15 Famous Actors Who Turned Down Superhero Roles

15 Famous Actors Who Turned Down Superhero Roles

1. Jon Hamm as Green Lantern

Jon Hamm is a huge fan of superhero movies but bluntly passed on the opportunity to portray Green Lantern in the 2011 film, because he was disappointed with the direction in which the studios were taking them.

2. Tom Cruise as Iron Man

Tom Cruise has praised Robert Downey Jr’s portrayal of Iron Man, saying he was the perfect match for the role of Tony Stark and despite persistent rumors, he was never close to obtaining the part.

3. Matt Damon as Daredevil

Childhood pals Ben Affleck and Matt Damon were both eager for a shot at the main role in “Daredevil.” Damon ultimately ended up passing after getting a look at the subpar script.

4. Kate Beckinsale as Wonder Woman

Although Beckinsale was considered for the role of Diana Prince in “Wonder Woman,” she ultimately declined. She delicately implied the script was lacking and stated her days of wearing skin tight costumes are at an end.

5. Pierce Brosnan as Batman

Before he was enjoying a shaken martini as Bond, Brosnan was offered the role of Batman in the Tim Burton franchise. He mistakenly thought the movie would be a cheesy superhero flick and wanted to take on more serious films.

6. Emily Blunt as Black Widow

This British star regrets having to turn down the part of Black Widow in 2009. She had already committed to “Gulliver’s Travels” with Jack Black.

7. Josh Hartnett as Spider-Man

Early in his career, Hartnett was offered the role of Spider-man. He turned it down due to fear that he would be typecast as a superhero character.

8. Amandla Stenberg as Shuri

Shuri, Princess of Wakanda is a prime role from “Black Panther” turned down by Stenberg after much thought. She felt her skin was too light for the role, and it would detract from the film.

9. Brie Larson as Captain Marvel

Not eager for the limelight this role would bring, Larson turned down the offer to be Captain Marvel in the 2015 film “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” She later had a change of heart and will play the part in 2019.

10. Paul Newman as Lex Luthor

Newman was in good company when he refused a four million dollar offer to play Lex Luthor in the 1978 “Superman” film. Al Pacino, Burt Reynolds and Robert Redford also declined to be in the film.

11. Leonardo DiCaprio as Spider-Man

While DiCaprio does not think the part of Spider-Man would have impacted the trajectory of his career, he felt he was not yet ready to take on the role when it was offered to him by James Cameron.

12. Jessica Chastain as The Wasp

Chastain was very interested in becoming part of a superhero franchise, but when she was offered the role of The Wasp, the amount of screen time was not enough for her.

13. Heath Ledger as Batman

Though Ledger did appear as The Joker in the “Batman” sequel, he originally was not compelled enough by the series to accept the role of Batman.

14. Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Star-Lord

Gordon-Levitt would later regret turning down the part of Star-Lord to appear in the unsuccessful “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.”

15. Will Smith as Superman

The 2006 film, “Superman Returns” almost featured Smith in the starring role. He turned it down because he feared fans would be upset at a Superman with darker skin.

Logan Sekulow is a renowned producer and director.