Emily Blunt was almost cast as Black Widow in Iron Man 2 but she turned down the role because of a scheduling conflict while working on Gulliver’s Travels.

Before Benedict Cumberbatch starred as Doctor Strange in the movie, Marvel wanted Ryan Gosling so much that they commissioned some concept art of Gosling as Doctor Strange.

Jason Momoa who is now known for his role as a DC superhero, Aquaman, rejected the role of Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy because he said he had done a lot of roles where he didn’t say much and appeared with his shirt off. There was even some concept art done of him as Drax.

Gwyneth Paltrow was one of the last 2 contenders for the lead female protagonist in Titanic, but she turned the offer down. She was hesitant to talk about it because her mother would not have been pleased to learn she was turning down offers and would deem it “unladylike”.

Fearing he would be typecast as an action star if he took on both Wolverine and James Bond roles, Hugh Jackman said no when his agent called him up about acting in Casino Royale.

The original James Bond said no when Peter Jackson offered him the part of Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings because he claimed he didn’t understand the script.

John Travolta was the first choice for Forrest Gump, but he had to turn down the offer. While Tom Hanks did a marvelous job as the lead character, Travolta starred in Pulp Fiction which is also one of the greatest movies of all time.

Eddie Redmayne was a serious candidate for the role of Star-Lord and was confirmed among those reading for it. However, in the end, Chris Pratt who was known for his role in Parks and Recreation became the Star-Lord we know today.

Michelle Pfeiffer was one of the first choices to play the FBI agent who had that famous conversation with Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs.

George Lucas disliked the idea of reusing actors from his previous films. That’s why he initially didn’t want Harrison Ford who had appeared in his film American Graffiti as Han Solo in Star Wars. He had Christopher Walken in mind but Ford eventually landed the job.

Liam Hemsworth, the brother of Chris Hemsworth who played Thor on the big screen, was also considered to play the character. In the end, the older Hemsworth won the role.

The director of Edward Scissorhands, Tim Burton, considered Jim Carrey to play the titular character. Carrey’s movie antics would’ve made Edward very different than how Johnny Depp interpreted the role.

Gal Gadot almost became Marvel’s Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy. The DC’s Wonder Woman said she would’ve had to shave off her hair and turn her head blue for the role which is ultimately what Karen Gillan did for it.

Bruce Willis passed on the chance to engage in some sensuous pottery-making with then-wife Demi Moore in the movie Ghost. He said no to the role and it wound up going to Patrick Swayze.

While the director wanted Alicia Silverstone to play Cher Horowitz in Clueless from the beginning, the studio held auditions with other actresses including Reese Witherspoon who would star in Legally Blonde just a few years later.

Matt Damon had to give up the role of Jake Sully in Avatar due to a scheduling issue as he was just finishing The Bourne Ultimatum.

Fearing a delay in Spider-Man 2 (2004), Sony reached out to Jake Gyllenhaal to replace Tobey Maguire. However, in the end, Maguire reprised the role while Gyllenhaal made a splash with his part in Brokeback Mountain. In an odd turn of events, the upcoming Spider-Man: Far From Home would actually show Gyllenhaal as the villain, Mysterio!

The part of the “most dangerous woman in the galaxy” was offered to Olivia Wilde. However, she did not accept it for undisclosed reasons.