Almost everyone in the United States who’s seen a Marvel movie most likely associates Mark Ruffalo with the Hulk, since he’s the one who plays him on the big screen. However, some may remember the time when Edward Norton played the not-so-jolly green giant. But things may have turned out very differently if producers had gone in another direction – which they had a few to choose from. A few celebrities were invited to audition, including ‘X-Files’ star David Duchovny.
Norton played the Hulk in the 2008 film but was replaced by Mark Ruffalo in 2010. In an interview after the recast, Norton said that one of the reasons they changed actors was because Ruffalo is a “team player.” Can you even picture the Hulk being played by anyone but Ruffalo these days?
Josh Hartnett as Spider-Man
Josh Hartnett has an extensive history of playing badass parts in major films. Take, for instance, his role as law enforcement officer turned vampire hunter, Eben Oleson, in '30 Days of Night', or Danny Walker in 'Pearl Harbor'. But when Marvel came to him to ask him to put on the Spidey suit, he turned them down – and that wasn’t the only time. The actor told Playboy magazine that he’d been offered the roles of Spider-Man, Superman and Batman.
As amazing as it would be to see Josh Hartnett play Batman, he turned down every chance he had to play a superhero. According to the interview, the reasoning behind his decision to not work with the franchise was that he thought it would narrow down his future opportunities and put him in a box that he didn’t want to be in. Well maybe, but it also would have made him a boatload of money.
Alec Baldwin as a Bad Guy
Alec Baldwin is mostly known for his comedic roles, such as that of Jack Donaghy on '30 Rock', or his many stints on SNL. Of course, he’s done his fair share of serious roles, too – but never that of a supervillain, which is exactly what Marvel wanted from him when they offered him a part in one of their movies. Unfortunately, he had some family obligations going on at the time and had to decline.
So, Alec may have missed his first chance at becoming a part of the MCU, but rumor has it that he’s set to be in the new 'Black Widow' movie, starring ScarJo. Keep your eyes peeled for the trailers and your fingers crossed that he plays a sinister role, because that’s going to be super exciting to see from him.
Timothy Olyphant as Iron Man
Now, this would have been interesting. Timothy Olyphant, star of 'The Santa Clarita Diet' alongside Drew Barrymore, almost played the role of billionaire bad boy Tony Stark in 'Iron Man'. Olyphant happened to be on the shortlist, but Robert Downey Jr. beat him out for the role. Once RDJ showed up, everyone knew the role was his – including Olyphant, who was a good sport about the whole thing.
Olyphant is an awesome actor, but it’s a bit hard to see him playing a superhero. But that doesn’t mean he’s given up hope on landing that role someday. For now, he stays busy filming his Netflix original, and he just landed a role in the upcoming season of 'Fargo'. Plus, the actor frequently appears on his friend, Conan O’Brien’s show.
Saoirse Ronan: The Scarlett Witch
Before Elizabeth Olsen graced the screen as Wanda Maximoff in Marvel’s 'Captain America: Civil War', 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' and 'Avengers: Infinity War', the part almost went to Irish actress Saoirse Ronan. Joss Whedon envisioned Ronan playing the role, but she didn’t end up taking an audition. The actress has expressed regret over not auditioning and she probably feels it a bit more now that Olsen’s character is being given her own TV show: 'WandaVision'.
Ronan is doing just fine without the help of the MCU, however. Just last year, Variety500 included her in a list of the 500 most influential business leaders in the entertainment industry. Plus, the 25-year old still has plenty of Hollywood years ahead of her, so maybe she’ll land an audition for one of their future films.