Actors who could have played superheroes in films

[Tg11]

To think that there are many actors over the years who have turned down movie roles as far as DC and Marvel heroes go as far as having the opportunity to play said heroes well off the top of my head I can think of so many actors such as:

Tom Cruise almost playing Tony Stark/Iron Man
Tom Cruise almost playing Bruce Wayne/Batman in the Nolan trilogy
Jake Gyllenhaal & Joseph Gordon Levitt turning down the role of Peter Parker/Spider Man

Ashton Kutcher almost playing Clark Kent/Kal El/Superman
Nicolas Cage almost playing Clark Kent/Kal El/Superman

Mel Gibson, Kurt Russell, Kevin Costner, Pierce Brosnan and Alec Baldwin almost playing Bruce Wayne/Batman back in the 80s and 90s

Angela Bassett turning down the role of Ororo Munroe/Storm

 

[Kreem Pi]

Aaron Eckhart could've made a great Cap.

 

[DrCosmic]

Basset Storm would have been awesome. I think it's incredibly cool that she has white hair in the Black Panther film.

Would have given anything to see Armie Hammer's Bruce and DJ Cotrona's Superman in Justice League Mortal.

Ashton as Clark sounds interesting, as does JGL as Parker.

 

[hafizbat]

After seeing Pine's great performance in WW, I could definitely see him as Steve Rogers. In fact I think he suits comic Cap more than Evans, but Evans is obviously awesome too.

 

[hafizbat]

I also feel Anson Mount is being wasted on Scott Buck's Black Bolt.

 

[2kt09]

Wolverine - Russell Crowe, Gary Sinise, Dougray Scott
Cyclops - Vince Vaughn, Jim Caviezel
Jean - Julianne Moore
Rogue - Sarah Michelle Gellar
Magneto - Terrence Stamp
Mystique - Jeri Ryan, Amber Heard (First Class)
Stryker - Anthony Hopkins (X2), Liev Schreiber (Origins)
Nightcrawler - Steve Buscemi, Ethan Embry, Neil Patrick Harris
Emma Frost - Sigourney Weaver (X3), Alice Eve (First Class)
Gambit - Channing Tatum (X3)
Kitty Pryde - Eliza Dushku
Angel - Mike Vogel
Kayla Silverfox - Michelle Monaghan
Sebastian Shaw - Colin Firth, Bryan Cranston
Moira McTaggart - Rosamund Pike
Beast - Benjamin Walker (First Class)
Juggernaut - Josh Helman (DOFP)

http://mostezli.tumblr.com/post/143688534036/a-supposed-history-in-the-making-of-x-men-films

 

[marcvader]

Been watching Outlander and Sam Heughan would've made a great adult Banshee.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

Clint Eastwood in his 30s and 40s would have been great for Wolverine.

Ashton Kutcher almost playing Clark Kent/Kal El/Superman

What a terrible thought, the only thought that could be worse is Jack Black playing Green Lantern.

 

[Kreem Pi]

Joaquin Phoenix would've made a fantastic Wolverine. He's got just the perfect amount of animalistic charisma.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

The idea of him playing Doctor Strange is actually more appealing.

 

[Tg11]

Actors who could have played Batman:

Josh Brolin
Armie Hammer
Jake Gyllenhaal
Cillian Murphy (believe it or not)
Heath Ledger (believe it or not)
Clint Eastwood
Ethan Hawke
William Baldwin
Johnny Depp

 

[Kreem Pi]

He can convincingly play both, and many more. His range is unreal.

 

[2kt09]

Actors who could have played Batman:
Cillian Murphy (believe it or not)

Which performance in particular is that based off of?
Or are you still referring to actors who were actually considered for the role?

 

[Kreem Pi]

Cillian Murphy auditioned for Batman. Nolna liked him so much he cast him as Scarecrow after Bale got the role.

 

[2kt09]

So...when was Heath considered?

 

[THE WOLF]

Which performance in particular is that based off of?
Or are you still referring to actors who were actually considered for the role?

[YT]m6dIHT2Bry8[/YT]

 

[2kt09]

[YT]m6dIHT2Bry8[/YT]

Oh dayum, now that's what I call wasted potential. He did alright as Scarecrow.

 

[hafizbat]

I still wish they got John Hamm for Batman instead of Affleck. Sucks he's not interested in playing a superhero. But then, Batfleck was so bad that I'm kinda glad because it would have been even more disappointing.

 

[Kreem Pi]

Even if Hamm was behind the cowl, he would still be directed by Snyder and act out material written by Goyer/Terrio. So, dodged a bullet perhaps?

But Hamm in the cowl directed by Matt Reeves? Gimme gimme.

 

[David H.]

Alternate universe where Heath plays Bruce and Bale Joker.

 

[Tg11]

Joshua Jackson he too also auditioned for Batman way back in the day in the sense of when Batman Begins was in the making he actually auditioned for the role and imagine if he got the role too?

But also I heard Keanu Reeves he too was in consideration for Batman not only for Batman Begins but also dating back to the 90s too in the Schumacher verse

 

[Tg11]

Stallone apparently turned down the role of Frank Castle/Punisher way back in the day and he actually was considered for the role too

 

[Drizzle]

He wasn't as famous back in 2007 and he's the perfect Punisher now, but Jon Bernthal could have made for an awesome Eddie Brock/Venom in Spider-Man 3.

Aaron Eckhart could've made a great Cap.

Definitely. If the MCU had started 10 years earlier, he's the guy. Well, either him or Matt Damon.

After seeing Pine's great performance in WW, I could definitely see him as Steve Rogers. In fact I think he suits comic Cap more than Evans, but Evans is obviously awesome too.

I remember I wanted Chris Pine for Cap after seeing Star Trek back in 2009 but I figured it wouldn't happen since he was Captain Kirk and might not have been able to take on another franchise. That being said, I'm more than happy with Evans as Steve.

The idea of him playing Doctor Strange is actually more appealing.

Now that you mention it, the actor who plays Nicodemus West in the movie, Michael Stuhlbarg, looks like Joaquin Phoenix. Funny coincidence.

 

[Osiris-Rex]

Errol Flynn
Cary Grant
Henry Fonda
Gary Cooper
Laurence Olivier
Burt Lancaster
Kirk Douglas
Gregory Peck
James Cagney
John Wayne
Tyrone Power
Robert Stack

 

[Tg11]

Edward Furlong is another actor who apparently was in the running to play Peter Parker/Spider Man