Movies And Shows Ryan Reynolds Rejected
In 2024, there aren't many "real" movie stars left. However, one name that often brings attention to the box office is Ryan Reynolds, who first gained recognition with "National Lampoon's Van Wilder" before becoming one of the biggest movie stars of the 2000s and 2010s. Reynolds continued to star in a successful string of comedies such as "The Proposal" and "The Change-Up," as well as a few notable flops like "Green Lantern."
Reynolds catapulted into further success with his appearance as Deadpool in the 2016 and 2018 superhero films of the same name. Outside of his work in films, Reynolds has also become a notable entrepreneur, investing in companies like Aviation Gin, Mint Mobile, and Welsh football club Wrexham AFC, the latter of which is the subject of the FX docuseries "Welcome to Wrexham."
There's no doubt that Ryan Reynolds is a popular actor, but that doesn't mean the world has been his oyster for his entire career. There are plenty of movies and TV shows that Reynolds nearly starred in, or outright refused to appear in, for a number of different reasons. While Reynolds wasn't featured in these projects, there's a chance they would have looked quite different in an alternate reality where he was involved.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is arguably one of the most iconic television programs of the late '90s and early 2000s, running for seven seasons and launching the careers of Sarah Michelle Gellar and Alyson Hannigan. However, one actor who missed out on the opportunity to join the illustrious cast was Ryan Reynolds, though his lack of involvement wasn't a matter of any casting director deciding he wasn't right for the series. In fact, Reynolds got far enough in the process that he was offered a role in the show's pilot.
In an interview with the Toronto Star, Reynolds revealed he turned down the offer for a personal reason, despite the cost of affecting his future career. "I didn't want to play a guy in high school," he said at the time. "I had just come out of high school and it was f***ing awful." Reynolds cited his experiences with bullying as a major factor for his refusal to star in the series.
Although Reynolds did not confirm which role he was allegedly offered by "Buffy" creator Joss Whedon, it was likely the character of Xander Harris, the show's comic relief. The role ended up going to Nicholas Brendon, coming at a time when Brendon was struggling with committing to acting as a career. Given how the future turned out, it's for the best that Reynolds didn't take the job, as Brendon needed the big break more.
Son of the Mask
1994's "The Mask" is a hard comedy to follow up, especially considering how integral it was for Jim Carrey's burgeoning career and the fact that it was Cameron Diaz's film debut. Given its incredible performance at the box office and critical acclaim, it's surprising that a sequel wasn't greenlit until nearly a decade later, with "Son of the Mask" hitting theaters in 2005. Only this time, the film was missing one key element that made the first one such a huge hit: Carrey.
To replace Carrey's comedic presence, "Son of the Mask" starred Jamie Kennedy, who plays Tim Avery, a young man whose child is born with the powers of the titular mask. Kennedy was a strong choice for the role, considering his success in years prior with the first "Scream" trilogy. However, Kennedy wasn't the only actor to try out for the part.
As Kennedy alleged on his YouTube channel, the role of Tim was highly sought after, with Ryan Reynolds being only one of many who wanted the part. Unfortunately, Reynolds had to abandon the project due to his commitments to "Blade: Trinity." While "Son of the Mask" ended up a huge failure both critically and commercially compared to "Blade: Trinity," it's possible that Reynolds would've preferred to have been in Kennedy's shoes.
David Goyer's The Flash
Ryan Reynolds has a long history of attempting to break into superhero films prior to his R-rated ventures as the Merc with a Mouth. Shortly after the colossal critical failure that was "Blade: Trinity," Reynolds was set to reunite with David Goyer on the opposite side of the comic book universe. In the early 2000s, Goyer was developing a feature centered on DC Comics' The Flash, and Reynolds was the top choice to play Wally West.
Reynolds was so close to the role, all he and Goyer needed was a green light from Warner Bros. At the time, Reynolds told Moviehole about Goyer's plans for the character: "I hesitate to say its one of the best script stories I've heard for a long, long time ... if it were to come to fruition I'd be very excited." As anyone living in the future can attest to, Warner Bros. did not come through for Goyer and Reynolds.
In the years since the pair was dropped from "The Flash," Goyer's script leaked online, offering insight into what fans had to expect from Reynolds' Wally West. The cancellation of "The Flash" ended up being an ironic twist of fate for DC, as they instead pulled Reynolds into the bomb that was "Green Lantern." Of course, "The Flash" was eventually released in 2023 starring Ezra Miller, and was also an infamous commercial failure.
Kevin Smith's Fletch Won
Starring in a reboot can be a challenging thing to accept for many actors, especially those who have reverence for the original character. That was the case with Ryan Reynolds and his feelings about Chevy Chase's "Fletch," a 1985 comedy based on a series of mystery novels by Gregory Mcdonald. Chase starred in both "Fletch" and its 1989 sequel, "Fletch Lives," which were both critical and commercial successes. However, it was as early as the '90s when Univeral Studios began to discuss the possibility of rebooting the franchise.
Eventually, writer-slash-director Kevin Smith was attached to develop a new "Fletch" film for Miramax Films, choosing the prequel story "Fletch Won" to explore the character's origin without casting Chase. Among Smith's choices for the new Fletch included his close collaborators Jason Lee and Ben Affleck, though Reynolds' name was also thrown into the ring.
In an interview with MTV asking if he'd be interested in joining Smith's "Fletch Won," Reynolds took a hard stance against following in Chase's footsteps. "I feel like that's hallowed ground, even for me," he said, and instead supported rumors suggesting Zach Braff of "Scrubs" should play the part. Smith's reboot never ended up getting made, and the franchise remained dormant until 2022 when Jon Hamm starred in "Confess, Fletch."
Horrible Bosses
"Horrible Bosses" was a strong showcase of three of television's best comedy actors: Jason Sudeikis of "Saturday Night Live," Jason Bateman of "Arrested Development," and Charlie Day of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." However, the film's long pre-production, which began back in 2005 when Michael Markowitz's script was originally bought by New Line Cinema, meant that a lot of actors ended up attached to the film before dropping out due to other commitments.
According to producer Brett Ratner, many actors were in the running for various roles in the central trio. Ryan Reynolds was one of them, though it's unclear for which part and for how long he was attached. Judging by the final film, it would be easy to see him in Sudeikis' role as the smarmy womanizer of the group.
The alternate cast that Reynolds would've been a part of may have included other male movie stars of the 2000s, including Johnny Knoxville and Ashton Kutcher, the latter of whom was apparently attached to play Day's role. While Reynolds didn't end up in "Horrible Bosses," he is set to star opposite Kenneth Branagh in "Mayday," from the former film's co-writers John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein.
Green Lantern 2
"Green Lantern" is among the more infamous films in Ryan Reynolds' filmography, with the actor playing the titular role of test pilot Hal Jordan who is chosen to become a member of an intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps. Reynolds met his future wife, Blake Lively, on the set of the movie, as she plays Jordan's love interest and boss Carol Ferris. While that makes "Green Lantern" likely far from a regrettable experience for Reynolds, he's not eager to return to the part.
Unfortunately, the film's failure both among critics and at the box office canned any potential DC Studios had of producing its sequel. This didn't stop any efforts, with DC initially planning to develop "Green Lantern 2" before the first movie was even released and hiring Michael Goldenberg to write the screenplay. However, those ideas were abandoned following the film's reception, even though the film's post-credits scene hints at a future for Reynolds' character.
Even though Reynolds and Lively had expressed interest in a sequel during press for the first film, Reynolds also implied that was dependent on the film's performance, saying, "You don't want to just say we're doing a second and third one, because the first one has to work" (via ComicBookMovie.com). Considering Reynolds has taken many opportunities to lampoon the movie, even in his appearances as Deadpool, his time in the Green Lantern Corps is likely far behind him.
Inside Llewyn Davis
Although Ryan Reynolds has had an impressive career so far, he has yet to work with any auteur filmmakers, such as The Coen Brothers. Unfortunately, Reynolds blew his opportunity to be in a Coen Brothers flick back in the early 2010s, when he auditioned for a role in "Inside Llewyn Davis." The film, which eventually starred Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, and Carey Mulligan, centers on the life of a fictional folk singer (ultimately played by Isaac) and his attempts at achieving success.
During Variety's "Actors on Actors" panel with Taraji P. Henson in 2016, Reynolds claimed "Inside Llewyn Davis" was one of his last auditions at the time, but it was not a valiant effort by him. As he alleged, "It wasn't the right fit, mostly because they're very high class. They were just quietly shaking their heads, like, 'What are you doing here? Do you have a SAG card?'" However, Reynolds is likely not upset about the loss, as he said elsewhere in the interview, "Isn't it funny how sometimes you think, 'Wow, someone else got it, and they ran with it, and it was perfect for them.'"
As for the role that Reynolds auditioned for and could've potentially landed, there are plenty of male characters in the film, including those played by Justin Timberlake and Garrett Hedlund. At the end of the day, Reynolds seems like he's more comfortable outside of the Coen Brothers' sphere anyway.
Big Eyes
"Big Eyes" was another miss for Ryan Reynolds. He was fully attached to the role of Walter Keane, husband of painter Margaret Keane, who was set to be played by Reese Witherspoon. The film, which was set to be produced by the legendary Tim Burton, had been in development hell since 2007. Reynolds and Witherspoon weren't even the first actors attached to the project, with Kate Hudson and Thomas Haden Church at one point set to star before it was delayed.
However, something unexpected happened during pre-production: Burton took over directing duties from Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. As a result of Burton's creative overhaul, Reynolds and Witherspoon ended up leaving the project and were replaced by Christoph Waltz and Amy Adams, respectively.
It's unclear why exactly Reynolds and Witherspoon stepped away from "Big Eyes" — whether it was Burton's assumption of creative control, scheduling conflicts, or if they were both fired. However, given that the film had a scheduled shooting date, their departure must've been abrupt. Reynolds' and Witherspoons' frequent appearances in romantic comedies throughout the 2000s have mostly been hits, so it's a shame the two never got the share the screen together. But perhaps the opportunity will come for the pair soon.
Ride Along
It may be surprising for movie fans to learn that the 2014 buddy cop movie "Ride Along," which starred Kevin Hart and Ice Cube, went through a grueling pre-production process before finally getting made. The film was initially greenlit back in 2005, with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Ryan Reynolds set to star. It was set to center on a cop (played by Johnson) who takes his sister's boyfriend (played by Reynolds) on a titular ride along to prove he's worthy of marrying her.
However, over the decade before its release, Fox put the project through a number of changes, including hiring comedian Jason Mantzoukas to re-write the screenplay originally penned by Greg Coolidge. By the time it was actually sent into production, Hart and Ice Cube had replaced Reynolds and Johnson for the starring roles. It turned out to be a fortunate casting, as the film ended up successful at the box office – despite poor reviews – and spawned a sequel in 2016.
While Reynolds missed out on the opportunity for this action-comedy, he made up for it years later with "The Hitman's Bodyguard." In it, he plays a man hired to protect a convicted hitman (played by Samuel L. Jackson) on his way to testify against a powerful world leader. Reynolds also got to share the screen with Johnson in both the "Fast & Furious" spin-off film "Hobbs & Shaw," as well as the Netflix action-comedy "Red Notice."
Zombieland: Double Tap
"Zombieland: Double Tap" was the long-anticipated sequel to the 2009 apocalypse comedy "Zombieland," which starred Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson, and Abigail Breslin. The original film was critically acclaimed and grossed over $100 million at the box office, though production on a follow-up was stalled for years due to the actors and writers having other commitments. They all finally reunited for the sequel in 2019, with new cast members including Zoey Deutch, Rosario Dawson, and Luke Wilson.
However, Ryan Reynolds missed his opportunity to appear in "Zombieland: Double Tap." The film, as well as its predecessor, were both written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, who eventually went on to collaborate with Reynolds on the scripts for "Deadpool" and "Deadpool 2." As a result, Reynolds' appearance in "Double Tap" initially seemed like a no-brainer.
As Wernick told Deadline, Reynolds was originally envisioned for the role of Albuquerque, which eventually went to Luke Wilson. "We made it a goal to do only Ryan Reynolds movies," Wernick joked, "But this one slipped through our fingers." Perhaps if enough time passes and the gang wants to reunite for a third "Zombieland" movie, Reynolds will be in the running to appear yet again.
Uncharted
Video game films can be difficult to do justice, which resulted in the long development process of "Uncharted," a video game franchise that began in 2007 on the PlayStation 3. The film adaptation process began not long after in 2008, though it entered a long period of development hell in which many filmmakers and actors joined and then abandoned the project. Among them were directors David O. Russell and Neil Burger, with actors like Nathan Fillion and Mark Wahlberg in the running to play the iconic lead role of Nathan Drake.
At one point, the film's hired director was "Stranger Things" alum Shawn Levy, with a script written by Joe Carnahan. In this version of the film, Ryan Reynolds was nearly cast as Drake, with Carnahan telling Discussing Film that Reynolds was "very, very close" to committing (via GameReactor). However, Reynolds' involvement in the "Deadpool" movies soured that possibility. The role of a young Nathan Drake ended up going to Tom Holland, with Wahlberg playing Victor "Sully" Sullivan.
Levy eventually left the project as well, instead turning his focus toward "Free Guy," a different video game film that did end up starring Reynolds as a non-playable character who gains sentience. That turned out beneficial for both the director and actor, as "Free Guy" garnered positive reviews and box office success, while "Uncharted" disappointed longtime fans of the series.
The Lost City
"The Proposal" was one of Ryan Reynolds' biggest early-career hits, with him playing the overworked personal assistant who is forced to get engaged to his demanding boss, played by Sandra Bullock. The duo are arguably one of the best rom-com duos of all time and have remained close friends ever since they filmed it. In the early 2020s, the opportunity for Reynolds and Bullock to reunite on-screen was fleeting as Bullock made a return to comedy with "The Lost City."
With Bullock also producing the film, it should've been a cinch getting Reynolds to agree to star opposite her. When the film was initially announced in 2020, it seemed that the reunion was set to occur. Sadly, that didn't happen, and Channing Tatum ended up taking the role instead. However, the film still alludes to Bullock's on-screen history with Reynolds, with one scene seemingly referring to the fact that Bullock's character in "The Proposal" couldn't swim, although here she's very capable of it.
While Reynolds may not have appeared in "The Lost City," he was still incredibly supportive of the film and his former co-star. He shared a selfie of himself and Blake Lively on his Instagram story complimenting both stars and recommending the movie to his followers. While Reynolds and Bullock have yet to reunite on-screen, hopefully, there's an opportunity for them in the near future.