‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ was almost an entirely different film than the one we all know and love. Joseph Gordon Levitt almost played Star Lord, Matthew McConaughey almost joined the cast and Olivia Wilde was first choice to play Gamora. After kicking butt in her roles in ‘Tron: Legacy’ and ‘Alpha Dog’, it’s no wonder she was invited to play the tough heroine.
But alas, Wilde turned down the role, clearing the way for Zoe Saldana to come in and make the part her own. It may have taken Marvel a few rejections to get the ‘Guardians’ cast, but at least they ended up with the perfect actors and actresses. After all, can you picture anyone else playing the feisty, green-faced alien?
Matthew McConaughey as Ego
Matthew McConaughey is another A-lister that Marvel has tried to recruit into their franchises for years. Most recently, he was offered a role in 'Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2' to play a villain, but turned it down.
Apparently, the actor didn’t like that he felt as though he was only being offered the role due to the franchise’s success and the fact that they thought they needed to add another big name to the roster. But hey, everything worked out in the end and the 'Guardians' movies are doing just fine without him. Plus, he’s got all of those sexy car commercials keeping him busy, anyways.
Mel Gibson as Odin
Can you imagine Braveheart being Thor’s father? That’s almost what happened, thanks to Mel Gibson being offered the supporting role in the hit movie. So, what went down that derailed Gibson from playing the part? Well, he never explained why he didn’t do it, just that he “didn’t do it.” Thank you for that ultra-satisfying elaboration, Mr. Gibson!
Anthony Hopkins wound up taking on the role of the King of Asgard and doing a terrific job with it. Sure, it would have turned out a bit differently had Mel accepted, but they’re both amazing actors, so nobody lost in this situation.
Tom Cruise as Iron Man
Rumor has it that boozy, badass billionaire Tony Stark was almost played by 'Mission Impossible' star Tom Cruise. In fact, word is that he accepted the role, but things ended up falling through when the studio’s schedule clashed with Cruise’s.
Luckily, the role of Iron Man was filled by the amazing Robert Downey Jr., who the films wouldn’t be the same without. Plus, Tom Cruise may have not played a flat-out superhero, but he’s come close in his roles in action hits like 'Top Gun'.
Leonardo DiCaprio Turned Down Many Superhero Roles
'Titanic' star Leonardo DiCaprio has been contacted by Marvel on more than one occasion to play the role of a superhero. The first was when he was invited to play Batman’s sidekick, Robin, in the 1995 film 'Batman Forever'. Years after he declined that role, they called him up again to ask him if he was interested in starring as Peter Parker in 'Spider-Man'. But once again, the A-lister turned down the chance to join the Marvel family.
When he was asked why later on, DiCaprio said he felt that, at the time, they weren’t “complex characters.”