Comic-book roles play a huge part in an actor’s career, as Marvel and DC movies gather a large audience and an extremely dedicated fanbase. With so many talented people in the industry, the casting process might actually be one of the most difficult tasks in filmmaking; especially when it comes to carrying the burden of choosing someone to accurately bring comic book characters to life.
We have certainly grown accustomed to seeing Robert Downey Jr. in his Iron Man suit, but what would it be like if Tom Cruise wore it instead? From Jason Momoa as the brooding Drax to Sandra Bullock as the iconic Wonder Woman, there are a lot of familiar faces who could’ve taken the roles of some of the most beloved superheroes.
Jason Momoa As Drax the Destroyer
We were first introduced to Drax (currently played by Dave Bautista) in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, which premiered in 2014. Bautista’s version of the character is rock solid — he’s basically a sheep in wolf’s clothing while simultaneously bringing a good amount of comic relief to the films in which he stars.
Before his Aquaman days, Jason Momoa auditioned for Drax. The actor seemed like the perfect fit as he has become known for landing “tough character” roles. However, Momoa eventually backed out after the audition. Apparently, he argued that Drax was too similar to the characters he had previously played.
Leonardo DiCaprio As Spider-Man
Spider-Man is undoubtedly one of the most iconic superheroes — if not the most iconic. From Toby Maguire to Andrew Garfield, and ultimately Tom Holland, the character’s remarkable legacy remains intact and lives through each one of these incredible actors.
To everyone’s surprise, Leonardo DiCaprio revealed that he was once close to playing James Cameron's Spider-Man in the nineties. The script reportedly also counted on Arnold Schwarzenegger to star and would include some steamy scenes between Peter and Mary Jane. In the end, DiCaprio was the one who ended up recommending Tobey Maguire for the role in the Sam Raimi film.
Saoirse Ronan As Scarlet Witch
Since WandaVision came out, the sorceress has been constantly rising in popularity; although Wanda Maximoff has had a decent amount of screen time in some of the latest Avengers (and Captain America) movies so far, the Disney+ original series shone a different light on her, showing us a side of the character that we had never seen before.
Though Elizabeth Olsen’s performance is incredible, it is very likely that Oscar-nominated actress Saoirse Ronan would have been just as amazing — if she hadn’t passed on the role. Apparently, Joss Whedon wrote Avengers: Age of Ultron with Ronan in mind; the concept design for Scarlet Witch was actually based on her — she was the prototype for the role and was considered to play the character.
Emily Blunt As Black Widow
Scarlett Johansson’s portrayal of the Russian spy is nowhere close to being forgotten. Watching the character grow to her fullest potential throughout the MCU films has been a ride (one that has sadly reached its end, but a great ride nonetheless).
What might be surprising for some is that Emily Blunt was actually the first choice to bring Natasha Romanoff to life. The actress was, in fact, nearly cast in Iron Man 2 alongside Robert Downey Jr. In 2021, Blunt revealed that she was contracted to do Gulliver’s Travels at the time, and as such, the decision to take the role of Black Widow was completely out of her hands.
Alexander Skarsgård As Thor
The mighty Thor has been around for a while now and Chris Hemsworth’s character is the first Marvel actor to receive a fourth stand-alone movie. Over the years, the Avenger has been stealing the hearts of thousands while openly displaying his bravery and caring nature—which makes us wonder: would this still happen if Hemsworth was not the face of the character?
Sweden actor Alexander Skarsgård surely has the looks of a Norse god, but just how close to getting the role was he? According to MTV, he even got to the point where he tried on the costume. In 2009, the actor revealed that he met with both Kevin Feige (Marvel Studios president) and Kenneth Branagh (Thor’s director), though Hemsworth was the one who got the part in the end.
John Krasinski As Captain America
Fan-favorite Steve Rogers has built a pretty well-founded legacy in the MCU thanks to Chris Evans. Extremely noble and unfailingly dependable, Captain America will always be present in the heart and spirit of every upcoming Marvel film.
There is actually a funny story about John Krasinski auditioning for the role — it seems like the contender was halfway through trying on the suit when Chris Hemsworth walked in and told him he looked great: “He was just, like, jacked! He was like, 'You're gonna look great in that suit.' And I was like, 'Don't make fun of me, Hemsworth,’” the actor told Ellen.
Tom Cruise As Iron Man
It is indisputable that if anyone has ever been born to play a character, it is Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark. Iron Man’s characterization in the MCU would probably not be the same without the actor’s say in the matter — one of the main reasons why Tony Stark is an amazing character is the man who’s behind him. Wouldn’t it be odd to hear “Iron Man” and not associate it with RDJ immediately?
Although Robert Downey Jr. is quite frankly synonymous with Tony Stark, A-list actor Tom Cruise, speaking with IGN, said that he was considered to play the character at one point. While Marvel fans may have trouble imagining Iron Man played by someone else, Tom Cruise revealed in 2018 that he was approached by Marvel Studios but decided not to take the role — he simply stated that he didn’t feel like it was going to work.
Sandra Bullock As Wonder Woman
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Gal Gadot has clearly made a name for herself playing DCEU’s Wonder Woman—who is, in fact, wonderful. She now stars in two stand-alone movies, having also appeared in Justice League. This timeless role goes way back to Lynda Carter, who also did a formidable job bringing Diana to life in 1975.
In 1999, it was reported that Warner Bros. and producer Joel Silver considered Sandra Bullock to be the one who would bring the character back to the big screens. Nevertheless, in an interview with MTV in 2009, the actress showed no interest in the role and even made some jokes about the whole situation.
Cillian Murphy As Batman
While Batman has had many faces throughout the years — the latest being Robert Pattinson’s in The Batman — it is very hard to get enough of the character. To this day, Bruce Wayne charms everyone with his charisma and keeps on fighting Gotham’s crime.
Before landing his Scarecrow role, Irish national treasure Cillian Murphy was reportedly an audition finalist for the role of Batman, which ended up going to Christian Bale. The actor later revealed he didn’t really believe he was close to getting the part and stated that Bale was the only right fit for the character.
Joaquin Phoenix As Dr. Strange
Benedict Cumberbatch first stood in Dr. Strange’s boots in 2016 when the trippy Scott Derrickson film came out, where we were properly introduced to the character and given the proper context of his backstory. Stephen Strange has now appeared in five Marvel movies and is rapidly making his way to the top.
Though it might seem… well, strange, Joaquin Phoenix — who now plays the Joker — was highly interested in playing the Sorcerer Supreme. At one point, there were talks and negotiations between the actor and Marvel Studios, but for unclear reasons, Phoenix decided to abandon the project. He said that all parties were satisfied in the end, and Marvel ended up casting Benedict Cumberbatch instead.