Joaquin Phoenix is a brilliant actor, which is no doubt why Marvel has tried repeatedly to convince him to play a role in one of their films. They first reached out to the ‘Walk the Line’ star to offer him the role of The Hulk, which was later filled by Mark Ruffalo. Then, a few years later they contacted him again to see if he’d be interested in playing Dr. Strange, but apparently, he was not having any of it.
In any recent interview you see Phoenix in, when asked about whether or not he regrets not taking those roles his answer is always a confident “no.” Although execs may have been disappointed by the rejection when it first happened, it probably stings a bit more now that he’s accepted the title role in the ‘Joker’ film, produced by Marvel’s rival, DC.
Jason Momoa: Drax the Destroyer
If he hadn't landed the starring role in the recent 'Aquaman' movie, Jason Momoa still would’ve popped up on the A-list scene eventually. But had he accepted the role of Drax the Destroyer in the 'Guardians of the Galaxy' films that Marvel offered him, things would have certainly been different. So why didn’t Momoa take the role, which was given to Dave Bautista? According to the actor, it was because it was too much like the others that he’d played in the past and he was ready to expand his horizons.
Once again, Marvel was rejected only to have the star they set their eyes on accept a role in a DC film. But was that role really so different from that of Drax the Destroyer, or did Momoa simply say “yes” to 'Aquaman' because it was his chance to star in a huge film that launched him to international stardom? Either way, aren’t you glad it was him swimming around shirtless with a trident? Yeah, so are most people with eyes, probably.
Rachel McAdams: Pepper Pots
When one thinks of 'Pepper Pots' these days, they probably immediately think of Gwyneth Paltrow, who plays the role so well in the 'Iron Man' films. But before she landed the part of Tony Stark’s sultry and sweet assistant, it almost went to 'Mean Girls' star Rachel McAdams, who Marvel had their eye on for the part early on.
But Rachel McAdams would eventually find herself as a part of the Marvel family when she took the role of Christine Palmer in 'Dr. Strange'. As great as an actress as she is, Iron Man wouldn’t have been quite the same without Gwyneth’s quirkiness. McAdams seems to be doing just fine without Marvel and is set to be appearing on screen in her 3rd 'Sherlock Holmes' film next year.
Matt Damon: Daredevil
Let’s be serious for a second here. Did anyone actually like 'Daredevil'? Ben Affleck himself has admitted he regrets starring in the film – on more than one occasion. But apparently, before he accepted it, it was offered to his friend Matt Damon. Although Damon was admittedly a fan of Daredevil in the original comic books, he turned down the role claiming he didn’t know the film’s director, Mark Steven Johnson, well enough to take the risk, but he’d consider if Christopher Nolan was the man behind the camera.
Even though it hit number one in its opening weekend, compared to several of Marvel’s more successful films, this one came up short by several hundred million dollars, grossing just over $100 million over the span of its life in theatres. Does Damon regret not taking on the role of the butt-kicking, blind superhero? Not likely.
Emily Blunt as Black Widow
That’s right, ScarJo may be an awesome 'Black Widow', but things would have turned out very differently had the role gone to Emily Blunt, who producers initially wanted to play the sultry super spy. But much like some of the others on this list, Blunt was already tied up in filming something else around the same time. This didn’t stop her from accepting the role at first, though.
Blunt came back to Marvel with a big, fat “yes,” but was quickly reminded by her team about scheduling conflicts with her film 'Gulliver’s Travels'. She called execs back and reluctantly turned down the part, leading to Scarlett’s audition and ultimately to her filling the role.