The Marvel Cinematic Universe is the biggest entertainment right now, and it is only getting bigger. From Avengers to Infinity War, to the upcoming Venom, the stakes have never been higher for MCU, and they are balling every hard. Almost every Hollywood star wants to be a part of the franchise. But did you know there are some names who rejected the MCU and now obviously regret it. From Robert Downey Junior to Chris Hemsworth, MCU has made the careers of some of today’s biggest icons. Let’s see who missed out on the opportunity:
The Mission Impossible star and Hollywood’s most reliable action man was considered for the role of Spider-Man in the late ‘90s. But due to a lack of budget and some other issues, the film was stalled, and Cruise could never be Spidey.
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In the early 2000s, Spider-Man was made with Tobey Maguire as lead
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Matt Damon was offered the role his best friend eventually ended up playing. Matt was offered Daredevil, the film based on Marvel’s blind vigilante Daredevil aka Matt Murdock. But Matt, who was a pretty big name in the 2000s, declined the role as he did not like the script. His friend Ben Affleck ended up playing Daredevil.
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Though the film was panned by critics, Affleck’s performance won praises.
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Molly’s Game actor Jessica Chastain was offered the role of scientist Maya Hansen in Iron Man 3, alongside Robert Downey Junior. Chastain was looking for more meaningful roles and was not comfortable playing a second female lead. The role eventually went to Rebecca Hall.
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Chastain later revealed that she regrets not accepting the movie, and even said that she hopes to feature in a Marvel movie soon.
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Academy Award winner Phoenix is one of the most talented actors in Hollywood right now. MCU execs wanted him to play the role of the quirky and genius Doctor Strange aka Stephen Strange. The role would have been perfect for him, as he is used to playing unconventional roles.
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He refused the role as he was never interested in superhero movies. Benedict Cumberbatch was eventually cast as Doctor Strange, and the movie was a huge success. We bet, Phoenix would love to have been a part of MCU, considering how good the film was.
Olivia was offered the role of Gamora in the wildly successful Guardians of the Galaxy series. Gamora is a supremely beautiful and brave space warrior, and though it would have been a stellar fit, Olivia did not say yes to the role.
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According to her, women in superhero movies are expected to fit very superficial standards. She said that she would never play something that is supposed to be just perfect and is not okay with the characterisation, and thus declined it. The role eventually went to Zoe Saldana, and audiences loved her.
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Mel Gibson has had his brush with the fantasy genre. From Jesus to Braveheart, he has played everything. But he has never actually played a superhero. He was offered the role of Thor’s father Odin.
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Odin is a mighty god, who is also the King of Asgard. While Mel would have been great for the role he did not take it up. Though he never disclosed the reasons behind his decision, we’re sure he is biting his lips now.
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Joseph has already made his mark in DC with the Batman franchise, but its rival franchise MCU also wanted him to play Peter Quill aka Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy.
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Joseph did not accept, maybe because he is a DC loyalist. The role eventually went to Chris Pratt, who did an amazing job.
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Olivia was offered the role of Copycat in Deadpool, alongside Ryan Reynolds but refused it. But Olivia stated that she thought the role was meant to be more than just a stereotype and declined it.
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It eventually went to Morena Baccarin.
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The Breaking Bad star was offered a meaty role in the TV show Marvel’s Most Wanted. He is one of television’s most prolific actors and would have been a great fit in an MCU TV show.
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But he rejected the role for a very interesting reason. He said that if he did the TV role, he’d never be able to portray the role in MCU’s films.
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Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey was offered the role of Peter Quill’s father in Guardian of the Galaxy. But Matthew is understandably looking for better and meatier roles and he refused MCU’s offer.
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Alec Baldwin was once considered for a major role in an undisclosed MCU movie but had to decline the role due to his wife’s pregnancy. He later confessed that he wished he could be a part of MCU, and maybe it would happen one day.
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DCEU’s main man Jason who played Aquaman in Justice League was offered the role of Drax the Destroyer in Guardians of the Galaxy. But he refused the role as it was too similar to the stuff he had already played.
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He revealed that he was looking for roles where he could have well fleshed out characters and it just wasn’t right timing.
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British actress Emily Blunt was offered the role of Black Widow in Iron Man 2. But she was working on Gulliver’s Travels at that time, and could not play the role, which went to Scarlett Johansson. Black Widow went on to become an icon and that must have been pretty difficult for Emily.
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Did you know Scott was offered the role of Wolverine in MCU and turned down the iconic role? He almost accepted it, but he wasn’t done filming Mission Impossible 2 with Tom Cruise and had to pass over playing Wolverine.
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Though she was recently seen in Doctor Strange, she was earlier offered the role of Iron Man’s girlfriend Pepper Potts, and though nobody knows why she declined the role, she obviously wanted to be a part of MCU and bagged Doctor Strange. Pepper Potts is played by Gwyneth Paltrow.
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