19 Superhero Movie Casting Facts That Honestly Surprised Me, So Might Surprise You Too

Jason Momoa could have played Drax in GOTG!

1. Hugh Jackman was turned down for Wolverine in part because he was tall and handsome.

20th Century Fox

David Hayter, an X-Men screenwriter who was also involved in the casting, told CBR "The first time Hugh Jackman read, he didn't get cast. He was great, but he was the nicest guy in the world and he was very tall and super handsome, so we didn't think he was Wolverine."

2. Jason Momoa turned down the role of Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy because it felt similar to other roles he had done before.

Fiona Goodall / Getty Images / Marvel Studios

He doesn't regret it, and said "Dave [Bautista] is perfect for that role, for Drax. It didn't really fit in my time because I've done so many things where I don't say much and I'm coloured up and I have my shirt off again."

3. Asa Butterfield auditioned for the role of Spider-Man in the MCU.

Mike Marsland / WireImage / Marvel Studios

He seems to think everything worked out for the best, as he said it wouldn't have been possible to play Spider-Man and also be in Netflix's Sex Education, which has gone on to be a well-loved (and very popular!) show. 

4. Michael Keaton's casting as Batman was actually really controversial at the time.

Warner Brothers

Mark Hamil, who went on to voice The Joker in the animated series, told Indiewire: “There was this big outcry that Michael Keaton was going to play Batman. 'Oh he’s Mr. Mom, he’s a comedy actor.’ I mean they hadn’t even seen him, and they didn’t realise how great he would become. But there was a great controversy."

5. Heath Ledger was approached by Christopher Nolan for the role of Bruce Wayne but turned it down.

Warner Brothers

Nolan said: “He was quite gracious about it, but he said, ‘I would never take a part in a superhero film.'” However, Ledger changed his mind after seeing Batman Begins and was very keen to be involved in The Dark Knight. 

6. And Joaquin Phoenix turned down the role of Doctor Strange.

Robin L Marshall / FilmMagic / Marvel Studios

He explained that he isn't a snob about superhero movies and thinks they help to keep the film industry going, but that ultimately things turned out for the best. 

7. Chris Evans initially turned down Captain America, and spoke with therapists, family, and Robert Downey Junior before making the decision to take it.

Marvel Studios

He told the podcast Awards Chatter that he had been suffering with anxiety and panic attacks in 2010, and when the chance to screen test came along for Captain America he decided to pass on it to ease his anxiety. However, after they offered him the role outright he discussed it with people close to him and decided to accept. 

"It was the best decision I've ever made, and I really owe that to Kevin Feige for being persistent and helping me avoid making a giant mistake."

8. ...and Sebastian Stan was a frontrunner!

Marvel Studios

Kevin Feige and Stephen Broussard initially wanted to cast him, but producer Joe Silver had worked with Evans before and thought he'd be great for the role. Of course it all worked out perfectly, as Sebastian is now still an integral part of the MCU and Captain America's story!

9. Amanda Seyfried turned down the role of Gamora in GOTG because she was worried it bomb.

Michael Loccisano / Getty Images / Marvel Studios

She told the Awards Chatter podcast: “I said, ‘Who wants to see a movie about a talking tree and a raccoon?’ Which is clearly – I was very wrong.”

10. Lena Heady had a role in Thor: Love and Thunder that went on to be cut from the final film.

Michael Loccisano / Getty Images

The reason for it being cut is not known, but it came up as part of a dispute between the actor and their former agency. 

11. Brie Larson turned down Captain Marvel twice because she felt she was too much of an introvert for such a big part in a franchise.

Marvel Studios

She said: "I was like, 'I can't do that. I have too much anxiety. That's too much for me. I don't think I can handle that.'" It took three attempts from Marvel before she said yes, as it transpired that her team hadn't been turning Marvel down when she asked them to because they thought she would be great for the part. 

12. Freddie Prinze Junior was in the running for the 2002 Spider-Man movie.

Jim Smeal / Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

On his podcast Prinze and the Wolf he said that he didn't do a great job on the audition because he kept talking about how much he loved Venom instead of Spider-Man. 

13. And some Spider-Man fans weren't pleased when Tobey Maguire was cast because he seemed too "nice" amongst other criticisms.

Columbia Pictures

The casting director explained, however: ”He’s not in the milieu of the normal Teen Beat heartthrob kind of guy. He’s able to delve into character, and this way Spider-Man becomes the star of the movie.”

14. Patty Jenkins has said she probably wouldn't have cast Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman.

Gregg Deguire / WireImage, Warner Brothers

She told Playboy: "I remember when I read in the news that Wonder Woman had been cast and my heart sank. I had been talking to the studio for so long about doing it and I was like well 'that's that'. I'm sure we wouldn't have made the same choice."

She says she would have likely not looked further afield for an actor and would have cast someone American, but is glad that the search for the right Wonder Woman had ended up being international. "The fact that they found Gal and chose her is a magical gift to me."

15. Timothy Olyphant was in the running for Iron Man.

Lalo Yasky / WireImage, Marvel Studios

It famously took a bit of convincing for Robert Downey Junior to get cast, but it's a gamble that paid off hugely!

16. Chadwick Boseman auditioned for Drax in GOTG, and though he knew wouldn't get it thought it would still be a helpful experience.

Gareth Cattermole / Getty Images for Disney

The late actor told The Tonight Show that in such situations, he could still get to meet people who might consider him for something later down the line. And it obviously worked out, as he landed the starring role in Black Panther. 

17. Zazie Beetz, who played Domino in Deadpool 2, auditioned for Storm in X-Men: Apocalypse.

Gary Gershoff / WireImage, 20th Century Fox

Explaining how much the character meant to her growing up, she said: "I feel like growing up I always had an association with her. I mean, obviously, because being a young Black woman that was the one I associated with."

18. A former Disney/Marvel exec had been confused as to why Bradley Cooper was cast in GOTG if his voice was going to be so different.

Theo Wargo / Getty Images for Karl Lagerfeld, Marvel Studios

James Gunn's was pretty great, He said: “I was like, we hired him because he’s a great ACTOR. That’s the point! He’s creating a CHARACTER!”

19. Nobody else but Simu Liu was considered for the role of Shang-Chi.

Marvel Studios

Marvel's exec Vice President Victor Alonso said on a red carpet: "There was never a Plan B with him. He was it. The passion this man has for the character is incredible."