Johnny Depp has played multiple iconic and out-of-the-box characters on celluloid. The star who has a penchant for choosing maverick roles with eccentric shades, has regaled audiences in films like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice in Wonderland and his earlier works like Edward Scissorhands. One of the star’s most memorable roles came in The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise in which Depp played the inebriated and quirky Captain Jack Sparrow to perfection.
The film series which expanded to a cult 5-film franchise, made huge money at the box office with a staggering total collection of $4.5 billion worldwide. Interestingly, Johnny Depp, who became synonymous with the role of Jack Sparrow, was not the first choice for the protagonist. Among others in contention, X-Men actor Hugh Jackman was almost confirmed to play the lead.
Hugh Jackman Almost Took Johnny Depp’s Place In Pirates Of The Caribbean
If one mentions Captain Jack Sparrow, the first image that will come to mind is Johnny Depp’s brilliant portrayal of the quirky over-the-top protagonist in Pirates of the Caribbean. But Depp, who made the character his own over 5 films in the series, was not the first choice to be cast in the role. Australian actor and X-Men star Hugh Jackman was initially considered to play Captain Jack Sparrow.
Jackman though was still not the huge superstar that he is today, in the early 2000s. The actor had only been part of X-Men as Wolverine apart from being a successful broadway star at that point. Therefore, Disney Studios which bankrolled the film, was unsure of Jackman’s visibility and star power with audiences as he was not considered a big name in Hollywood yet. Despite the Les Miserables actor having the charisma and personality ,the studio’s ultimate decision to go with Johnny Depp went on to reap huge rewards.
Johnny Depp Missed Out On Being A Superhero
While Johnny Depp’s film choices have been eclectic and lucrative, the Sleepy Hollow star has also stepped down from attempting films which went on to become huge blockbusters, especially in the superhero franchise. Depp was reportedly approached by director Christopher Nolan to play the role of the iconic DC villain Riddler in a potential sequel of The Dark Knight that was in the works. While the star denied these rumors, he was also honest in confessing that he would have been intimidated to be part of the film after the late Heath Ledger’s mindblowing and award-winning interpretation of Joker in The Dark Night.
Johnny Deep also revealed that he was in the running to play Batman in Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever, a role that ultimately went to Val Kilmer. The actor is allegedly quoted to have said that Schumacher denied him the opportunity to play this character. There were also reports that he was considered for Dr. Strange but this information was denied by Marvel Head Kevin Feige, who stated that an actor with Depp’s aesthetics would not fit into a Marvel film at the time.
Source: CBR
