10 Actors Almost Cast As Marvel Movie Characters Who Could Finally Appear In Avengers: Secret Wars

Several high-profile actors could finally join the MCU in roles they originally auditioned or lobbied for, as Avengers: Secret Wars is expected to explore the full potential of Marvel’s multiverse. In recent years, superhero movies have become more mainstream and accepted than ever before, meaning more and more high-profile stars want roles in these franchises. For the MCU, this has enabled the inclusion of incredible talents such as Robert Downey Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Cate Blanchett and Scarlett Johansson, but some haven’t been so lucky.

Not every actor who wants to be cast in the MCU can be. Over the years, this has created a huge list of stars who’ve auditioned for iconic Marvel roles, had fan support to be cast in the MCU, or got very close to receiving the part, only to be replaced by someone else. While this is disappointing, they now have the chance to appear in their long-wanted MCU roles, as 2027’s upcoming Avengers: Secret Wars is expected to feature many multiversal variants, allowing these alternate casting choices to be brought to life.

Related How Every Avengers Actor Was Cast In The MCU

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10 Tom Hiddleston as Thor

Thor (2011), Kong: Skull Island (2017), The Essex Serpent (2022)

Of course, Tom Hiddleston did get gifted a role in the MCU, but it was not the role he originally auditioned for ahead of his casting in 2011’s Thor. While he was eventually cast as the God of Mischief, Loki, Hiddleston actually auditioned for the titular God of Thunder himself, a role that ultimately went to Chris Hemsworth. This casting turned out to be perfect for both roles, so no harm done, but it would be brilliant to see Tom Hiddleston return to the MCU in Avengers: Secret Wars as an alternate version of Thor.

In Marvel Comics’ Secret Wars, the multiversal Thor Corps play a key role. It would be fantastic to see Tom Hiddleston’s Thor as a member of this interdimensional police force in Avengers: Secret Wars, perhaps alongside some of the weirdest and wackiest versions of Thor from Marvel Comics. This would evidently be a wildly different role to what Hiddleston is used to playing in the MCU, but he has proven his action skills with roles in several projects, including Kong: Skull Island, so there’s no doubt he’d make a wonderful Thor variant.

9 Joaquin Phoenix as Doctor Strange

Gladiator (2000), Her (2013), Joker (2019)

During a 2018 conversation with Little White Lies, Joaquin Phoenix revealed more about why he didn’t become the MCU’s Doctor Strange, leaving the role for Benedict Cumberbatch to claim, instead. Though he doesn’t go into too much detail, Phoenix suggests that “all parties were satisfied” with how things turned out. Doctor Strange has been set up as a key figure in the Multiverse Saga, and, so far, all his variants have been played by Cumberbatch, but it would be great to see Phoenix assume the role in Avengers: Secret Wars.

I think they make some great, fun movies. There’s nothing wrong… I’m not a f**king, like, cinephile. I’m not a snob, and I’m totally fine with… I enjoy those movies sometimes, and I think they keep the f**king industry going in some ways, so I don’t have a problem with it at all. I think that everybody was, is… I’m trying to figure out how to say this most diplomatically, okay… I think everybody was really happy with how things turned out. All parties were satisfied.

Joaquin Phoenix is one of the most highly-acclaimed actors of his generation. Roles in Gladiator, Inherent Vice, Her, Walk the Line, The Master and Napoleon have made him one of the most coveted names in Hollywood. Phoenix also stars as the titular Arthur Fleck in Joker, adapting the iconic DC Comics villain, so it’s possible he could make the move to the MCU to appear as a powerful Doctor Strange variant. Phoenix certainly has the screen presence, command and confidence to play Doctor Strange perfectly.

Related How Joaquin Phoenix’s Doctor Strange Rejection Affected MCU Hiring Process

Former Marvel attorney Paul Sarker opens up about how Joaquin Phoenix’s Doctor Strange rejection affected the MCU’s hiring process.

8 Amanda Seyfried as Gamora

Mamma Mia! (2008), Les Misérables (2012), You Should Have Left (2020)

Zoe Saldaña became known in the MCU for portraying the green daughter of Thanos, Gamora, in James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, but this role almost went to Mamma Mia! and Les Misérables star Amanda Seyfried, instead. In a 2020 interview with Comicbook.com, Seyfried revealed the real reason she turned down the role of Gamora. “I don’t wanna be green. It’s just so much work,” she notes, but the popularity of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Gamora herself and the MCU as a whole may have changed her mind in the years since.

I think about it often. I’m not really a Marvel movie watcher, which is, I think, why I was just like, “Ah, I don’t wanna be green. It’s just so much work.” I remember Jennifer Lawrence talking about once, how long it took her to get blue. And I was like, “That seems like hell on earth,” because then you get to set, and you’re only there for a couple hours, and then you have to take everything off. And that was literally the reason.

Many actors have complained about long stints in the make-up chair, so this reasoning makes sense. Even so, it would be brilliant to see Amanda Seyfried explore Gamora at least once in Avengers: Secret Wars, especially considering her experience in dramatic and comedic roles. Projects such as You Should Have Left, Mank, Pan and The Crowded Room, which saw her perform opposite MCU veteran Tom Holland, have proven that she’d be incredible in the MCU, and since Zoe Saldaña has retired as Gamora, the timing is perfect for Seyfried to make her debut.

7 Jason Momoa as Drax the Destroyer

Game Of Thrones (2011), Aquaman (2018), Dune (2021)

Before Dave Bautista was given the role of Drax the Destroyer in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Jason Momoa was offered the part, and even auditioned alongside Chris Pratt, but turned it down. In a 2014 interview with Zap2it (via IGN), Momoa revealed that Drax was too similar to his previous roles, and he wanted to avoid being typecast. Momoa imagined Drax to be not much more than a grunting brute, but Bautista has proven the character can be so much more, so perhaps Momoa may have a change of heart.

I think it’s perfectly cast. 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 colored up, and I have my shirt off again. I made a conscious choice to turn down some movies that were action-based to direct
Road to Paloma, so
people could see that side. I want my children to see their father happy. It’s not that it’s not a good role, it just wasn’t the right thing. I was on
Stargate: Atlantis
for four years playing a similar character called Ronon, who was an alien who didn’t say much and grunted. I’ve been there and done that, whether people have seen it or not. You want to stretch.

Jason Momoa’s appearance as Drax the Destroyer in Avengers: Secret Wars may be more likely now that his time with DC has come to an end. Momoa portrayed Arthur Curry’s Aquaman in six DCEU feature films, and made a cameo appearance in Peacemaker season 1, but the franchise’s reboot has left his DC future uncertain. Since his career as Aquaman is over, and Dave Bautista has departed the MCU, it seems very possible that Jason Momoa could actually bring his version of Drax into the MCU.

Jason Momoa has been speculated to be recast as Lobo in the newly-rebooted DC Universe, though this hasn’t been confirmed by Momoa, James Gunn or Peter Safran.

6 Zooey Deschanel as The Wasp

The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy (2005), 500 Days Of Summer (2009), New Girl (2011)

2021’s The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe book revealed that director Joss Whedon had originally planned for the Wasp to appear in 2012’s The Avengers. This version of the hero would have been played by Zooey Deschanel (via SlashFilm). At the time, it was unclear if Scarlett Johansson could reprise her role of Natasha Romanoff’s Black Widow due to scheduling conflicts, so the Wasp was considered, years before Evangeline Lilly would bring the character to life in Ant-Man.

It was all about The Wasp. He wanted to cast Zooey Deschanel. [Wasp] was the funniest character in the whole movie, and well-written.

Whether this would have been the MCU’s Hope van Dyne or the original Wasp from Marvel Comics, Janet van Dyne, is unclear. Evangeline Lilly portrayed Hope van Dyne’s Wasp between Ant-Man and 2023’s Quantumania, but her recent retirement from acting has left the hero’s MCU fate uncertain. Perhaps Elf, New Girl and 500 Days of Summer star Zooey Deschanel could replace her, fulfilling Whedon’s original casting. Avengers: Secret Wars would be the perfect place to debut Zooey Deschanel’s Wasp variant.

Related Evangeline Lilly Is “Stepping Away” From Acting Leaving Her MCU Future In Question

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5 Emily Blunt as Natasha Romanoff’s Black Widow

The Devil Wears Prada (2006), Edge Of Tomorrow (2014), Oppenheimer (2023)

Famously, British actor Emily Blunt wasn’t able to appear as Natasha Romanoff’s Black Widow in 2010’s Iron Man 2 because of her contractual obligation to appear in the far-less-successful Gulliver’s Travels. Blunt noted in 2023 on the Happy Sad Confused podcast (via Deadline) that “the best girl got it,” praising Scarlett Johansson’s long-running performance as Black Widow. More recently, Blunt has also claimed that not appearing in a superhero movie is a “badge of honor” for her (via Josh Horowitz).

While this might be the case, the fact that her The Fall Guy co-star Ryan Gosling has been so open about wanting to appear as Ghost Rider in the MCU, and the fact that Blunt’s own husband, John Krasinski, appeared in Phase 4 as a Mister Fantastic variant, means she may change her mind. Blunt was fan-cast as Sue Storm opposite Krasinski, but this role ultimately went to Vanessa Kirby. Instead, Emily Blunt would be brilliant taking on her original potential MCU role, bringing Black Widow back to the MCU after Scarlett Johansson’s departure.

4 John Krasinski as Steve Rogers’ Captain America

The Office (2005), A Quiet Place (2018), Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (2022)

While Emily Blunt could have been the MCU’s Black Widow, her husband was almost Steve Rogers’ Captain America in the MCU’s Phase 1. It’s hard to imagine The Office’s Jim Halpert as Captain America, but John Krasinski got very far in the casting process, even getting the chance to wear the suit and screen-test for the role, which he eventually lost to Chris Evans. Krasinski revealed he wanted to be in a Marvel movie to Digital Spy in 2016, and while his dream came true in 2022, he could play someone entirely new in Avengers: Secret Wars.

I’ll take a Marvel movie, any time! I love watching them, so I’d love to be a part of it. The
Captain America
thing was hilarious… I had so much fun doing it and got to wear the suit and screen-test and sign my life away that I wouldn’t tell anyone. Chris [Evans] is a good friend and very good at what he does, so I was so happy to see him do it. Maybe now I need to play a villain and fight Chris. That’s what we need to do.

Of course, John Krasinski didn’t end up playing a villain in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but actually portrayed one of Marvel’s most iconic heroes, Reed Richards’ Mister Fantastic. Krasinski’s Reed Richards was killed off in Phase 4, which creates the opportunity for him to be recast as a Captain America variant in Avengers: Secret Wars. In the years since The Office, Krasinski has proven his acting chops in dramatic and comedic roles, so he would make a brilliant addition to the MCU.

3 Saoirse Ronan as Wanda Maximoff’s Scarlet Witch

The Lovely Bones (2009), Lady Bird (2017), Ammonite (2020)

Although it was never officially confirmed, rumors circulating during Avengers: Age of Ultron’s production suggested that Irish actor Saoirse Ronan was being used as the “prototype” for the character of Wanda Maximoff’s Scarlet Witch. When asked about these rumors in 2013 by The Mary Sue, Ronan seemed enthusiastic about possibly being cast in the MCU, noting that she’d “love to be in it.”The then-19-year-old actor was passed up for the role, with the more-experienced Elizabeth Olsen taking over, instead, but Ronan could still make her Scarlet Witch dreams come true.

I have heard about [the rumors] and yes, I would. Yeah, of course I would. I love Joss [Whedon] and I love those films, and I love his handle on them and how he portrayed these kinds of superheroes. I think it’s very different from what anyone else has done. So yeah, I’d love to be in it.

Since Avengers: Age of Ultron’s release, Saoirse Ronan has become a more seasoned and versatile actor, with roles in Brooklyn, Lady Bird, Mary Queen of Scots and See How They Run, among others, proving she’d make a great Scarlet Witch. Wanda Maximoff has been heavily rumored to be returning to the MCU since her death in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. It would be a fun twist if not only Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch returns, but also her variants, creating the perfect opportunity for Saoirse Ronan to debut in the MCU.

Elizabeth Olsen has been rumored to be returning to the MCU in Marvel’s upcoming
WandaVision
spinoff’s, 2024’s
Agatha All Along
and 2026’s
Vision
series, but this is yet to be confirmed.

2 Nicolas Cage as Norman Osborn’s Green Goblin

Con Air (1996), Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (2018), Longlegs (2024)

Nicolas Cage was suiting up in superhero costumes long before the MCU began, most notably as Johnny Blaze’s Ghost Rider in the eponymous 2007 movie and its sequel. Even before that, however, a 2000 report by Entertainment Weekly suggested that Cage was Marvel legend Stan Lee’s top pick to play Norman Osborn’s Green Goblin in Sam Raimi’s 2002 Spider-Man movie. The same report pointed to the fact that Cage’s schedule was incredibly tight at the time, which ultimately contributed to Willem Dafoe being given the role, instead.

None other than Nicolas Cage — who once considered starring in a
Superman
remake. ”He’d be a great Green Goblin,” says the film’s coexec producer (and comic-book creator) Stan Lee. Cage’s publicist says the actor has been talking to the filmmakers, but his schedule is tighter than Spidey’s bodysuit.

Willem Dafoe reprised the role of Norman Osborn in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Colman Domingo is set to voice a new version of the iconic Marvel villain in the animated Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. It would be incredible for Nicolas Cage to join this esteemed group of actors to play Norman Osborn in the MCU, especially after voicing, and soon to be starring in live-action as, Spider-Man Noir over at Sony. Avengers: Secret Wars would be the perfect place to see this shocking Norman Osborn variant, and given Cage’s remarkable talent, this would be a sight to behold.

Related Who Is Spider-Man Noir? Nicolas Cage’s New Live-Action Spider-Man Variant Explained

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1 Tom Cruise as Tony Stark’s Iron Man

Top Gun (1986), Mission: Impossible (1996), Edge Of Tomorrow (2014)

A live-action Iron Man movie was being planned as early as the 1990s, long before Tony Stark became the first on-screen hero in the MCU. After 20th Century Fox acquired the rights in 1996, Tom Cruise expressed interest in playing the Marvel hero, but this never came to pass. It was revealed in 2023’s MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios book by Joanna Robinson that Cruise eventually turned down Iron Man because Fox wasn’t willing to pay his asking fee. Robert Downey Jr. eventually became the perfect Iron Man, but many still want Cruise to appear as the armored Avenger.

Ten years earlier, when the Iron Man rights were at 20th Century Fox, Tom Cruise, then thirty-four, had flirted with the idea of playing Stark… According to [Kevin] Feige, however, Cruise’s asking fee at the time was more than even a profitable studio like Fox was willing to risk on an untested superhero property.

There was a huge amount of speculation that Tom Cruise may have portrayed the Superior Iron Man of Earth-838 in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. This didn’t happen, but Cruise could still debut in the MCU as an Iron Man variant in Avengers: Secret Wars, as long as Marvel Studios is willing to part with a chunk of cash to secure the Mission: Impossible, Top Gun and War of the Worlds star. Seeing any number of these variants appear in Avengers: Secret Wars would contribute to the MCU’s biggest and most spectacular scenes yet.

Avengers: Secret Wars 1

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Avengers: Secret Wars is the sixth Avengers film and takes place during phase six of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe. The film will see several heroes from the prior phases return and battle against a cosmic threat to rival Thanos, and borrows elements of the Marvel Comics event of the same name.

Release Date May 7, 2027 Studio(s) Marvel Studios Franchise(s) Marvel Cinematic Universe prequel(s) Avengers: The Kang Dynasty