Major Actors who Turned Down a Marvel Role

Sometimes the biggest “what ifs” in superhero history come from the roles that didn’t happen. From early 2000s Marvel films to the modern MCU, plenty of A-listers were offered capes, claws, or cosmic destinies and ultimately passed—often for scheduling, fit, or creative reasons. Here are 20 major actors who said no (or walked away) from a Marvel role, along with when, what part, and why.

Emily Blunt

Emily Blunt was contracted on another film when Marvel offered her Natasha Romanoff in ‘Iron Man 2’, forcing her to bow out; she later explained it was a scheduling issue tied to ‘Gulliver’s Travels’. She’s also been reported as an early pick for Peggy Carter before commitments got in the way. Despite the near-misses, Blunt has said she never formally pursued a superhero gig after that. Scarlett Johansson and Hayley Atwell ultimately took those roles.

Joaquin Phoenix

In 2014, Marvel held talks with Joaquin Phoenix to headline ‘Doctor Strange’, but negotiations ended without a deal after months of discussion. Trade reports at the time framed it as talks “kaput,” with creative and franchise-commitment concerns widely cited. Benedict Cumberbatch was announced that fall and took the role to theaters in 2016. Phoenix would later join a different comic-book universe instead.

Jason Momoa

Jason Momoa auditioned for and then declined Drax in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ in early 2014. He said the part felt too close to strong-silent characters he’d already played and he wanted to avoid typecasting. Dave Bautista ultimately became Drax across multiple films. Momoa later joined the DC side as Aquaman.

Matthew McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey passed on a villain role in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’—widely believed to be Ego—explaining he preferred another project at the time. He discussed the decision while promoting ‘The Dark Tower’ later that year. Kurt Russell ultimately played Ego in the 2017 sequel.

Jessica Chastain

Jessica Chastain disclosed in 2012 that she couldn’t join ‘Iron Man 3’ due to a packed schedule, and the role of Maya Hansen went to Rebecca Hall. She later said if she did a Marvel film she wanted a more action-forward character. Chastain eventually played a Marvel-comics character—albeit at Fox—in ‘Dark Phoenix’.

Rachel McAdams

Rachel McAdams has said she turned down ‘Iron Man’ (Pepper Potts) during a period when she stepped back from several high-profile offers. She later joined the MCU as Dr. Christine Palmer in ‘Doctor Strange’ and its sequel. Her decision at the time was tied to taking a hiatus rather than the specific project.

Matt Damon

Matt Damon revealed he passed on playing Matt Murdock in 2003’s ‘Daredevil’ because he wasn’t confident in the director and overall vision. The role went to Ben Affleck, while Damon later popped up in a Marvel cameo in ‘Thor: Ragnarok’. He said he’d consider the character under a director he trusted.

Russell Crowe

Bryan Singer first pressed Russell Crowe to play Wolverine in 2000’s ‘X-Men’, but Crowe declined and recommended fellow Australian Hugh Jackman. Jackman was cast weeks before filming and went on to define the role for nearly two decades. Crowe eventually appeared in the MCU years later as Zeus in ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’.

Daniel Craig

Elizabeth Olsen confirmed that Daniel Craig was lined up to cameo as Balder the Brave in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ before plans fell through. The Balder appearance would have been part of the Illuminati sequence. The cameo was ultimately scrapped prior to release.

Hugo Weaving

Hugo Weaving, who played Red Skull in ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’, declined to return for later MCU films amid contract and pay-related issues. The character reappeared with a different actor’s voice and likeness in ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and ‘Endgame’. Weaving discussed the impasse in 2020.

Thomas Jane

After starring in 2004’s ‘The Punisher’, Thomas Jane walked away from the proposed sequel in 2007. He cited dissatisfaction with the script and direction the project was taking. The follow-up was reconfigured as the reboot ‘Punisher: War Zone’ with Ray Stevenson.

Brad Pitt

‘Deadpool 2’ director David Leitch has said Brad Pitt was pursued to play Cable but could not commit due to scheduling. Pitt instead filmed a blink-and-miss cameo as Vanisher, a gag rooted in his long professional relationship with Leitch. Josh Brolin ultimately portrayed Cable in the film.

Mel Gibson

Mel Gibson revealed he was asked “a long time ago” to play Odin in Marvel’s ‘Thor’ but turned it down. Anthony Hopkins was cast and reprised the role across multiple films. Gibson shared the tidbit during a 2016 interview.

Olivia Munn

Olivia Munn said she declined the role of Vanessa in ‘Deadpool’ because it largely positioned her as “the girlfriend” with limited action. She chose to play Psylocke in ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’ instead, a more combat-heavy part. Both films released in 2016 under Fox’s Marvel banner.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Joseph Gordon-Levitt was in the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ lead mix but opted to join ‘Sin City: A Dame to Kill For’ instead. Reports at the time noted he bowed out of the Star-Lord race as ‘Sin City 2’ talks advanced. Chris Pratt ultimately landed Peter Quill.

Jessica Biel

In 2012, Jessica Biel was offered Viper in ‘The Wolverine’ but talks fell apart and she exited consideration. The role later went to Svetlana Khodchenkova. Trade coverage framed it as negotiations breaking down before a deal could close.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio recalled that he met about playing Spider-Man during James Cameron’s long-developing version of the project but ultimately passed, feeling he wasn’t ready then. Sony later launched Sam Raimi’s ‘Spider-Man’ with Tobey Maguire. DiCaprio discussed the near-casting years later in interviews.

Rachael Leigh Cook

Rachael Leigh Cook has said she turned down Rogue in 2000’s ‘X-Men’, partly to avoid heavy green-screen work at the time. The role went to Anna Paquin, who appeared in multiple ‘X-Men’ entries. Cook has described the choice as a “huge misstep” in retrospect.

Brie Larson

Brie Larson revealed she initially said no—twice—to Marvel’s offer to star in ‘Captain Marvel’ due to anxiety about the scale of the commitment. She later reconsidered and signed on after several months. The film launched in 2019 and she has since appeared across multiple MCU titles.

Evangeline Lilly

Before joining the MCU as Hope van Dyne, Evangeline Lilly turned down an ‘X-Men’ opportunity that Hugh Jackman personally pitched to her while they were working on ‘Real Steel’. She’s said the genre didn’t appeal to her then, though her view changed later. Lilly debuted in ‘Ant-Man’ in 2015.

Got another famous “almost-was” we missed? Drop your picks and sources in the comments!