10 Actors Who Turned Down Marvel Movies

Superhero movies produced by Marvel Studios have been among the biggest tentpole blockbusters in Hollywood for years. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has largely become ubiquitous with the superhero genre, with its projects often featuring the biggest names in entertainment in various starring roles. With their global reach, Marvel movies can provide their actors with the largest possible audience as far as modern cinema goes. However, not every actor has readily accepted the opportunity to join Marvel films, even for the most prominent parts in the MCU.

Whether due to not particularly connecting with the material or matters outside of their control, numerous A-list actors have turned down Marvel movie roles. In some cases, these actors have then gone on to appear in films based on Marvel’s biggest competition, DC Comics. With actors rejecting some of Marvel’s most important characters, the MCU would’ve looked very different if some of its planned castings panned out as intended. Here are 10 actors who turned down Marvel movie roles and why they avoided the franchise.

2010’s “Iron Man 2” began to build out the MCU in earnest, including debuting the SHIELD super-spy Natasha Romanoff, better known as Black Widow. Scarlett Johansson made a splash as Romanoff, with the MCU sequel having her assigned to monitor Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) before assisting him against his enemies. Romanoff went on to co-found the Avengers in the 2012 blockbuster and remained an integral fixture of the MCU until her 2021 solo film, simply titled “Black Widow.” However, Johansson nearly didn’t play Black Widow; British actor Emily Blunt was being eyed for the role.

“Iron Man 2” filmmaker Jon Favreau was reportedly eager to cast Blunt, fresh off the success of “The Devil Wears Prada,” as Black Widow. Blunt was similarly interested to play a superhero and work opposite Downey, Jr., but it was not to be. By the time that the MCU opportunity arose for her, Blunt was contractually bound to appear in 2010’s “Gulliver’s Travels,” which forced her to turn down Black Widow. Blunt later referred to the situation as “a heartbreaker,” personally preferring the chance to play Black Widow than appear in a comedy flop.

Black Widow isn’t the only founding Avenger who was nearly played by a different actor. Thor, the Asgardian God of Thunder, was one of the most challenging roles Marvel roles to cast. 2011’s “Thor” not only introduced the entire world of Asgard and its crown prince to the MCU, but had its titular hero literally fall to Earth. This required the lead actor to not only channel the regality and presence of the warrior god, but also the relatability of someone discovering their sense of humility.

British actor Daniel Craig, still very much in the midst of playing James Bond at the time, reportedly turned down an offer to play Thor in 2008. Alan Ritchson, over a decade before starring in “Reacher,” read for the role, though admittedly didn’t take the audition seriously. Ultimately, the casting search came down between brothers Chris and Liam Hemsworth, with Chris winning out when Liam was deemed too young for the part. Had Craig accepted the Thor role, he would’ve been headlining two blockbuster movie franchises simultaneously; he preferred to keep his focus on Bond.

Academy Award winner Jessica Chastain has the rare distinction of turning down multiple MCU roles, though not because of any disinterest in Marvel Studios or the superhero genre. Chastain was first offered a role in 2013’s “Iron Man 3”: Maya Hansen, a scientist with history with Tony Stark and links to the sinister organization gunning for him. Chastain turned down the part, with Rebecca Hall later cast in her place, though the role was significantly reconfigured in the final film. Chastain also rejected an opportunity to play Christine Palmer, Doctor Strange’s primary love interest, with Rachel McAdams playing the role instead.

For “Iron Man 3,” Chastain attributed scheduling conflicts to her not being cast, expressing hope for a different Marvel project in the future. For “Doctor Strange,” screenwriter C. Robert Cargill revealed Chastain turned the role down, hoping to eventually play a Marvel villain or hero instead of a love interest. Though Chastain has yet to appear in the MCU proper, she got her wish, sort of, playing the extraterrestrial villain Vuk in the Fox-produced “Dark Phoenix.” Given the X-Men movie’s tepid reception in 2019, hopefully Chastain will eventually play something more substantial in an MCU project.

2015’s “Ant-Man” was in development for years, originally attached to British filmmaker Edgar Wright as early as 2006. With the movie finally set to start filming in 2014, one of its major cast members was Patrick Wilson, rumored to play the villainous Darren Cross. However, Wright and co-writer Joe Cornish departed the project shortly before filming was to begin after Marvel Studios commissioned a rewrite of the script without Wright or Cornish. Though the movie’s July 2015 release date was unaffected, its filming start date was, as Marvel Studios quickly looked for a new director.

This change in scheduling led several cast members to drop out, as it conflicted with their availability. The most notable actor to leave “Ant-Man” was Wilson, with the part of Darren Cross ultimately given to Corey Stoll. Though Wilson hasn’t appeared in any MCU projects since, he did get the chance to play a different comic book supervillain. Wilson portrayed the underwater enemy Orm in 2018’s “Aquaman” and its 2023 sequel, making villainous waves in a different superhero cinematic universe.

Before he made a splash in the DC Extended Universe as its oceanic hero Aquaman, Jason Momoa nearly joined the MCU. In February 2013, Momoa was reportedly offered the role of Drax the Destroyer in “Guardians of the Galaxy.” The green-skinned warrior was the muscle of the cosmic superhero team and Momoa’s imposing build made him a natural fit for the part. Momoa had recently turned heads as Khal Drogo in the 1st season of “Game of Thrones,” with an MCU role virtually guaranteed to take him to new heights. However, Momoa turned down the opportunity, with the role going to fan-favorite actor Dave Bautista instead.

Momoa later revealed he wasn’t interested in playing more strong silent types that made him keep his shirt off and be caked in makeup at the time. Instead, he opted to direct, produce, and co-write the 2014 indie thriller “Road to Paloma,” starring in the movie alongside his then-wife Lisa Bonet. Momoa praised Bautista for his performance as Drax while continuing to take roles he felt were better fits for his acting interests. This notably included Aquaman, starting with 2016’s “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice,” before starring in 2017’s “Justice League” and two solo films.

Drax wasn’t the only Guardian of the Galaxy who saw a casting change, with the character of Gamora also going to a different actor than initially planned. Amanda Seyfried turned down the role, with Zoe Saldaña taking on the part to widespread acclaim. In the years following the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie’s release, Seyfried has offered two different reasons for passing on the opportunity to join the MCU.

Initially, Seyfried claimed that she didn’t want to spend months in a production requiring her to constantly wear green makeup. Seyfried cited her friend Jennifer Lawrence’s experiences being in blue makeup playing Mystique in the X-Men films informing her decision. Seyfried later elaborated that, though she enjoyed the script, she couldn’t see the potential in a movie “about a talking tree and a raccoon.” Wanting to avoid the dubious distinction of starring in the MCU’s first box office flop, Seyfried declined the offer.

Stephen Strange, the MCU’s resident expert on all things magical, has been played by British actor Benedict Cumberbatch since 2016’s “Doctor Strange.” Though Cumberbatch was on the shortlist to play Strange prior to his official casting, the role nearly went to Joaquin Phoenix. By August 2014, Phoenix was in final talks to play Doctor Strange, going as far as to reportedly begin actively researching to prepare for the part. However, Phoenix turned down the role two months later, with Marvel Studios and Derrickson agreeing to accommodate Cumberbatch’s schedule to star as Strange instead.

Phoenix later shared that, at the time, he turned down offers to appear in blockbuster projects, feeling them unfulfilling to his interests as an actor. Phoenix went on to star in 2019’s “Joker,” which became an enormous commercial success and earned him the Academy Award for best actor. Interestingly, Cumberbatch turned down a very different MCU role prior to his Doctor Strange casting: “Thor: The Dark World” main antagonist Malekith. Fresh off appearing in “Star Trek Into Darkness,” Cumberbatch wasn’t interested in playing another blockbuster villain, preferring to hold out for a juicier MCU role, with his patience paying off.

With Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) one of the most charming scoundrels in the MCU, the casting for his father, Ego the Living Planet, would require someone at least as equally personable. Ego made his debut in 2017’s “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” ultimately becoming the sequel’s main antagonist. Though Kurt Russell was eventually cast, the role was originally offered to Matthew McConaughey. McConaughey, however, decided to pass on the opportunity, instead signing on to play the villainous Man in Black in “The Dark Tower.”

Before the release of “The Dark Tower,” McConaughy explained his reasoning in favoring the Stephen King adaptation over the “Guardians of the Galaxy” sequel. Despite sharing an appreciation for the Marvel property, McConaughey believed he would simply be a cog in a big studio production. McConaughey felt “The Dark Tower” would give him more creative freedom in developing and playing the Man in Black compared to playing the MCU’s Ego. Years later, McConaughey made his MCU debut in 2024’s “Deadpool & Wolverine,” albeit as a vocal cameo playing Cowboypool.

Just as Natasha Romanoff isn’t the only Black Widow in the MCU, the casting for her eventual successor, Yelena Belova, didn’t go as originally planned. Belova, introduced in 2021’s “Black Widow” as Romanoff’s adoptive sister and a fellow Black Widow trainee, was played by British actor Florence Pugh. Though Pugh has rightfully earned a positive response for her super-spy role and reprised it in numerous Marvel projects, including “Thunderbolts*,” it was originally offered to someone else. Acclaimed Irish actor Saoirse Ronan was reportedly offered the part of Yelena Belova before Pugh, but passed on the role.

When asked about turning down the opportunity, Ronan observed that she couldn’t see herself playing a Marvel character. Instead, Ronan was more open to potentially working in a James Bond project than as a Marvel superhero. Years prior, Ronan was linked to the MCU superhero Scarlet Witch, a role which memorably went to Elizabeth Olsen. Coincidentally, Ronan and Pugh co-starred in 2019’s “Little Women,” playing a very different sister dynamic than the two Black Widows.

The 2025 antihero ensemble film “Thunderbolts*” has seen its fair share of casting changes during its production. The movie reunites director Jake Schreirer and screenwriter Lee Sung Jin after working together on the acclaimed Netflix original series “Beef.” The pair originally planned to work with another one of their “Beef” collaborators in “Thunderbolts*”: actor Steven Yeun. Yeun was cast as Sentry, a powerful anti-hero whose deep instability has him constantly toe the line between hero and villain.

However, nearly a year after his “Thunderbolts*” casting was made public, Yeun quietly bowed out of the project. He quickly made it clear that his departure wasn’t acrimonious on his part, citing scheduling conflicts caused by Hollywood labor strikes in 2023 which delayed “Thunderbolts*” production. Lewis Pullman was recast as Sentry, while Yeun remains open to appearing in a Marvel project in the future. Yeun wasn’t the only major actor to leave “Thunderbolts*,” with “The Bear” star Ayo Edebiri also dropping out because of scheduling conflicts; she was replaced by Geraldine Viswanathan.