The superhero roles that never were – When Hollywood’s elite passed on DC
Not every actor dreams of being a superhero. Some of Hollywood’s biggest names were offered major DC roles but were turned down. Whether it was career concerns, bad timing, or creative doubts, these decisions changed the course of superhero movies.
In the ‘90s, DiCaprio was asked to play Robin in Batman Forever. Director Joel Schumacher even met with him. But DiCaprio wasn’t interested. Years later, he admitted he never really wanted the role. Instead, he went on to star in Titanic, which made him a global icon.
Walker had the chance to play Superman in Superman Returns. He sought advice from legendary director Richard Donner, who told him to do it only if he truly wanted to. Walker feared being typecast, so he turned it down.
Will Smith also rejected Superman Returns. After playing Jim West, he joked that he didn’t want to “mess up white people’s heroes” again. Instead, he later joined DC as Deadshot in Suicide Squad.
Damon was considered for Two-Face in The Dark Knight, but a scheduling conflict prevented him from taking the role of Harvey Dent. He later praised Aaron Eckhart’s performance.
Gyllenhaal was offered Rick Flag in Suicide Squad. He declined, and the role went to Joel Kinnaman. Later, Gyllenhaal joined Marvel as Mysterio.
