Superhero casting that almost was.

[Aragorn]

Movies tend to pass through a lot of hands and incarnations before getting made. A director wants to make it, an actor wants to work with that director, the director leaves, the actor leaves, a new director comes onboard and wants a complete rewrite and so forth. In many cases, name after name after name gets thrown about for a lot of movies before actors are finally settled on (for example, Kevin Costner was almost Jack Ryan for The Hunt for Red October but wanted to make a movie about buffaloes instead).

So what were the superhero roles that almost were?

We know Dougray Scott was originally cast as Wolverine before he got hurt on Mission: Impossible II, thus opening the door for Hugh Jackman. Obviously Jackman is a more appealing and charismatic big screen leading man than Scott, so would the sequels still have been all Wolverine all the time with Scott instead?

Jim Caviezel was originally cast as Cyclops, but thought it was a nothing role and left to make another movie (which was either Frequency or Madison depending on which interview you read). Would Cyclops have been treated with more respect if he had been played by Caviezel instead of James Marsden?

Everyone knows about Tim Burton's freakshow Superman that would've been Nicolas Cage.

Block of wood Josh Hartnett was still a hot name at the time he was allegedly offered $100 million to be in a Superman trilogy. And the Brett Ratner Superman had Matthew Bomer as the lead.

Tom Cruise was in development with Iron Man and everyone thought he would star in and produce the movie, but after a few years lost interest and bowed out.

We know that Joshua Jackson, Jake Gyllenhaal, Cillian Murphy, Billy Crudup and others were on the short list for Christopher Nolan's Batman reboot.

When James Cameron was attached to Spider-Man, the name was Edward Furlong. After Titanic, the name they wanted post-Cameron was Leonardo DiCaprio.

Anyone have any theories on all these what-if scenarios? Any more superhero-casting-that-never-was to report?

 

[Greg Cox]

Don't forget the musical version of THE SILVER SURFER starring Olivia Newton-John!

I assume she should would have played Shalla Bal.

(And, no, I'm not making this up. It was in development around the time of GREASE and XANADU. I remember seeing some of the concept art in CINEFANTASTIQUE.)

 

[JacksonArcher]

Leonardo DiCaprio was also up for Christopher Nolan's Batman in Batman Begins as well. He also turned down the role of Harvey Dent/Two-Face in The Dark Knight. DiCaprio, who turned down the Batman role in Begins, was once slated to play Patrick Batemen in American Psycho when he dropped out at the last minute and was replaced with Christian Bale. Bale would later, obviously, play Batman in Begins.

McG apparently wanted Henry Cavill (The Tudors) for Superman. Brandon Routh also tested for him. Brett Ratner wanted Matthew Bomer (White Collar). Paul Walker, Ashton Kutcher, Jared Padalecki, and the aforementioned Josh Hartnett were all offered the role but declined.

Back during pre-production on Spider-Man 2, Tobey Maguire almost didn't play the role for a second time due to salary disputes and reported back problems. Sony and Sam Raimi were ready to recast him with Jake Gyllenhaal (who also auditioned for Superman, as well as Batman as mentioned above) when Maguire agreed to play ball. Gyllenhaal's sister would later go on to play Batman's love interest Rachel Dawes in The Dark Knight.

 

[Gryffindorian]

Didn't I hear Jack Black was initially asked to play Green Lantern?

 

[Timby]

Dougray Scott didn't get hurt on Mission: Impossible II -- the production schedule was a disaster and then two months of re-shoots were ordered, which necessitated him dropping out.

 

[Dream]

Apparently Mel Gibson, Kevin Costner, Charlie Sheen, Pierce Brosnan, Tom Selleck and Bill Murray were considered for the role of Batman in the first Batman movie. I'm kind of glad they went with the more unknown Mr Mom, Michael Keaton. I thought he was best possible Batman from the first four Batman movies.

Val Kilmer just seemed bored. While George Clooney, a good actor, was just completely wrong for the part.

 

[JacksonArcher]

Didn't I hear Jack Black was initially asked to play Green Lantern?

Yeah. Back when they were planning on doing a buddy cop type of movie. It didn't last very long.

I believe David Goyer wanted Ryan Reynolds for The Flash back when he was the director of that project. Reynolds is currently playing every other superhero known to man, including GL in the upcoming movie.

Bradley Cooper was also up for GL. John Krasinski was one of the top contenders for Captain America before Marvel went with safe choice Chris Evans.

Bill Murray, Alec Baldwin, and Mel Gibson were all either rumored or up for the role of Batman in Burton's 89 movie. Robin Williams was offered but then rejected for the roles of The Joker in that movie and then The Riddler in Batman Forever.

Christian Bale auditioned for Robin in Forever but lost that role. Poor him.

 

[MeanJoePhaser]

Christian Bale auditioned for Robin in Forever but lost that role. Poor him.

That would've been awesome, transition from sidekick role to lead hero.

Instead of reboot, Batman Begins could've been Dick Grayson taking over the mantle of Batman.

Leaving The Dark Knight with a copycat Joker...oh, well.

 

[Dream]

Christian Bale auditioned for Robin in Forever but lost that role. Poor him.

Bale really dodged a bullet there.

Batman and Robin will always be trash. However, I will never completely hate it because it was the reason the franchise bombed and had to be rebooted with Nolan's movies.

 

[Aragorn]

I read a Marlon Wayans interview where he said he still gets residuals for Batman Returns even though he never actually got to play Robin and there was no Robin in the shooting script. Not sure how that happens though. It's not like Stuart Townsend gets residuals for Lord of the Rings. And Billy Bob Thornton, Gary Oldman, Viggo Mortensen and Mickey Rourke don't get residuals for The Thin Red Line.

 

[Christopher]

Going back quite a ways, didn't Lyle Waggoner audition for the Batman role that went to Adam West?

And Kevin Sorbo almost got to play Superman in Lois and Clark. I always felt he would've made a better Superman than Dean Cain, but the producers probably went with Cain because he made a better Clark, which was a higher priority to them (as the title indicates). If Sorbo had gotten the gig, he wouldn't have played Hercules.

If we're allowing supervillains as well, in Batman: The Animated Series, they initially hired Tim Curry to play the Joker, and I think they recorded some material with him, but then decided to go in a different direction. Just think, if they hadn't changed their minds, then Mark Hamill would've been stuck being just the guy who was once Luke Skywalker.

 

[Admiral_Young]

After seeing Leo as Dom Cobb in "Inception" I could totally see him as Bruce Wayne/Batman in a Nolan type Batman film. Ryan Phillipe was reportedly very close to nabbing the Captain America role and said he was very interested in playing Steve Rogers....I'm really glad they chose Chris Evans instead. Yep Jack Black was going to play GL in the aforementioned buddy cop/comedic version. Trying to think of more but the most well known/popular ones I think have been mentioned already.

 

[Aragorn]

Christian Bale auditioned for Robin in Forever but lost that role. Poor him.

Bale really dodged a bullet there.

Batman and Robin will always be trash. However, I will never completely hate it because it was the reason the franchise bombed and had to be rebooted with Nolan's movies.

I remember when WB went on their nationwide Robin search looking for unknown actors... and then they get Chris O'Donnell.

 

[JacksonArcher]

I read a Marlon Wayans interview where he said he still gets residuals for Batman Returns even though he never actually got to play Robin and there was no Robin in the shooting script. Not sure how that happens though. It's not like Stuart Townsend gets residuals for Lord of the Rings. And Billy Bob Thornton, Gary Oldman, Viggo Mortensen and Mickey Rourke don't get residuals for The Thin Red Line.

From what I remember reading online, Wayans was signed to play Robin in Batman Returns and probably paid for while the character was still set to appear in the script. When the character was cut, the contract was still valid, meaning whatever he was meant to make in terms of residuals or whatever for that movie, he still gets regardless of never having to have done work for that movie.

I guess it's comparable to directors who sign "pay or play" deals with studios to direct films. For example, Tim Burton was paid to direct Superman Lives even though Warner Bros. eventually scrapped that production. Usually what happens is that contracts are signed, sealed and delivered and then when a studio pulls the plug, it's usually after the fact. Presumably since Burton and Wayans are high-caliber clients, they still get paid regardless of the work they did or didn't do.

 

[captcalhoun]

Steve Buscemi was slated for the Hulk at one stage in the 90s.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Steve Buscemi was slated for the Hulk at one stage in the 90s.

As Banner? The Gremlin I could see.

 

[Agenda]

I remember reading somewhere that the guy who ended up playing Alexander Knox in the 1989 Batman film originally auditioned to play Batman.

Interesting:

Sean Young was originally cast as Vicki Vale, but broke her collarbone while filming a horse-riding scene with Michael Keaton. The scene was subsequently written out of the script. Tim Burton suggested replacing Young with Michelle Pfeiffer but Keaton, who was in a relationship with Pfeiffer, believed it would be too awkward. She went on to portray Catwoman in Batman Returns (1992). Jon Peters suggested Kim Basinger and she was cast.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096895/trivia

 

[Kibbin]

Talking aout Robin, didn't some figures of that get made and shipped, obv now going for a fair bit of money.

 

[Captaindemotion]

Others which come to mind:

Burt Reynolds, James Caan, Warren Beatty, Jon Voight, Robert Redford and most of Hollywood (even Muhammed Ali) were considered for Superman The Movie, while Dustin Hoffman was up for Luthor pre-Hackman. Caan said he would do it ifd they were stuck, but told the producers they ought to get an unknown.

Peter O'Toole, Tim Curry and Robin Williams were linked to the role of The Joker before Nicholson. Williams was also connected with the roles of The Penguin and The Riddler, ultimately playing none of them. Well, unless Chris Nolan gives him another chance. The rumour mill also had Bob Hoskins and Hoffman for The Penguin.

When Keaton quit as Batman, apparently most actors in Hollywood between the ages of 30-45 were under consideration to replace him, from Keanu Reeves to Liam Neeson to Ralph Fiennes. Joel Shumacher was said to favour William Baldwin, with whom he'd worked on Flatliners. Leo DiCaprio turned down the role of Robin for Forever.

Before being linked with Superman, Nic Cage was supposed to be playing Iron Man, then he was supposed to be Lex Luthor in the Burton movie, opposite Paul Gross (Due South) as TMOS. Then suddenly and bizarrely, he was up for Superman. At various stages Courtney Cox, Cameron Diaz and Tia Leone were supposed to play Lois.

True Blood's Alexander Skaarsgard tested for Thor and even wore the costume, apparently. Poor bugger. Actually, it's only seeing the recent pics of Hemsworth in character that I've finally stopped wishing that they'd cast Skaarsgard.

David Boreanaz, Prison Break's Wentworth Miller, some guy from Mutant X (too lazy to IMDB him) and Matthew Boomer were all up for Superman under McG.

Sam Raimi got his way in casting Toby Maguire as Spider-man, but had the studio gotten theirs, it would have been American Beauty's Wes Bentley in the famous suit. Alica Witt and Kate Hudson had first dibs on MJ but turned the role down.

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

Heath Ledger was also on Sony's short list to play Spider-Man. He was the #1 choice of some of the top execs.

Bill Murray was considered for Batman in the 1980s, but that was early in the decade when they were kicking around the idea of a comedy Batman that would've been more like the 1960s show. I don't think a script was ever developed for the idea (the script that actually got written in the early 1980s was a very serious take on the character by Tom Mankiewicz, who had worked on the scripts for Donner's Superman films).

Emily Lloyd was cast as Tank Girl, but refused to shave her head for the role and was replaced by Lori Petty.