Portraying iconic superheroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe may be a dream for most actors, but apparently not for these big Hollywood stars as they rejected these roles.
- Jul 1, 2023
AceShowbiz - Portraying a Marvel role may be a dream for some actors, considering the fact that Marvel Cinematic Universe has forged lots of acting careers. The superheroes movies has also been proven to do well in box office most of the times, bringing big profits not only for the studios but also for the cast.
Despite that, some actors apparently aren't interested to play big Marvel roles. Some might think that donning a superhero suit wasn't for them, while some others didn't make it a top priority when scheduling issues arose.
Find out these 10 big Hollywood stars who have actually turned Marvel down.
1. Jensen Ackles (Hawkeye)
Jensen Ackles was once interested in joining MCU as he auditioned for the role of Steve Rogers/Captain America. While the role eventually went to Chris Evans, the "Supernatural" actor impressed Marvel as they reached out to him and offered him another iconic role.
It was said that Marvel wanted Jensen to play Hawkeye. The actor almost took the role if not because of scheduling conflicts. Forced to pick between MCU and "Supernatural", Jensen ultimately loved playing Dean Winchester on The WB/CW dark fantasy drama series better than picking up arrows for Hawkeye.
2. Matt Damon (Daredevil)
Matt Damon and best friend Ben Affleck were once competitors. The "Good Will Hunting" actor almost played Daredevil in the 2003 movie starring Ben if he didn't turn down the flick.
As for the reason, Matt claimed that he declined the role due to unfamiliarity with director Mark Steven Johnson. It's apparently a good decision considering the fact that the movie was a flop to the point it made Ben stayed away from superhero roles until he landed the role of Batman in the DC Extended Universe.
3. Jason Momoa (Drax the Destroyer)
Jason Momoa's impressive portrayal of Aquaman made Marvel consider him to sign the actor to star as Drax the Destroyer in "Guardians of the Galaxy". Jason, however, wasn't interested in playing similar roles to the ones he had been playing in his career.
"It didn't really fit in my time because I've done so many things where I don't say much and I'm colored up and I have my shirt off again," he said. Jason is also known for his role as Dani's Dothraki warrior husband, Khal Drogo, on HBO's "Game of Thrones".
4. Amanda Seyfried (Gamora)
Amanda Seyfried might have portrayed Gamora in "Guardians of the Galaxy". The "Mean Girls" actress shared that she was once eyed for the role, which ended up being played by Zoe Saldana.
During her appearance on "Late Night with Seth Meyers", Amanda revealed the reason why she turned down the role. "We all have to do [action films] for business purposes... They're so highly enjoyable, I love being an audience member, I just don't want to put on the suit," the "Mamma Mia!" actress shared.
5. Joaquin Phoenix (Hulk And Dr. Strange)
Joaquin Phoenix was eyed for not only one, but two iconic Marvel roles. The "Joker" star was first offered to Bruce Banner/The Hulk only to turn it down. Marvel, however, didn't give up as they kept on pushing hard to get Joaquin cast in the MCU.
Following the first rejection, the studio reportedly reached out to him with an offer for him to play an equally iconic role, Dr. Stephen Strange, which is now portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch. Still, the actor didn't think superheroes movies were for him as he rejected the offer. Of the matter, Joaquin said, "I think everybody was really happy with how things turned out. All parties were satisfied."
6. Emily Blunt (Black Widow, Agent Carter)
Joining MCU is just never an option for Emily Blunt. The actress was offered the role of Black Widow in the MCU, but she had to pass on it because she was contracted to do the movie "Gulliver's Travels". The "A Quiet Place" star, who was also eyed to play Agent Carter, noted that she didn't think "superhero movies are for" her.
"I really understand that [superhero movies] are like a religion for a lot of people. They don't appeal to me in the same way. I don't have this burning desire to play a superhero," she explained her views on superhero movies. "I really don't... It's been exhausted. We are inundated-it's not only all the movies, it's the endless TV shows as well. It's not to say that I'd never want to play one, it would just have to be something so cool and like a really cool character, and then I'd be interested."
7. Rachel McAdams (Pepper Pots)
Rachel McAdams was apparently director Jon Favreau's first choice to play Tony Stark's assistant and love interest, Pepper Potts. "The Notebook" actress, however, turned down the role due to scheduling conflicts. Gwyneth Paltrow was later tapped to play the role, joining Robert Downey Jr.
Thankfully, fans of Rachel and Marvel got another chance to see the actress in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The star made her MCU debut in "Doctor Strange" as Christine Palmer in 2016.
8. Matthew McConaughey (Ego)
Matthew McConaughey almost played Star-Lord's father in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2". The "Dallas Buyers Club" star enjoyed the first "GOTG" movie, but that didn't make him interested enough to become a part of the franchise.
Explaining his decision to turn down the offer, the Academy Awards winner said, "[Guardians of the Galaxy is] successful, and now we've got room to make a colorful part for another big-name actor." Luckily, Kurt Russell took over the role of the sadistic living planet to perfection.
9. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Star-Lord)
Chris Pratt nails the role of Peter Quill and it may be hard for some fans to imagine someone else playing the iconic role. Chris, however, wasn't MCU's first pick to star in 2014's "Guardians of the Galaxy]" as Joseph Gordon-Levitt was initially offered the role.
Unfortunately, the casting deal didn't work out. The "Inception" actor turned down the offer in order to join the cast of "Sin City: A Dame to Kill For".
10. Tom Cruise (Iron Man)
Robert Downey Jr.'s portrayal of Tony Stark a.k.a. Iron Man is so engraved in fans' heart that it's hard to imagine another actor playing the "Genius", "Playboy", "Billionaire" and "Philanthropist." Surprisingly, Marvel once offered Tom Cruise to play the big Marvel role.
However, MCU's struggle in getting the rights of the Iron Man character caused Cruise to eventually lose interest in the project. It was also rumored that the deal fell through because the "Top Gun: Maverick" star demanded to have his face shown even while he was suited up.
