When performers are flawless in their roles, their characters can go down in history and become legendary. So it’s incredible that certain performers, who either received the part in the middle of the franchise or were cast in the lead role at the last minute, we’re able to (or will most likely) make their characters legendary.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Johnny Depp vs. Margot Robbie
Although the plot of the forthcoming Pirates of the Caribbean reboot is being kept under wraps, we can be certain that Margot Robbie will not try to replace Captain Jack Sparrow for The Black Pearl or the affections of Pirates fans. Instead, Robbie will star in an entirely new storey rooted in the Pirates universe, transporting us back to the world of the beloved franchise.
Johnny Depp vs Mads Mikkelsen — Fantastic Beasts
In the third Fantastic Beasts film, Mads Mikkelsen, a lovely ex-Hannibal Lecter, will take over for Johnny Depp. Mikkelsen is ecstatic, but also nervous, given the weight of duty he’ll be shouldering by joining the series in the middle of the plot. “This is when it becomes complicated. Between what Johnny did and what I’m going to do, there has to be a link. At the same time, I have to personalise it,” Mikkelsen explained.
Elliot Page vs Anya Taylor-Joy — The Queen’s Gambit
The Queen’s Gambit, a new Netflix drama series, has become a hit and reignited American interest in chess. Nonetheless, it could have been a completely different storey, shot in 2008 by Heath Ledger, the legendary Joker.
According to Allan Shiach, a screenwriter who worked with Ledger on the adaptation of the novel The Queen’s Gambit, Ledger hoped to make his directorial debut with the film. He considered Elliot Page for the leading part. Unfortunately, Ledger was unable to participate in the production of the film. Fortunately or unfortunately, Anya Taylor-Joy, a redhead with gorgeous large eyes, was cast in the part of Beth Harmon.
Ryan Gosling vs Mark Wahlberg — The Lovely Bones
Ryan Gosling would undoubtedly win a prize for the strangest explanation why someone was fired. He was supposed to play Jack Salmon in Peter Jackson’s film The Lovely Bones in 2007, but he was sacked because he and Jackson had “different ideas about how the character should look.” “I thought him should be 210 pounds,” Gosling admitted. As a result, he dropped out of the picture, and Mark Wahlberg was cast in the part of Jack Salmon.
Chris Evans vs Chris Pratt — Captain America
Chris Pratt, who plays Star-Lord Peter Quill, wanted to be Captain America from the start and tried out at the audition. “He went in for a Captain America tryout. It was intriguing, but it didn’t quite work. He did, however, have a lot of heart. And I was really keeping track of his career and what he was doing, seeing him develop into this leading man,” Marvel casting director Sarah Finn explained.
Although we have no idea how Pratt’s Captain would have turned out, we are confident that no one could have made Star-Lord as amusing and delightful as he did.
Tamzin Merchant vs Emilia Clarke — Game of Thrones
Emilia Clarke appears to be a fantastic fit for Daenerys Targaryen’s role. That’s why it’s unusual that she wasn’t chosen initially by the showrunners.
Tamzin Merchant, the star of The Tudors, was not only a contender for the role of Daenerys, but she also appeared in the Game of Thrones pilot. Later, a huge number of the roles, including Daenerys’, were recast, and Clark was cast in the role, providing fans the greatest Daenerys imaginable. Merchant, on the other hand, says she is “profoundly pleased to have claimed my own path to be creating it for myself,” and that she does not regret losing the part.
John Boyega vs Taron Egerton — Kingsman: The Secret Service
The part of Eggsy, a promising street youngster on his way to becoming a secret service spy, was similarly not easy to cast.
John Boyega, a Star Wars actor, was one of the contenders for the part. “Boyega is a fantastic actor, but there’s something about Taron that draws me in. “You have to trust your intuition about who that part is,” said Mathew Vaughn, the director of Kingsman. Vaughn’s instincts were correct: Taron Egerton portrayed Eggsy as adorable, sweet, and dedicated as he is.
Eddie Redmayne vs Christian Coulson — Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
It’s hard to imagine, but Eddie Redmayne originally wanted to portray the fearsome and scary Lord Voldemort, in his young incarnation of Tom Riddle, rather than the good-natured Newt Scamander, the central character in Fantastic Beasts. “When I was at university, I auditioned for the role of Tom Riddle. “I blew it and didn’t receive a callback,” Redmayne admitted. Christian Coulson was cast as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in the end.
Olivia Wild vs Margot Robbie — The Wolf of Wall Street
Olivia Wild recently revealed that she was told she was “too old” for one of Martin Scorsese’s key female roles in The Wolf of Wall Street. Cristin Milioti played Jordan Belfort, aka Leonardo DiCaprio’s first wife, while Margot Robbie played his second wife, a supermodel. Wild did, however, have the opportunity to work with Scorsese on the TV series Vinyl.
Dafne Keen vs Millie Bobby Brown — Logan
Millie Bobby Brown, well known for her role as Eleven in the Netflix series Stranger Things, was cast in a film based on the same name as Laura Kinney, Logan’s little friend. Brown considers this to be the best audition she’s ever had. “I was thinking to myself, ‘It’s going to be wonderful,’ and I sat in my room reading the lines. “To be honest, I felt like an actor in the audition room,” she explained.
Despite this, Brown was passed over for the part, which was eventually filled by Dafne Keen, an 11-year-old actor.
Tobey Maguire vs Freddie Prinze Jr. — Spider Man
For a large percentage of fans, Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker is the best-played Spider-Man. However, Freddie Prinze Jr. came close to landing the character before Maguire. Prince stated, “I had a meeting with [director Sam Raimi], and I was super-excited, super-nervous.” Prinze, on the other hand, didn’t talk much about Spider-Man during the interview, instead focusing on his greatest foe, Venom.
As a result of Raimi’s belief that Prince was not enthusiastic enough to play Spider-Man, the part was given to Maguire.
Kristen Stewart vs Jennifer Lawrence — Twilight
Nobody could have predicted Twilight’s success when it first broadcast in 2008.
Jennifer Lawrence, who auditioned for the character of Bella Swan, is another example. “I had no idea what it was at the time. You only have like 5 pages [at the audition], and they say, ‘Act monkey.’ And when it came out, I was like, ‘[Oh, wow],” Lawrence explained. Kristen Stewart was eventually cast in the role, and the rest is history.
Jennifer Lawrence vs Emma Roberts — The Hunger Games
Jennifer Lawrence, on the other hand, took on a role of her own. Around 30 different actresses auditioned for the role of Katniss Everdeen, the Hunger Games winner. Emma Roberts, Julia Roberts’ niece and star of American Horror Story, was one of the most well-known applicants. Lawrence overcame all of them to play Katniss Everdeen, providing her career a much-needed boost.
Ryan Gosling vs Miles Teller — La La Land
Ryan Gosling was not the original choice for the role of Sebastian, a romantic jazz musician in the Oscar-nominated film La La Land. Miles Teller was set to play Sebastian in the early phases of production. However, following a series of misunderstandings, Gosling was cast in the part.
Bonus:
Johnny Depp vs Timothée Chalamet — Edward Scissorhands
Timothée Chalamet, unlike the other actors on our list, did not take up the character of Edward Scissorhands, which was previously portrayed by Johnny Depp. In a recent Cadillac Super Bowl commercial, he played Edward Scissorhands’ son, Edgar Scissorhands. Fans are imploring Tim Burton, the director of the original film, to make an Edward Scissorhands sequel featuring Timothée in the lead role.
Have you seen any of the films on the list? Do you think the roles would have been better with different actors? Let us know in the comments section below.
Preview photo credit Juno / Fox, The Queen’s Gambit / Netflix
