirac character of the electronic band
structure. Using electron diffraction (reflection high-energy, and low-energy),
scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy,
angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and density
functional theory calculations, we introduce a strategy to induce
superconductivity in epitaxial graphene $via$ a remote proximity effect, from
the rhenium substrate through an intercalated gold layer. Weak graphene-Au
interaction, contrasting with the strong undesired graphene-Re interaction, is
demonstrated by a reduced graphene corrugation, an increased distance between
graphene and the underlying metal, a linear electronic dispersion and a
characteristic vibrational signature, both latter features revealing also a
slight $p$ doping of graphene. We also reveal that the main shortcoming of the
intercalation approach to proximity superconductivity is the creation of a high
density of point defects in graphene (10$^{14}$~cm$^{-2}$). Finally, we
demonstrate remote proximity superconductivity in graphene/Au/Re(0001), at low
temperature.
