Being a part of Marvel Studios’ Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films and series would certainly be a big opportunity for any actor as the franchise is undoubtedly one of the biggest franchises in the world. Owned by the Walt Disney Company, the franchise has launched and revived the careers of many Hollywood stars in the past, however, some celebrities were not interested in being a part of it.
Naturally, one may wonder why they would turn down an opportunity like this but these stars didn’t need a role in the MCU to gain popularity as they flourished with other roles. Here is a list of 6 famous actors whose career was not affected after they turned down Marvel’s offers.
1) Matt Damon – Daredevil
Director Mark Steven Johnson’s 2003 movie, Daredevil, featured actor Ben Affleck as the iconic Marvel character. Initially, the role of Matt Murdock / Daredevil was offered to Affleck’s friend, Matt Damon, who once explained that both he and Affleck were big fans of the comics but he didn’t understand the script so he passed on the role to Affleck. Fortunately, turning down this role didn’t affect Damon’s career as the actor went on to showcase his talent in various flicks.
2) Leonardo DiCaprio – Spider-Man
In the 1990s, actor Leonardo DiCaprio was approached by Marvel for the role of Peter Parker / Spider-Man in the Spider-Man trilogy, however, the actor was not interested in playing a superhero at the time. With 1997’s Titanic success, DiCaprio wasn’t desperate as he was flooded with offers. The actor has never played a superhero on the big screen but with Marvel and DC constantly evolving, we might get to see DiCaprio joining one of these franchises in the future.
3) Joseph Gordon-Levitt – Star-Lord
The major production of 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy began in 2012 after James Gunn confirmed he had signed on to direct the film and rewrite the script. Initially, the studios were interested in actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt for the role of Star-Lord, however, the actor turned down the role to portray Johnny in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014). This wasn’t the first time Gordon-Levitt was approached for a role in a superhero movie as he played the role of John Blake in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy in the 2010s.
4) Emily Blunt – Black Widow
Actress Emily Blunt is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood right now, however, back in 2009 she turned down a major role in the MCU that could’ve launched her career. The actress was offered the role of Black Widow in Iron Man 2 (2010), however, she had to turn it down due to her commitment to star in 2010’s Gulliver’s Travels. Thankfully, she went on to bag major roles that made her quite famous in the industry. Looking back at it, it would’ve been certainly exciting to see Blunt’s iteration of the character.
Also read: MCU Fans Should Not Be Excited About Hugh Jackman and Tobey Maguire Rumors For Avengers: Secret Wars
5) Joaquin Phoenix – The Hulk, Doctor Strange
Actor Joaquin Phoenix is well-known for playing one of the most iconic villains in the DC franchise, Joker. Long before his days as the archenemy of Batman, Phoenix was offered not one but two roles in the MCU. The actor was approached by Marvel for the role of Bruce Banner / Hulk and Stephen Strange / Doctor Strange, but the actor turned it down. He once revealed that he has been in talks for a role in a superhero movie for many years but he feels that it would not be fulfilling for him.
6) Tom Cruise – Iron Man
In 1990, Universal Studios bought the rights to develop Iron Man for the big screen and the production of the movie was in full swing until 20th Century Fox had acquired the rights from Universal in 1996. At the time, actor Tom Cruise expressed interest in producing as well as starring as Tony Stark / Iron Man. In 1999, Fox once again sold the rights to New Line Cinema but due to many creative differences during the writing phase, the rights returned to Marvel Studios. The studios then worked from scratch and eventually hired Robert Downey Jr. for the iconic role. As by that time, Cruise did not want to take up the role anymore.
