Heath Ledger is hands down the best Joker in the history of Batman films. He embodied the joker. He was the joker. Except the late actor wasn’t originally set to play that role at all, but rather the complete opposite – he was to play the part of Batman in ‘The Dark Knight’.
That’s right, Christopher Nolan had his heart set on casting Ledger in the role of the protagonist, but Heath had zero interest in playing the bat. As a last resort, Nolan flipped the script and asked if he’d be interested in playing the joker – a role that he not only accepted but made entirely his own. After Ledger’s untimely death, false reports started circulating the web, indicating that landing that role is what ultimately led to his doom. Ledger’s family insists there isn’t any truth to that and he was super happy playing the role, as it was the kind he loved the most.
Joaquin Phoenix: Third Time’s a Charm?
Joaquin Phoenix is a brilliant actor, which is no doubt why Marvel has tried repeatedly to convince him to play a role in one of their films. They first reached out to the 'Walk the Line' star to offer him the role of The Hulk, which was later filled by Mark Ruffalo. Then, a few years later they contacted him again to see if he’d be interested in playing Dr. Strange, but apparently, he was not having any of it.
In any recent interview you see Phoenix in, when asked about whether or not he regrets not taking those roles his answer is always a confident “no.” Although execs may have been disappointed by the rejection when it first happened, it probably stings a bit more now that he’s accepted the title role in the 'Joker' film, produced by Marvel’s rival, DC.
Jason Momoa: Drax the Destroyer
If he hadn't landed the starring role in the recent 'Aquaman' movie, Jason Momoa still would’ve popped up on the A-list scene eventually. But had he accepted the role of Drax the Destroyer in the 'Guardians of the Galaxy' films that Marvel offered him, things would have certainly been different. So why didn’t Momoa take the role, which was given to Dave Bautista? According to the actor, it was because it was too much like the others that he’d played in the past and he was ready to expand his horizons.
Once again, Marvel was rejected only to have the star they set their eyes on accept a role in a DC film. But was that role really so different from that of Drax the Destroyer, or did Momoa simply say “yes” to 'Aquaman' because it was his chance to star in a huge film that launched him to international stardom? Either way, aren’t you glad it was him swimming around shirtless with a trident? Yeah, so are most people with eyes, probably.
Rachel McAdams: Pepper Pots
When one thinks of 'Pepper Pots' these days, they probably immediately think of Gwyneth Paltrow, who plays the role so well in the 'Iron Man' films. But before she landed the part of Tony Stark’s sultry and sweet assistant, it almost went to 'Mean Girls' star Rachel McAdams, who Marvel had their eye on for the part early on.
But Rachel McAdams would eventually find herself as a part of the Marvel family when she took the role of Christine Palmer in 'Dr. Strange'. As great as an actress as she is, Iron Man wouldn’t have been quite the same without Gwyneth’s quirkiness. McAdams seems to be doing just fine without Marvel and is set to be appearing on screen in her 3rd 'Sherlock Holmes' film next year.
Matt Damon: Daredevil
Let’s be serious for a second here. Did anyone actually like 'Daredevil'? Ben Affleck himself has admitted he regrets starring in the film – on more than one occasion. But apparently, before he accepted it, it was offered to his friend Matt Damon. Although Damon was admittedly a fan of Daredevil in the original comic books, he turned down the role claiming he didn’t know the film’s director, Mark Steven Johnson, well enough to take the risk, but he’d consider if Christopher Nolan was the man behind the camera.
Even though it hit number one in its opening weekend, compared to several of Marvel’s more successful films, this one came up short by several hundred million dollars, grossing just over $100 million over the span of its life in theatres. Does Damon regret not taking on the role of the butt-kicking, blind superhero? Not likely.
Emily Blunt as Black Widow
That’s right, ScarJo may be an awesome 'Black Widow', but things would have turned out very differently had the role gone to Emily Blunt, who producers initially wanted to play the sultry super spy. But much like some of the others on this list, Blunt was already tied up in filming something else around the same time. This didn’t stop her from accepting the role at first, though.
Blunt came back to Marvel with a big, fat “yes,” but was quickly reminded by her team about scheduling conflicts with her film 'Gulliver’s Travels'. She called execs back and reluctantly turned down the part, leading to Scarlett’s audition and ultimately to her filling the role.
Bryan Cranston in Star Wars
Okay, now here is something that would be pretty epic to see – Bryan Cranston playing the role of one of the mutants in 'X-Men: First Class'. After Cranston’s starring role in 'Breaking Bad', he had offers coming at him left and right. Unfortunately, the actor turned down the chance to be one of Professor X’s adversaries.
The role of Nazi scientist mutant Sebastian Shaw went to Kevin Bacon after Cranston turned it down to work on 'Drive'. Bacon did the role justice and continued to play it through the next film, 'X-Men First Class: The High Hand' and 'X-Men: Apocalypse' via archive footage.
Joseph Gordon Levitt: Sky Lord
Chris Pratt plays the role of Peter Quill flawlessly in 'Guardians of the Galaxy'. It’s hard to even imagine what the films would be like without him, but imagining it wouldn’t be necessary had the role gone to the producer’s first choice – Joseph Gordon Levitt. The 'Snowden' star and Hit Record entrepreneur would have done amazing, too, no doubt, but he had something else going on at the time.
JGL was busy filming 'Sin City: A Dame to Kill For' when he was offered the part, so producers called Pratt. However, Pratt didn’t accept the role on the first offer, either. Luckily, he gave it some thought and graced the screens as the Star Lord.
Matthew McConaughey as Ego
Matthew McConaughey is another A-lister that Marvel has tried to recruit into their franchises for years. Most recently, he was offered a role in 'Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2' to play a villain, but turned it down.
Apparently, the actor didn’t like that he felt as though he was only being offered the role due to the franchise’s success and the fact that they thought they needed to add another big name to the roster. But hey, everything worked out in the end and the 'Guardians' movies are doing just fine without him. Plus, he’s got all of those sexy car commercials keeping him busy, anyways.
Mel Gibson as Odin
Can you imagine Braveheart being Thor’s father? That’s almost what happened, thanks to Mel Gibson being offered the supporting role in the hit movie. So, what went down that derailed Gibson from playing the part? Well, he never explained why he didn’t do it, just that he “didn’t do it.” Thank you for that ultra-satisfying elaboration, Mr. Gibson!
Anthony Hopkins wound up taking on the role of the King of Asgard and doing a terrific job with it. Sure, it would have turned out a bit differently had Mel accepted, but they’re both amazing actors, so nobody lost in this situation.
Olivia Wilde as Gamora
'Guardians of the Galaxy' was almost an entirely different film than the one we all know and love. Joseph Gordon Levitt almost played Star Lord, Matthew McConaughey almost joined the cast and Olivia Wilde was first choice to play Gamora. After kicking butt in her roles in 'Tron: Legacy' and 'Alpha Dog', it’s no wonder she was invited to play the tough heroine.
But alas, Wilde turned down the role, clearing the way for Zoe Saldana to come in and make the part her own. It may have taken Marvel a few rejections to get the 'Guardians' cast, but at least they ended up with the perfect actors and actresses. After all, can you picture anyone else playing the feisty, green-faced alien?
Tom Cruise as Iron Man
Rumor has it that boozy, badass billionaire Tony Stark was almost played by 'Mission Impossible' star Tom Cruise. In fact, word is that he accepted the role, but things ended up falling through when the studio’s schedule clashed with Cruise’s.
Luckily, the role of Iron Man was filled by the amazing Robert Downey Jr., who the films wouldn’t be the same without. Plus, Tom Cruise may have not played a flat-out superhero, but he’s come close in his roles in action hits like 'Top Gun'.
Leonardo DiCaprio Turned Down Many Superhero Roles
'Titanic' star Leonardo DiCaprio has been contacted by Marvel on more than one occasion to play the role of a superhero. The first was when he was invited to play Batman’s sidekick, Robin, in the 1995 film 'Batman Forever'. Years after he declined that role, they called him up again to ask him if he was interested in starring as Peter Parker in 'Spider-Man'. But once again, the A-lister turned down the chance to join the Marvel family.
When he was asked why later on, DiCaprio said he felt that, at the time, they weren’t “complex characters.”
Dougray Scott: Wolverine
Ah, 1999: the year when everyone was quite certain that the world was going to plunge into chaos after every machine on the face of the Earth crashed, along with planes, trains and automobiles, as soon as the computers hit quadruple 0’s. Luckily, the world is still standing, but something exciting did happen that year – Dougray Scott was asked to play Wolverine in 'X-Men', and he said yes.
So why is it that no one’s seen Dougray Scott rocking the Wolverine claws? Around the same time, Tom Cruise had personally chosen him to play the bad guy in 'Mission Impossible 2'. So, Scott let go of the role which led to it being filled by Hugh Jackman. And hey, who’s complaining?
John Krasinski as Captain America?
Picture this: Jim from 'The Office' in red and blue spandex fighting off the villains as Captain America. Well, believe it or not, John Krasinski has broken away from his funny guy typecasting to take on more serious roles lately, such as his part in Michael Bay’s '13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi'. So, he decided to try his hand and audition for the role of America’s favorite captain.
While Chris Evans ultimately walked away with the part, Krasinski says he’s got no regrets for taking the chance. Plus, he was a good sport when he got the rejection (on his wife’s birthday, no less), laughed it off and said he could see why they cast Evans.
Brie Larson’s Suave Modesty
You probably recognize Brie Larson from playing the title role in Marvel’s new 'Captain Marvel' movies. But she had her reservations about accepting the part – mainly because she knew what entering the Marvel franchise meant: there wouldn’t be very many people in the world who wouldn’t recognize her…as Captain Marvel, anyways. Larson has always gravitated towards more serious roles and wasn’t exactly excited about rising to the top via MU.
Fortunately, she reconsidered and wound up taking the role, which she’s reportedly thankful for, these days. Well yeah, who wouldn’t be thankful for landing a role that pays around $5 million per film? Don’t worry, Brie, everyone can still see the (more) serious side of you in your other films, like 'Room'.
MMA Star Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
Rampage Johnson is a familiar face in the world of mixed martial arts. And, ever since he played the role of B.A Baracus in the hit movie, 'The A-Team', he’s a recognizable character in Hollywood, too. With his bulging muscles and aggressive fighting style, he sure seems like a worthy candidate to join the Marvel Universe. So why is it that you haven’t seen him in one of their movies yet?
Jackson was given the opportunity to play the role of John Wraith (Sabretooth) in 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' in 2009 but had to turn it down. The MMA fighter was still on contract with the UFC and had a big fight coming up that he had to train for. Since the filming would’ve conflicted with his training, he had to say no. But later that year, he appeared on 'Miss March', and the year following was when he landed his first major role, alongside Liam Neeson and Bradley Cooper.
Amandla Stenberg Takes a Moral Stand
The talk about “whitewashing” in Hollywood is flying around everywhere these days, and for good reason. So, when Amandla Stenberg was asked to play the role of African princess Shuri in Marvel’s 'Black Panther' – she put her foot down. The young rising star declined to accept the role, stating that it would be more suited for a darker-skinned woman. Respect!
Plus, it isn’t like the star missed out on her golden opportunity by turning that role down. In 2018 alone she starred in three blockbuster hits, including her part as Starr Carter in 'The Hate U Give'. And the 20-year old actress isn’t going anywhere anytime soon!
Jessica Chastain Says "No" to Playing a Civilian
Jessica Chastain would have made a nice addition to the 'Iron Man 3' cast, which she was set to do as sultry scientist rival to the leading man, himself. But before they started filming, Chastain made the announcement she’d be unable to play the part due to scheduling conflicts. But that wasn’t all she had to say about it.
Apparently, Chastain wanted to play a more exciting role in a Marvel movie, although she had her sights set on joining the franchise somehow. Not long after missing out on 'Iron Man', she was offered a similar role as Dr. Erica Sondheim in the 2015 'Ant-Man' film. Then in 2017, she got her wish when she was cast as an alien shapeshifter in 'X-Men: Dark Phoenix'.
Jensen Ackles
'Supernatural' fans everywhere would be beside themselves if Jensen Ackles landed a part as a superhero in a Marvel film. He’s played the role of cocky, cute and deadly Dean Winchester for 14 years and he knows his action scenes, which is probably why producers invited him to audition for the role of 'Captain America'. The part went to Chris Evans, of course, but hey – a fangirl can dream, right?
Even though he missed out on the starring role, producers still wanted him to be a part of the movie and offered him the smaller part of the rebellious Hawkeye. But Jensen never ended up taking on any roles in the MCU at that point, due to his schedule for 'Supernatural'. Here’s to hoping that they offer him another role in a film now that 'Supernatural' is coming to an end.
Olivia Munn Has Zero Interest in Playing the Girlfriend
'Deadpool' is one of Marvel’s most hilarious and unique superhero movies, with terrific acting, laugh-out-loud moments and awesome action scenes – not to mention Ryan Reynolds. But, as much as any fangirl watching the film would’ve loved to play the snarky superhero’s girlfriend, Vanessa, Olivia Munn was less than excited about it.
Munn gave producers a big, fat “no,” citing that she was tired of playing the girlfriend and wanted something that gave her more action scenes. In 2016, the actress got what she was looking for when she landed the role of Psylocke in 'X-Men: Apocalypse'. The role of Vanessa ultimately went to Morena Baccarin, who was more than happy to take the part.
Josh Hartnett as Spider-Man
Josh Hartnett has an extensive history of playing badass parts in major films. Take, for instance, his role as law enforcement officer turned vampire hunter, Eben Oleson, in '30 Days of Night', or Danny Walker in 'Pearl Harbor'. But when Marvel came to him to ask him to put on the Spidey suit, he turned them down – and that wasn’t the only time. The actor told Playboy magazine that he’d been offered the roles of Spider-Man, Superman and Batman.
As amazing as it would be to see Josh Hartnett play Batman, he turned down every chance he had to play a superhero. According to the interview, the reasoning behind his decision to not work with the franchise was that he thought it would narrow down his future opportunities and put him in a box that he didn’t want to be in. Well maybe, but it also would have made him a boatload of money.
Alec Baldwin as a Bad Guy
Alec Baldwin is mostly known for his comedic roles, such as that of Jack Donaghy on '30 Rock', or his many stints on SNL. Of course, he’s done his fair share of serious roles, too – but never that of a supervillain, which is exactly what Marvel wanted from him when they offered him a part in one of their movies. Unfortunately, he had some family obligations going on at the time and had to decline.
So, Alec may have missed his first chance at becoming a part of the MCU, but rumor has it that he’s set to be in the new 'Black Widow' movie, starring ScarJo. Keep your eyes peeled for the trailers and your fingers crossed that he plays a sinister role, because that’s going to be super exciting to see from him.
The Hulk Role was up in the Air
Almost everyone in the United States who’s seen a Marvel movie most likely associates Mark Ruffalo with the Hulk, since he’s the one who plays him on the big screen. However, some may remember the time when Edward Norton played the not-so-jolly green giant. But things may have turned out very differently if producers had gone in another direction – which they had a few to choose from. A few celebrities were invited to audition, including 'X-Files' star David Duchovny.
Norton played the Hulk in the 2008 film but was replaced by Mark Ruffalo in 2010. In an interview after the recast, Norton said that one of the reasons they changed actors was because Ruffalo is a “team player.” Can you even picture the Hulk being played by anyone but Ruffalo these days?
Timothy Olyphant as Iron Man
Now, this would have been interesting. Timothy Olyphant, star of 'The Santa Clarita Diet' alongside Drew Barrymore, almost played the role of billionaire bad boy Tony Stark in 'Iron Man'. Olyphant happened to be on the shortlist, but Robert Downey Jr. beat him out for the role. Once RDJ showed up, everyone knew the role was his – including Olyphant, who was a good sport about the whole thing.
Olyphant is an awesome actor, but it’s a bit hard to see him playing a superhero. But that doesn’t mean he’s given up hope on landing that role someday. For now, he stays busy filming his Netflix original, and he just landed a role in the upcoming season of 'Fargo'. Plus, the actor frequently appears on his friend, Conan O’Brien’s show.
Saoirse Ronan: The Scarlett Witch
Before Elizabeth Olsen graced the screen as Wanda Maximoff in Marvel’s 'Captain America: Civil War', 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' and 'Avengers: Infinity War', the part almost went to Irish actress Saoirse Ronan. Joss Whedon envisioned Ronan playing the role, but she didn’t end up taking an audition. The actress has expressed regret over not auditioning and she probably feels it a bit more now that Olsen’s character is being given her own TV show: 'WandaVision'.
Ronan is doing just fine without the help of the MCU, however. Just last year, Variety500 included her in a list of the 500 most influential business leaders in the entertainment industry. Plus, the 25-year old still has plenty of Hollywood years ahead of her, so maybe she’ll land an audition for one of their future films.
Sam Rockwell: Iron Man
Sam Rockwell found himself in line for the role of 'Iron Man', too. In fact, he was one of the director’s top picks – that is, until RDJ threw his hat in the ring. But Rockwell excused himself from the running when he realized that Robert was perfect for the role. 'The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy' actor would be back for more of the Marvel Universe in the future.
Just because Rockwell didn’t land the lead in 'Iron Man', didn’t mean producers didn’t want him to be a part of the show. So, for the 2nd film in the franchise, he was cast as salesman Justin Hammer. Not exactly a superhero, but he played it flawlessly, nonetheless. Most recently, Rockwell has been playing the role of Bob Fosse on the TV show 'Fosse and Verdon'.
Kate Beckinsale in Wonder Woman
The 'Wonder Woman' film released in 2017 was an incredibly powerful movie that made over $820 million in the box office. The princess of the Amazon that everyone knows and loves is played by the gorgeous Gal Gadot, but that’s not how it started out when the first version of the film was almost released in 2000. In those years, the film was going to be directed by Joss Whedon and 'Underworld' star Kate Beckinsale was offered the role.
But why on Earth would Beckinsale turn down the chance to play such a massive part? The star reported in an interview that she was basically worn out from filming all of her action scenes in the 'Underworld' trilogy and didn’t want to take on such a similar role. Plus, you can almost bet that whatever version of 'Wonder Woman' would’ve made an appearance in 2000, it wouldn't have been the same as the amazing version that hit the screens 17 years later.
Val Kilmer: Captain America
You’re probably trying to figure out how it would’ve looked if Val Kilmer had played the new 'Captain America' rather than Chris Evans – but that’s not the film that we're referring to here. No, Kilmer was set to play the patriotic superhero in the 1990s version of the film, long before Chris Evans ever started acting (and probably before he even made it out of elementary school.)
Kilmer shot down the chance to play the part because he was set to star in 'The Doors' around the same time. And he probably doesn’t have a single regret about not taking the role, which was ultimately given to Matt Salinger. The first version kind of bombed, so he dodged a bullet there.
Alexander Skarsgård: Thor
Okay, here’s another perfect example of something that most likely would have worked out to be amazing – Alexander Skarsgård as 'Thor, the God of thunder'. Considering how badass the 'True Blood' actor was in 'The Legend of Tarzan', there’s no doubt he would’ve nailed the role. And apparently, that’s almost what happened – had it not been for Chris Hemsworth.
Skarsgård impressed in his auditions for the role, but not as much as the man who ended up with the hammer. He later expressed his gratitude for the chance to audition and called the entire experience “fun.” And he didn’t miss his shot at joining the MCU, either, because rumor has it that he’ll be appearing as Adam Warlock in 'Galaxy of the Guardians Volume 3'.
Heath Ledger Almost Didn’t Play His Iconic 'Joker' Role
Heath Ledger is hands down the best Joker in the history of Batman films. He embodied the joker. He was the joker. Except the late actor wasn’t originally set to play that role at all, but rather the complete opposite – he was to play the part of Batman in 'The Dark Knight'.
That’s right, Christopher Nolan had his heart set on casting Ledger in the role of the protagonist, but Heath had zero interest in playing the bat. As a last resort, Nolan flipped the script and asked if he’d be interested in playing the joker – a role that he not only accepted but made entirely his own. After Ledger’s untimely death, false reports started circulating the web, indicating that landing that role is what ultimately led to his doom. Ledger’s family insists there isn’t any truth to that and he was super happy playing the role, as it was the kind he loved the most.
Jude Law: Superman
Law was up for the role of DC’s 'Superman' in Brett Ratner’s version of the film. He was in the running against some major contenders like Nicholas Cage and Josh Hartnett, but ultimately decided against continuing on with an audition.
According to an interview the star gave, he turned down the role for a few reasons. First, he wasn’t thrilled about the idea of gracing magazine covers in a spandex suit. He also told reporters that he didn’t want to spend his career being known as the “guy who played Superman.” That’s understandable.
Pierce Brosnan as Batman
Pierce Brosnan has played the hunky protagonist in his fair share of action movies, including his infamous role as 007 in 'Goldeneye' and 'The World is Not Enough'. But when he was given the opportunity to play billionaire vigilante Bruce Wayne in the 1989 film by Tim Burton, he shot it down – and just wait until you hear why.
Brosnan, ever the gentleman, told ABC that he couldn’t take the role seriously, which is why he turned it down. In fact, his exact words were, “any man who wears his underpants outside of his pants can’t be taken seriously.” But as it turns out, he may still turn up in the MCU after all, as Alfred in the upcoming 'The Batman' movie, starring Robert Pattinson. That’s a role that the distinguished actor is much more suited for, don’t you think?
Jake Gyllenhaal as Rick Flag
Originally, Tom Hardy was set to play the role of badass military man Rick Flag in 'Suicide Squad'. And when he backed out, guess who was next in line? Yep, Jake Gyllenhaal. But the 'Nightcrawler' actor didn’t accept, and no one’s really sure why not. When asked about it, he basically just said “nope,” he didn’t take it.
Jake got another shot at joining the world of superheroes and supervillains, though, this time with Marvel rather than DC. He hit the big screen as Mysterio in 'Spider-Man: Far From Home' in June, teaming up with Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Holland and Zendaya for the sequel to 'Homecoming'. Most recently, the actor starred alongside Carey Mulligan in the award-winning film 'Wildlife' that came out in 2018.
Matt Damon Almost Played Two-Face
Matt Damon knows his stuff when it comes to kicking butt on camera, thanks to his lengthy stint as superspy Jason Bourne. So, producers offered him the chance to play the iconic role of Harvey Dent, AKA Two-Face, in 'The Dark Knight' – but he had to pass it up. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to play the part, because he did tell MTV he’s a Christopher Nolan fan, but scheduling issues prevented him from accepting.
The A-lister gave an interview after the film came out and said that Aaron Eckhart, who ended up with the role, did a great job and obviously the movie “didn’t suffer.” No, no it did not. 'The Dark Knight' is one of the best Batman films of all time.
Rikki Lee Travolta: Thor
This actor may be a little less known than the majority of names on this list, but he’s a talented guy, nonetheless. Rikki Lee is the nephew of Hollywood icon John Travolta, which gave him a leg up in the industry. He’s been in a few films, including 'Crime Fiction', but for the most part, he acts on stage (like in 'Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat') and writes plays, himself. Rikki does have formal training, a hard bod just like the director wanted in 'Thor' – which is why he was on the list of actors up for the role.
But no matter how good of an actor he and the others in the running were, none of that mattered once Chris Hemsworth auditioned. As soon as he showed up on the scene and displayed his comedic badassery, the contest was over.
Eliza Dushku as Black Widow
Eliza Dushku is pretty much known for playing the part of the gorgeous femme fatale. She had her breakout role as Faith, the bad girl on 'Buffy: The Vampire Slayer', and years later went on to play super spy Echo in Joss Whedon’s 'Dollhouse' – a role that she even learned some Russian for. But that didn’t make much of a difference to studio execs in charge of casting for the role of the Black Widow in Marvel’s 'Iron Man 2'.
When Dushku heard the role was available, she took to the Howard Stern Radio Show to throw her hat in the ring. She told the audience that she was perfect for the role and that they just needed to “get into it.” She’s not wrong – Eliza would’ve made a great Black Widow.
Will Smith Says “No” to Superman
Before Brandon Routh was cast as DC’s kryptonite-allergen having superhero in 'Man of Steel', 'Men in Black' star Will Smith was offered the part. But Smith shot the role down without giving it much consideration, citing that the reason he wouldn’t take it is that he was nervous about the prospect of ruining it, saying “you mess up white people's heroes and you won’t work in this town again.” He must have been having some flashbacks to all of the outrage he faced when he played James West.
There’s no reason for him to regret taking that role, considering how awful 'Man of Steel' turned out to be. No doubt things would have turned out a lot like he imagined when saying “no” in the first place. Of course, the movie still made plenty of money in theatres, bringing in nearly three times its budget.
Jon Hamm: The Green Lantern
The 2011 'Green Lantern' movie starring Ryan Reynolds pretty much bombed, both in theaters and among critics and general reviews. It has a whopping 29% on Rotten Tomatoes, and the general critic consensus is that the movie was poorly written and produced. And since critics mostly went after the writing and production, Jon Hamm, who was initially contacted for the starring role, couldn’t have done much to save it.
Hamm said in an interview that they “came after him pretty hard” for the role, but he turned it down because he isn’t a fan of superheroes. He made sure to add, "never say never", but that superhero movies just weren’t the type that he’s interested in. Hey, nothing wrong with that…although Jon Hamm would definitely make an awesome superhero. Let’s hope he reconsiders in the near future!
Paul Newman Turns Down DC x 3
Paul Newman was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood in the 1960s and 1970s, which is why in 1978, he was offered the role of Superman by director Richard Donner. But Newman was a serious actor who had very little interest in putting on the costume that was required for the film. After all, the original Superman was basically the world’s first modern superhero movie, so no one was really used to seeing those kinds of movies yet.
After Newman turned down the lead role, execs pleaded with him to take part in the film. So, they offered up the role of Lex Luther, but he shot that down, too. Finally, he was offered the part of Superman’s father, Jor-El, but again, the answer was no. He was reportedly offered nearly $5 million to take on any of the parts, but it wasn’t enough to convince him.
Kristen Stewart as Lois Lane
Kristen Stewart is apparently another lucky actress who dodged a bullet when she turned down the role of Lois Lane in the 'Man of Steel' film. Reports say that DC casting directors had their eye on the 'Twilight' star, but she had just wrapped filming for one franchise and didn’t want to jump into another one that quickly.
Around the same time, she was set to return to her role as Bella Swan in the teen vampire movies once again and was also preparing to star in the drama, 'On The Road', based on the novel by Jack Kerouac. She does seem to like acting in indie films, and those that give her the chance to show the audience sides of her they aren’t used to seeing from her time on 'Twilight'.