Casting the perfect face for a superhero film falls down to having an answer to two extremely important questions. For one, will the actor be able to commit for a long duration? And for another, will the audience accept the selected candidate?
Comic book enthusiasts all over the world tend to either accept the casting choice wholeheartedly or reject it completely. With high-end visuals now making the film adaptations of people’s favorite comic book heroes even more vibrant (sometimes dark), here are some casting choices that went down the rabbit hole.
10. John Krasinski as Captain America
2018’s Jack Ryan gave us a look at John Krasinski as a righteous soldier who would go to great lengths to deal with the oncoming threat and save his friends.
He made it public in an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that he almost played Captain America. “I went in and I tested for Captain America,” said the 43-year-old star.
9. Emily Blunt as Black Widow
Next up is obviously Krasinski’s wife – Emily Blunt. The Edge of Tomorrow actor was approached for playing Natasha Romanoff starting from Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man 2.
“It’s not that I’m loathed to put on a catsuit. I just haven’t found something that really speaks to me,” Blunt said to Howard Stern on his talk show.
Also Read: The DC Extended Universe: Reliving the 10 Greatest Moments
8. Jack Black as Green Lantern
Robert Smigel, best known for Saturday Night Live, was once attached to DC’s Green Lantern property. He even penned a script and had a funny theme for the film.
Smigel, according to Vanity Fair, told how Jack Black would fit into his story. “The premise is that the wrong guy gets the ring and can do all kinds of goofy visual jokes — because the visuals are so potentially ridiculous.” Ryan Reynolds’ version saw the last appearance of Green Lantern in a film.
7. Leonardo DiCaprio as Spider-Man
Leonardo DiCaprio has been able to steer clear of starring in big-budget superhero flicks, but he once read the unfinished Spider-Man screenplay from James Cameron.
“I know he was semi-serious about doing it at some point, but I don’t remember any further talks about it. We had a couple of chats. I think there was a screenplay that I read, but I don’t remember,” he told Empire.
6. Glenn Howerton as Star-Lord
James Gunn once divulged the backup plan that he had for Star-Lord in case Chris Pratt couldn’t do it. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia actor Glenn Howerton almost played the part.
“Many people know @glennhowerton auditioned & was my 2nd choice for the role,” said Gunn through his Instagram handle.
Also Read: The Top 10 Most Controversial CBM Casting Decisions That Worked Beautifully
5. Joaquin Phoenix as Doctor Strange
Before Joaquin Phoenix played the clown prince of Gotham in 2019’s Joker, Marvel Studios had tapped the actor to play the sorcerer supreme instead of Benedict Cumberbatch.
“I think they make some great, fun movies. I think everybody was really happy with how things turned out. All parties were satisfied,” said Phoenix once in an interview.
4. Nicolas Cage as Superman
Making an appearance in Ezra Miller’s The Flash this year, Nicolas Cage almost played the big blue boy scout in a film that never happened. His iteration of the character was supposed to be directed by the legend Tim Burton and it would have had a multitude of villains packed into one – Doomsday, Brainiac, and the Eradicator to name a few.
3. Jim Carrey as Loki
Fans of his craft have cherished him in comedic roles, thanks to his standup comedy history. He has rarely delved deeper into his intense acting chops, as Marvel Studios wanted him to do just that.
Jim Carrey was a likely candidate to play Thor’s brother Loki in the 2011 film. Tom Hiddleston got the part instead, as fans couldn’t imagine a comedic Loki messing with The Avengers.
Suggested: Quentin Tarantino: Ranking his Top 10 Unforgettable Films
2. Will Smith as Superman
The Pursuit of Happiness actor Will Smith showed superman-like powers opposite Charlize Theron’s Mary Embrey in 2008’s Hancock. But prior to that, he was considered to play Superman instead of Brandon Routh.
“There is no way I’m playing Superman! Because I had already done Jim West of Wild Wild West, and you can’t be messing up white people’s heroes in Hollywood,” he once told MTV.
1. Tom Cruise as Iron Man
While fans of this generation may never be able to re-imagine another face except for Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man, Top Gun star Tom Cruise was once approached for the project.
Marvel couldn’t continue the deal with Cruise as he looked to have a bigger piece of the pie. “I need to be able to make decisions and make the film as great as it can be, and it just didn’t go down that road that way,” he said in an interview with IGN once.
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