Shia LaBeouf gained fame in the early 2000s through the TV show Even Stevens and the movie Holes. Later, he appeared in great films like Disturbia, Transformers, and Nymphomaniac.
But LaBeouf has been involved in some of the weird off-screen drama over the past few years. He faced multiple alcohol-related arrests, a public firing from the 2013 Broadway play Orphans, and allegations of plagiarism linked to a short film he directed in the same year.
Even though he has now returned to acting as the titular character in Padre Pio, released on 2nd June this year — his actions could have nearly derailed his career. It’s because many were afraid to cast him in their projects at that time.
Shia LaBeouf’s Role in Suicide Squad was Given to Scott Eastwood
Shia LaBeouf was offered a role in Warner Bros’ movie Suicide Squad before the studio didn’t approve the casting. According to LaBeouf himself, he revealed that some script changes were also made after Will Smith was cast as Deadshot.
In an interview with Variety, the actor admitted he was no longer on a wishlist for major hits. After working together on Fury in 2014, director David Ayer approached LaBeouf for a role in Suicide Squad, but the part was later given to Scott Eastwood. The actor said:
“The character was different initially. Then Will [Smith] came in, and the script changed a bit. That character and Tom [Hardy’s] character [later played by Joel Kinnaman] got written down to build Will up.”
LaBeouf also asserted that WB rejected his casting in the 2016 superhero flick:
“I don’t think Warner Bros. wanted me. I went in to meet, and they said, ‘Nah, you’re crazy. You’re a good actor, but not this one.’ It was a big investment for them.”
Despite LaBeouf’s desire for the role, Warner Bros. decided not to cast him. And as it is evident, they chose to invest in another actor instead.
Besides Shia LaBeouf, Another Actor was Also Considered For Suicide Squad
Shia LaBeouf’s reputation shifted from famous to infamous due to a series of arrests, controversies surrounding his projects, and allegations of plagiarism in recent years.
The point to note here is that the character for which LaBeouf was considered in Suicide Squad had a minor role in the final film. So, it would have been financially impractical to hire him.
Besides this, do you know the role of Rick Flag, who was assisted by GQ Edwards (a Navy Seal lieutenant) with the group’s mission, was also first offered to another actor? Yes right.
The Dark Knight Rises star Tom Hardy was also on board to play Rick Flag. But Hardy dropped the role because of his scheduling issues.
Watch Suicide Squad on Netflix.
Source: Variety
