Marvel Cinematic Universe has been making the really good choices, picking the right scripts, choosing the most suitable directors right from Jon Favreau to Ryan Coogler, not to miss the Jos Whedon era during the inception of Avengers characters and the reason director-duo, the Russo brothers.
The fact that the MCU has the best gunslinger as the captain of the ship, Mr. Kevin Feige, is the main reason for their success. The common attribute that the majority of the people who work for Marvel Productions are avid comic book readers and Marvel fans.
This may have also asserted that Marvel Productions requires their technical staff to read comic books and understand the plot. These kinds of ideologies are what keep the ship and the crew thrilled and engaged in their work. As a result, the majority of other productions can only dream of the results.
Almost all of the actors in the Marvel universe have been cast so well that it’s really difficult to imagine things going any other way.
However, here’s a list of actors who were almost cast in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to play these iconic roles:
1. John Krasinski as Captain America
Captain America, Portraited by Chris Evans, is one of the most loved characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, Chris was not the only candidate for the role.
Krasinski was in final negotiations for the role, even doing a screen-test and a costume fit, but bowed out since he didn’t feel he would be a right fit for the character.
He claims that seeing Chris Hemsworth as Thor embarrassed him since he didn’t feel he was physically believable as a superhero.
John was happy that Evans got the role and started to compliment Evans as Captain America.
Jensen Ackles, Alexander Skarsgård, Channing Tatum, even Sebastian Stan, Wilson Bethel, Will Smith, and Sam Worthington were in talks to take on the role.
2. Tom Cruise as Iron Man
With the rumors surrounding the film, everyone assumed that Cruise would play Iron Man and that Tom Cruise would also produce it.
However, Tom Cruise dropped out of the project, and we were left with one fine wine, a myth, a legend, the charismatic:
Robert Downey Jr, aka RDJ, has proven to be the best choice and perfect MCU cast member.
Some legendary actors like Hugh Jackman, Nicholas Cage, and Sam Rockwell were also considered for the role of Iron Man.
3. Tom Hiddleston as Thor
Tom Hiddleston originally auditioned and even did a screen test for the role of Thor,
but it was later determined that he would be better suited as Thor’s mischievous brother Loki.
Even Liam Hemsworth auditioned for the part, which is hilarious. Thor’s brothers were attempting to snare his part.
I have to admit, I don’t think we would have loved Loki as much as we do now if it weren’t for Tom Hiddleston’s radiance.
4. Emily Blunt as Black Widow
Emily Blunt was unable to take on the role of Black Widow due to her contract with The Devil Wears Prada.
She went on to star in a film called Gulliver’s Travels, which is a Movie that you never hear.
Emily Blunt may not have made the best choice here, but it did lead us to the fan-favorite Scarlett Johansson, who unquestionably made Black Widow irreplaceable.
5. Jensen Ackles as Hawkeye
Jensen Ackles actually auditioned for the Captain America Role and was a contender for Hawkeye but he couldn’t take up the role due to Supernatural scheduling conflicts.
Jeremy Renner, after his outstanding Academy Award-nominated performance in ‘The Hurt Locker’ was approached by Marvel and agreed to play the role and Ofcourse the memes.
6. Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Ant-man
Star-Lord was also considered for Joseph Gordon-Levitt, but he lost out. According to reports, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Paul Rudd were in a tight race for the role of Ant-Man;
Levitt turned down the part for Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, and Paul Rudd, of course, won.
7. Jim Carrey as Rocket Raccoon and Loki
Jim was shortlisted for the both roles of Rocket Raccoon and Loki. I personally wanted him to see in a funny MCU role but it wasn’t meant to be.
Adam Sandler was also considered, but in the end, it was the endearing Bradley Cooper who managed to land the part, He truly embodied the character, and that’s something I can’t argue with.
8. Jason Mamoa As Drax
Jason Mamoa, who is known for DC’s ‘Aquaman’ and Khal Drogo from ‘Game Of Thrones’ , was almost cast as Drax before casting for Aquaman.
He also had a great audition that deftly displayed his toughness and double blades handles but Bautista trumped him for the role.
9. Joaquin Phoenix as Doctor Strange
Joaquin Phoenix has reportedly been offered iconic superhero characters such as The Hulk and Doctor Strange by Marvel on several occasions.
Unfortunately, Phoenix always declined the offer as he didn’t want to make a commitment to multiple movies within the franchise, and both roles were eventually given to Mark Ruffalo and Benedict Cumberbatch.
10. Glenn Howerton as Star-Lord
Glenn Howerton, star of ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,’ was almost cast as a Star-Lord however but he wasn’t as impressive as Peter Quill.
James Gunn, who directed Guardians of the Galaxy and its sequel, has said that Howerton was his second choice for the character if Chris Pratt hadn’t ended up working out.
