Stars That Regretted Turning Down A Role In The Marvel Universe

Being cast for a role in the Marvel Universe can really elevate a star's status. The franchise has become so popular that landing a role as one of the superheroes (or super villains) can put your name down in Hollywood history.

These actors passed on Marvel roles for different reasons, but hey, at least it meant we ended up with the characters we know and love. Just imagine how strange it would be if Tom Cruise played Iron Man!

Matt Damon Was Supposed To Be Daredevil

marvel misses 1
Noam Galai/WireImage/Getty Images
Noam Galai/WireImage/Getty Images

Long before the 2003 superhero film was released starring Ben Affleck, his longtime buddy Matt Damon was the first choice for the role. Damon told New York Daily News that he'd always been a fan of the Marvel character, but that he didn't know much about the director's work, so he passed on the project.

Look, Daredevil as a whole was a huge failure. Affleck has stated on numerous occasions that he regretted taking the role, so maybe Damon passing on it wasn't such a bad idea.

ADVERTISEMENT

Marvel Keeps Trying To Cast Joaquin Phoenix

ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 7
Dominique Charriau/WireImage/Getty Images
Dominique Charriau/WireImage/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Apparently, Marvel tried many times to get their hands on actor Joaquin Phoenix, but he kept sliding out of their grasp. The producers first wanted Phoenix to play The Hulk/Bruce Banner, but as we all know, the part when to Mark Ruffalo instead. Marvel then tried to cast Phoenix as Dr. Stephen Strange, but once again he turned it down.

ADVERTISEMENT

When asked why he avoided the Marvel universe for so long, Phoenix said the films "never felt like they'd really be fulfilling."

ADVERTISEMENT

Jason Momoa Originally Had A Different Character

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 2
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Now we know Jason Momoa as the hunky Aquaman from the DC Universe. Years before he landed the aquatic role, he was invited by Marvel to play Drax the Destroyer in Guardians of the Galaxy. While the role was tempting, Momoa turned it down because he said the role was too much like other ones he'd played.

ADVERTISEMENT

DC eventually decided to snatch him up for the role of Aquaman. Momoa later commented that it was ironic because once again he was playing a role where he doesn't wear a shirt or have many lines. Hey, we'll still take it.

ADVERTISEMENT

Rachel McAdams Was The Original Pepper Pots

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 14
Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Not too long ago, Gwyneth Paltrow announced that after 13 years she was retiring from the role of Pepper Pots. It's hard to imagine anyone else playing Tony Stark's secretary and love interest, but Paltrow wasn't even the first choice. Rachel McAdams of The Notebook was the top choice by Marvel.

ADVERTISEMENT

McAdams eventually had to decline because of scheduling conflicts at the time. Luckily, she got her second chance at being part of the MCU when she landed her role in Doctor Strange.

ADVERTISEMENT

Bryan Cranston Was Supposed To Be An X-Men Mutant

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 13
John Phillips/John Phillips/Getty Images
John Phillips/John Phillips/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

The role of mutant Sebastian Shaw was initially offered to fan favorite Bryan Cranston. Cranston was riding high off the success of Breaking Bad and seemed like the perfect person to play the mutant in X-Men: First Class.

ADVERTISEMENT

Unfortunately, Cranston turned the role down and instead chose to star opposite Ryan Gosling in Drive. There's no hard feeling though because we got to see the incredible Kevin Bacon take on the role instead.

ADVERTISEMENT

There's A New, Smaller Star Lord In Town

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 3
Rich Fury/Getty Images
Rich Fury/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

We can't imagine anyone but Chris Pratt playing the goofy character of Peter Quill AKA Star Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy, but what about Joseph Gordon Levitt? Yep, Levitt was the first choice by producers, but due to conflicting schedules with Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, Levitt turned down the role.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Marvel producers then offered the part to Pratt who interestingly enough also turned it down. Pratt thought he was too out of shape for the MCU, but luckily, he changed his mind and hit the gym.

ADVERTISEMENT

Emily Blunt Said "Yes" To Playing Black Widow

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
4_mrv
Pascal Le Segretain/WireImage/Marvel Comics
Pascal Le Segretain/WireImage/Marvel Comics
ADVERTISEMENT

Back in 2009, British actress Emily Blunt was a star on the rise. Her profile was growing so big that Marvel actually reached out to her personally to offer her the role of Black Widow and she accepted immediately! The only problem was, Blunt was already on contract for the film Gulliver's Travels.

ADVERTISEMENT

The conflicting contracts and time frame meant Blunt had to call Marvel back and turn down the role. They opened up the role to auditions and found Scarlett Johansson to be the perfect fit.

ADVERTISEMENT

Matthew McConaughey Was Not Alright, Alright, Alright With The MCU

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 9
Tim Warner/Getty Images
Tim Warner/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Both Marvel and DC have been trying to get their hands on Matthew McConaughey for years. The closest they ever got to casting the memorable actor was when he was supposed to play Ego the Living Planet in Guardians of the Galaxy 2.

ADVERTISEMENT

Not only did McConaughey turn the part down, but he had some not-so-nice words. The actor said he felt the part was "an amendment" just because Marvel wanted to add a big name to the cast. Yikes.

ADVERTISEMENT

Mel Gibson Was Supposed To Be Odin

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 16
Gregg DeGuire/WireImage/Getty Images
Gregg DeGuire/WireImage/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

When Marvel introduced the character of Odin in Thor, they wanted to cast a big name with an intimidating presence. With those guidelines, Mel Gibson was initially the top pick to play the King of Asgard. In an interview with The Guardian, Gibson simply explained he "didn't do it." No rhyme or reason why.

ADVERTISEMENT

The role ended up going to Anthony Hopkins, who might not seem as intimidating, but definitely did a great job as the character.

ADVERTISEMENT

Gamora Was Originally Set Aside For Olivia Wilde

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 18
Vivien Killilea/Getty Images
Vivien Killilea/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Casting the character of Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy wasn't easy and it took a few tries for Marvel. When it came to finding the perfect person to play a deadly alien assassin, Olivia Wilde was the first choice. With her talent and good looks, she would have been a shoo-in, but unfortunately, scheduling conflicts forced her to decline.

ADVERTISEMENT

It appears that Marvel had a really tough time casting for Guardians of the Galaxy but it seems to have worked out alright in the end.

ADVERTISEMENT

Tom Cruise Was Our Original Iron Man

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 11
James Devaney/Getty Images
James Devaney/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Yep, you read that right. Tom Cruise was the original actor slated to play the one and only Tony Stark. He was all signed up and ready to go, but eventually backed out because Marvel took too long to get the rights for the character and Cruise "lost interest."

ADVERTISEMENT

When they did finally gain the rights back in 2005, Marvel turned to Robert Downey Jr. who audiences know was the perfect actor for the part.

ADVERTISEMENT

Leonardo DiCaprio Turned Down Multiple Superhero Roles

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 26
VCG/Getty Images
VCG/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

During an interview with ShortList, DiCaprio said that he's been on the radar of both DC and Marvel to play superheroes. DC tried to get him to play Robin in Batman Forever but DiCaprio said he wasn't interested. Years later Marvel tried to take a swing at him and cast the actor as Peter Parker in the original Spider-Man trilogy. Again, he declined.

ADVERTISEMENT

When he was asked why later on, DiCaprio said he felt that at the time, they weren't "complex characters."

ADVERTISEMENT

Wolverine Couldn't Wait Around For Dougray Scott

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 5
Andreas Rentz/Getty Images
Andreas Rentz/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

One of the most long-lasting and iconic characters in the MCU is Wolverine, and it's hard to imagine anyone but Hugh Jackman as the character. While Jackman is now a fan-favorite, he was a last minute recast when Dougray Scott had to quickly back out of filming.

ADVERTISEMENT

Scott was simultaneously shooting Mission Impossible 2. He'd been in a bad motorcycle accident which stalled shooting for MI2. Marvel got tired of waiting for Scott to heal and just a few days before filming began, offered the role to Jackman.

ADVERTISEMENT

John Krasinski Auditioned For Captain America

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 21
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

It's easy to believe now that we've seen John Krasinski take on action roles, but back in 2011, he was still Jim from The Office. 2011 was the year that Krasinski began stepping into film roles and directing, and one of his first auditions was for Captain America.

ADVERTISEMENT

He didn't end up getting the part but he says he doesn't regret it. Krasinski told Yahoo Entertainment that if he had to sign on for multiple Marvel films, he would have missed out on other great projects.

ADVERTISEMENT

Brie Larson Didn't Want To Become A Marvel Celebrity

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 36
Amy Sussman/Getty Images
Amy Sussman/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Brie Larson has made a name for herself in Hollywood as a serious actress who takes on serious roles. While she's received a ton of critical acclaim, she keeps a relatively low celebrity profile. That's why she initially rejected the offer to play Captain Marvel. Larson told Entertainment Weekly that she didn't want the celebrity that ultimately comes from playing an MCU role.

ADVERTISEMENT

Considering the fact that Captain Marvel was recently released and broke box office records, it was a good idea that Larson eventually took the role.

ADVERTISEMENT

Amandla Stenberg Couldn't Accept A Role In Black Panther On Moral Grounds

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 33
Cindy Ord/Getty Images
Cindy Ord/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

The up and coming actress could land basically any role she wanted. In 2018 alone, Amandla Stenberg was the lead in three blockbuster films. That's why it wasn't surprising when she was offered the role of Shuri in Black Panther.

ADVERTISEMENT

She ended up turning down the role though because the felt an African princess should be played by a darker-skinned actress. She admitted it was "challenging to make that decision" but that there are "spaces that [she[ should not take up." Bravo, Amandla!

ADVERTISEMENT

Jessica Chastain Just Didn't Want To Play A Civilian

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 10
Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images
Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Most actors would beg to be cast as any part in the MCU, but actress Jessica Chastain decided to be a bit pickier. Marvel reached out to the fiery redhead and offered her the part of genius Maya Hansen in Iron Man 3. There were scheduling issues that forced her to say no, but Chastain also said, "why do a superhero movie and play the boring civilian?"

ADVERTISEMENT

She got a second chance and was offered the role of the Wasp in Ant-Man, but for unknown reasons, she also lost out on the part.

ADVERTISEMENT

Olivia Munn Wanted A Bigger Role In Deadpool

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 12
Rich Polk/Getty Images
Rich Polk/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Deadpool was one of the most anticipated Marvel Universe films in recent memory and Olivia Munn was originally touted as playing Ryan Reynold's girlfriend, Vanessa Carlysle. Munn has the looks and the comedic timing so she would have been perfect for the role.

ADVERTISEMENT

None of that mattered because the actress turned down the role because she "had no desire to play someone's girlfriend in a movie." Who knows if her opinion would be different if she'd known Carlysle would turn into Copycat.

ADVERTISEMENT

Josh Hartnett Was Too Nervous To Play Spider-Man

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 8
JB Lacroix/WireImage/Getty Images
JB Lacroix/WireImage/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Josh Hartnett became famous for his roles in action films like Pearl Harbor and Black Hawk Down, so you'd think he'd feel totally comfortable taking on a superhero action role. Apparently not. In the early 2000s, Hartnett was offered the role of Spider-Man but turned it down immediately.

ADVERTISEMENT

He later told Playboy Magazine that he was nervous about being "pigeonholed" as an actor. That wasn't the only superhero role he turned down. Apparently, he also said no to playing both Superman and Batman in the DC Universe.

ADVERTISEMENT

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson Couldn't Train And Shoot A Film

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 15
Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images
Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Quinton Jackson is one of the biggest stars in the MMA world. He was fighting long before Connor McGregor and Ronda Rousey hit the scene. In 2010, Jackson moved out of MMA and into Hollywood when he was cast in The A-Team.

ADVERTISEMENT

One year later, Jackson was offered the part of John Wraith in the MCU film X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Unfortunately, he was preparing for his next MMA fight when he was offered the role and couldn't train and shoot a film at the same time.

ADVERTISEMENT

Alec Baldwin Was Going To Play A Mysterious Villain

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 18
Roy Rochlin/Getty Images
Roy Rochlin/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

He might be known for his portrayal of Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live, but back in 2013, Alec Baldwin was lined up to play a Marvel villain. Baldwin told Howard Stern that he was offered a role but didn't elaborate what the character was. The actor had to turn it down though because his wife was pregnant at the time.

ADVERTISEMENT

We'll never know which villain Baldwin was set to play but we can only hope it would be as captivating as his President Trump impression.

ADVERTISEMENT

Jensen Ackles Didn't Have A Good Enough Audition

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 19
Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images
Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Any fan of the show Supernatural would agree that Jensen Ackles is a great actor and would have done amazing if he'd been cast as Captain America in the MCU. Ackles auditioned for the part but the role instead went to Chris Evans.

ADVERTISEMENT

Marvel producers didn't forget about his audition though and tried instead to offer him the role of Hawkeye. Ackles said he wanted desperately to be in the MCU but his Supernatural commitment got in the way, and he had to turn the role down.

ADVERTISEMENT

There Were A Lot Of Names Up For The Hulk

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 20
Matthew Eisman/Getty Images
Matthew Eisman/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

The 2008 movie, The Incredible Hulk, was an early MCU attempt and their casting failure reflects it. Edward Norton ended up with the role, but other big names like Vince Chairman, Peter Cuneo, and David Duchovny were all set to star as the angry green giant.

ADVERTISEMENT

It's hard to remember a time where Mark Ruffalo wasn't Bruce Banner AKA The Hulk. He's been a staple in the Avengers franchise and we're glad Marvel decided to recast.

ADVERTISEMENT

Timothy Olyphant Was On The Iron Man Shortlist

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 22
Roy Rochlin/Getty Images
Roy Rochlin/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Another actor who auditioned for and lost out on the role of Iron Man was Timothy Olyphant. He was on the shortlist for it but lost out at the last minute because Robert Downey Jr. auditioned on the same day as him!

ADVERTISEMENT

He seems fine with losing out on the part, but Olyphant still jokes about it from time to time. During an interview with Conan O'Brien years later, he said he's "still waiting to hear back."

ADVERTISEMENT

Saoirse Ronan Would Have Loved To Be In The MCU

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
21st Annual Warner Bros. And InStyle Golden Globe After Party - Arrivals
Photo by Jemal Countess/FilmMagic via Getty Images
Photo by Jemal Countess/FilmMagic via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

One of the later additions to the MCU is the Scarlet Witch AKA Wanda Maximoff. The character ended up being played by Elizabeth Olsen, but director Joss Whedon initially had Irish actress Saoirse Ronan in mind. She never ended up actually auditioning but Ronan still regrets not getting the part.

ADVERTISEMENT

In an interview years later, Ronan said that "of course" she was interested because she "loves Joss and...those films" but sadly it never happened.

ADVERTISEMENT

Sam Rockwell Stepped Down By Choice

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 24
Desiree Navarro/WireImage/Getty Images
Desiree Navarro/WireImage/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

One of the names at the top of the Iron Man casting list was none other than Sam Rockwell. He was a favorite of director Jon Favreau until Robert Downey J. auditioned. According to Rockwell though, he wasn't cut — he stepped out of the running voluntarily after seeing RDJ's audition.

ADVERTISEMENT

It must have been apparent RDJ was meant for the role, but luckily, Rockwell got a second chance and went on to play Justin Hammer in Iron Man 2.

ADVERTISEMENT

Wonder Woman Was Supposed To Be Kate Beckinsale

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 34
Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket/Getty Images
Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Kate Beckinsale's first superhero opportunity with Marvel was as Wonder Woman. Considering the fact that Wonder Woman inspired a generation of young women, you might wonder why Beckinsale would pass on the role of a lifetime.

ADVERTISEMENT

Well, at the time she was offered the part, the movie was being directed by Joss Whedon, not Patty Jenkins. Beckinsale admitted that she didn't want to do a "lesser Wonder Woman movie" that could be "embarrassing to her children."

ADVERTISEMENT

Val Kilmer Was Going To Be Captain America

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 38
Paul Warner/FilmMagic/Getty Images
Paul Warner/FilmMagic/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Okay, Val Kilmer wasn't supposed to be the Chris Evans version of Captain America we know and love. He was actually lined up to portray the character way back in 1990 for the first Captain America film (yes, that's an actual thing that exists).

ADVERTISEMENT

According to IMDB, Kilmer turned down the role to star in The Doors instead. The 1990 Captain America ended up casting Matt Salinger and has an impressively low 7% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

ADVERTISEMENT

Alexander Skarsgård Almost Stole Chris Hemsworth's Role

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 25
Roy Rochlin/Getty Images
Roy Rochlin/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

It seems that Thor is one of the few roles who always had one actor destined for it—Chris Hemsworth. What many people don't know is that True Blood star Alexander Skarsgård came pretty darn close to being the God of Thunder.

ADVERTISEMENT

According to Kenneth Branagh, Skarsgård practically nailed the audition and lost out narrowly to Hemsworth. In a later interview with MTV, Skarsgård said even though he lost the part, just doing to audition process for a Marvel movie was "pretty fun."

ADVERTISEMENT

Heath Ledger Was Supposed To Be Batman, Not The Joker

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 29
Jemal Countess/WireImage/Getty Images
Jemal Countess/WireImage/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

The Joker has gone down in history for being Heath Ledger's best role, but Christopher Nolan originally wanted to cast him as Batman. According to Nolan, the meeting went well, except Ledger had no interest in being in the movie at all.

ADVERTISEMENT

In a desperate move, Nolan quickly offered him the part of The Joker instead and Ledger signed on before the script was even completed. Needless to say, the late actor made the right choice because his performance was near perfection.

ADVERTISEMENT

Jude Law Didn't Think An Englishman Should Play Superman

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 30
Jeff Spicer/Getty Images
Jeff Spicer/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Another actor who was a contender for the role of Superman was Jude Law. Law definitely has the good looks and charm that an actor who plays Superman needs. Law eventually turned down the offering because he felt as an Englishman, he shouldn't play such an iconic American character.

ADVERTISEMENT

On top of that, the director sent Law a spandex suit to try on and Law just could picture himself "in that costume on posters all around the world."

ADVERTISEMENT

Pierce Brosnan Didn't Even Consider Being Batman

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 31
Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images
Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

In an interview with Details magazine, legendary actor Pierce Brosnan revealed that he was in the running to play Batman in Tim Burton's 1989 blockbuster. We know that Michael Keaton ended up with the role but only because Brosnan refused to even audition.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Bond actor said that the character held such "an indelible place" in his childhood and that couldn't wrap his head around playing a guy "who wears his underpants outside his trousers."

ADVERTISEMENT

Jake Gyllenhaal Was Supposed To Be Rick Flagg

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 32
Steve Granitz/WireImage/Getty Images
Steve Granitz/WireImage/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

After the original cast member Tom Hardy dropped out of playing Rick Flagg in Suicide Squad, Warner Bros.' first choice to replace him was Jake Gyllenhaal. Variety reported that Gyllenhaal was offered the part but ended up passing on the role for unknown reasons.

ADVERTISEMENT

Joel Kinnaman ended up playing Flagg and, as we all unfortunately remember, the movie was terrible. Gyllenhaal got a second chance at being in the franchise though and will play Mysterio in Spider-Man: Far From Home.

ADVERTISEMENT

Matt Damon's Schedule Got In The Way Of Playing Two-Face

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 37
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

The Dark Knight trilogy redefined DC's superhero genre and Aaron Eckhart's villainous Two-Face was a major part of that. Before Eckhart got the role, it was actually offered to our good friend Matt Damon. The actor told MTV that he was actually really excited to play Harvey Dent but that a "scheduling thing" stopped him from meeting with Christopher Nolan, so they never moved forward on it.

ADVERTISEMENT

While he was a bit disappointed, Damon also admitted that Eckhart did an incredible job as the character. That's two times Damon didn't end up in a super role.

ADVERTISEMENT

Eliza Dushku Really Wanted To Be Black Widow

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 40
Michael Tran/FilmMagic/Getty Images
Michael Tran/FilmMagic/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

While most of these actors turn down the studio, this time it was the studio who turned down the actor. Eliza Dushku tried to campaign on The Howard Stern Show to play the role of Black Widow. She said that she would be "so perfect for the Black Widow character" because she "just learned Russian" to play a Russia girl in the series Dollhouse.

ADVERTISEMENT

Obviously, we know the studio ended up going with Scarlett Johansson instead.

ADVERTISEMENT

Will Smith Wasn't About To Ruin Another Hero

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 28
Tristan Fewings/Getty Images
Tristan Fewings/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Brandon Routh ended up landing the part of Superman in Superman Returns and he looks like a pretty stereotypical superhero. Before Routh was cast, the DC studio wanted to switch things up and cast Will Smith. They offered the part to Smith but the actor quickly shot it down.

ADVERTISEMENT

Why? According to Smith, he didn't want to "mess up white people's heroes." He referenced the backlash he faced after his portrayal of Civil War hero James West in Wild, Wild West.

ADVERTISEMENT

Jon Hamm Just Isn't Into Superhero Movies

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 6
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/Getty Images
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

When DC Comics was trying to decide who to cast for Green Lantern, their first choice was Mad Men star Jon Hamm. The studio called the actor personally to ask (more like beg) him to star in the film, but Hamm said no simply because superhero flicks "aren't the kind of movies" he likes to watch.

ADVERTISEMENT

DC ended up casting Ryan Reynolds in the role and the film completely tanked. Hamm dodged a bullet by turning down the role.

ADVERTISEMENT

Paul Newman Didn't Want To Play Any DC Character

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 35
Georges De Keerle/Getty Images
Georges De Keerle/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

When Richard Donner started casting for his 1978 Superman movie, he had his mind set on Paul Newman for any role. Seriously. According to the 2006 DVD commentary, the film's producers offered Newman $4 million to be in the movie in any capacity.

ADVERTISEMENT

Neman was given the choice to play Superman, Lex Luthor, or Jor-El and he turned all of the roles down. It seems like no amount of money could force the serious actor to put on a silly costume.

ADVERTISEMENT

Kristen Stewart Didn't Want To Be In Another Franchise

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
marvel misses 27
Kenzo Triboullard/AFP/Getty Images
Kenzo Triboullard/AFP/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Hot off the success of Twilight, Kristen Stewart was an original frontrunner to play Superman's love interest, Lois Lane, in Man of Steel. The part ultimately went to Amy Adams but DC Comics thought Stewart's aloofness would be great in the role.

ADVERTISEMENT

The actress had one meeting that apparently didn't last too long. She had just finished filming the Twilight series and didn't want to immediately jump into another franchise.