Ryan Phillippe Spoke With Marvel About Playing Two Iconic Characters
During his time in the Hollywood spotlight, Ryan Phillippe was known for drama, starring as Sebastian Valmont in "Cruel Intentions" and Shane O'Shea in "54." He also notably played Barry Cox in the 1997 slasher favorite "I Know What You Did Last Summer" (which he exclusively dished on to Looper in 2022) and Dixon Piper in the 2010 action comedy "MacGruber" and Peacock's 2021 sequel series. At one point, he nearly added an iconic Marvel character to his résumé too.
Speaking to Comic Book Movie, Philippe shared, "There was discussion about meeting on Captain America. There was discussion about Iron Fist." For one reason or another, however, he didn't end up as the one behind either of these characters. Ultimately, Chris Evans took on the role of Captain America (and the hefty cost of the fame that came with it), and Finn Jones brought Iron Fist to life in the Defenders Saga (and wants to prove his critics wrong with an MCU return).
Phillippe isn't heartbroken over his missed MCU roles
Once the MCU really got rolling following the release of "The Avengers" in 2012, famous Hollywood names hopped on the franchise left and right. Glenn Close, Paul Rudd, Benedict Cumberbatch, Angelina Jolie, and countless other stars who had previously built their reputations in different genres all came together to leave their mark on the MCU tapestry. Ryan Phillippe, however, has yet to join this increasingly long list of actors — and he's not too urgent to.
"I don't think I will be [in a superhero movie], ultimately. I don't know. I enjoy those films at times, but I don't know if it's a world that I need to inhabit. I think it's something that I can enjoy as a fan," Phillippe explained. In hindsight, he believes he missed out on those Marvel roles for a reason, namely, to become a family man. "Things have changed drastically for me," he said. "I have three children. That really takes a lot of your time and effort and focus. And deservedly so."
With the MCU unlikely to disappear for the foreseeable future, perhaps Phillippe will change his mind and give the sprawling superhero saga a try. Still, if you're counting on seeing him in a Marvel Studios production soon, it would be unwise to hold your breath.