Roles Everyone In Hollywood Wanted To Play

Even though 1977's "Star Wars" wasn't the massive cultural juggernaut it is now — because it didn't exist yet -– there was still a lot of buzz around its production. This was mainly due to the fact that young George Lucas — the writer-director of "Star Wars" — was just coming off the success of his 1975 period teen dramedy "American Graffiti," which made a lot of money at the box office and even earned some awards (via Vox). 

Although "Star Wars" was seen by the studio execs at the time as a bomb in the making, due to the dubious failures of many recent sci-fi films (via Vanity Fair), Lucas' early auteur status still got actors interested in working with him.

One of the roles that got the most attention -– as it would years later with the ill-fated "Solo: A Star Wars Story" from 2018 — was the smug, devil-may-care space smuggler, Han Solo. The actors who showed up to audition were the who's who of the era, including Christopher Walken, Al Pacino, and –- probably most famously –- Kurt Russell (via Time). 

While many of those actors could've pulled off a good Han, we're lucky that Harrison Ford –- who had also worked on George Lucas' "American Graffiti" -– got the gig in the end. Who knows if "Star Wars" would've worked as well without his patented salty but still soft-at-heart charm?

Hollywood tried and failed for decades to bring Wonder Woman to the big screen. Along the way, quite a few of the film industry's biggest stars have expressed interest in donning the iconic bracelets including Sandra Bullock (per Variety), Christina Hendricks ("Mad Men"), former Bond Girl Olga Kurylenko (per Variety), and even Katie Holmes (via Broadway World) — who's no stranger to the DC Comics universe. 

When Warner Bros. finally decided to cast Wonder Woman for "Batman v. Superman," the casting description read: "tall, brunette, athletic and exotic," according to Variety. Israeli actress Gal Gadot won the role and worldwide stardom with "Wonder Woman," which hit theaters in 2017. 

The 1997 epic romance-drama "Titanic," directed by action-maestro James Cameron ("Avatar: The Way of Water") turned out to be one of the most successful films of all time, and one of the only non-franchise films in the top 10 highest-grossing movies of all time (both domestically and globally, via Box Office Mojo).

Even before "Titanic" earned historic box-office rankings, James Cameron was standing on top of the world due to his back-to-back-to-back blockbuster successes — the "Alien" sequel, "Aliens," and the first two (and still the only worthwhile) "Terminator" films. Despite skepticism about the director working outside of his comfort zone with a period romance, Cameron was able to earn back his inflated budget at the box office (over $200 million in '90s money, via The Washington Post), as well as push CGI technology to its limit for the time.

Still, none of that would matter without a good human connection at the center of the spectacle. Without characters to care about in the midst of the disaster, it would end up just being empty eye candy. Because of that, James Cameron spent a long time to find the perfect (fictional) couple to help anchor the lumbering epic. This meant a lengthy audition phase, including offers to then-heavy hitters like Claire Danes ("Romeo + Juliet") and Gwyneth Paltrow ("Great Expectations"), via The Hollywood Reporter. After seeing a lot of other prospective actresses, Kate Winslet got the part, with her talent (and persistence) paying off.

When it came time to cast the big-screen adaptation of erotic bestseller "Fifty Shades of Grey," fans of the series as well as author E.L. James had plenty of opinions regarding who should play Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele. Fans campaigned especially hard for Matt Bomer (via Variety), Alexis Bledel (via Newsweek), and Ian Somerhalder, among others. James was partial to Shailene Woodley, according to Bustle, who passed because of her commitment to "Divergent." 

Other names entered seriously into the mix: Oscar winner Alicia Vikander, "True Blood" star Alexander Skarsgard (via Variety), Cara Delevingne, and Oscar nominee Felicity Jones, according to Digital Spy. Charlie Hunnam ("Sons of Anarchy") was originally cast as Grey opposite Dakota Johnson before dropping out and being replaced by Irish actor Jamie Dornan, according to People. Guess Hunnam got too tied up to play the BDSM-loving Lothario.

Hannibal Lecter may have said "hello" to a very different Clarice in "The Silence of the Lambs" had late director Jonathan Demme had his way. Though Jodie Foster campaigned heavily to get the role (per EW), she wasn't anywhere on Demme's shortlist. Michelle Pfeiffer was the first choice, according to Bustle, having just worked with Demme on "Married to the Mob," but she was uncomfortable with the subject matter and ultimately passed. Meg Ryan was also considered thanks to her popularity coming off a string of hits (via CinemaBlend), but she too passed, apparently "offended" Demme even thought of her for such a gruesome project. Laura Dern gave such an impressive audition, Demme said she was "it," but studios weren't comfortable with the then rather unknown actress carrying such a big project, so he gave the role to Foster — who went on to win an Oscar for it (via IMDB).

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, Lucasfilm decided to make a third "Star Wars" trilogy and needed a brand new heroine to anchor it. Director J.J. Abrams and the casting team launched an extensive search for the right person to play Rey, the mysterious Jakku orphan at the heart of "The Force Awakens." 

Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan auditioned, apparently having a blast "pretending to take out a lightsaber," according to Empire. Elizabeth Olsen and Shailene Woodley were rumored to have auditioned for the part as well (via Marie Claire), but Abrams was dead set on casting a fresh face. Newcomer Daisy Ridley nabbed the role after five auditions (per The Guardian), including one tearful screen test that blew Abrams away, according to EW. The Force is strong with that one.

Anyone who read "Gone Girl" knew the casting for the character of Amy Dunne had to be perfect. This highly sought-after part was actively pursued by Natalie Portman (via Deadline), Charlize Theron (via Vanity Fair), and Olivia Wilde (via Variety). Portman, the Oscar-winning actress best known for her turn in "Black Swan," would have brought a multi-layered performance, while Charlize Theron's stunningly disturbed turn as Mary Ann Lomax in "The Devil's Advocate" with Keanu Reeves proved she could have nabbed this role alongside Ben Affleck. Finally, Olivia Wilde, no stranger to carrying a film as the deranged Zoe in "The Lazarus Effect," had the looks and the chops for the role of Amy. It ultimately went to Rosamund Pike, who was spot on.

Live-action video game movies have had a rough go of it ever since Hollywood started making them. In fact, the first few adaptations — 1993's "Super Mario Bros.," and 1994's "Double Dragon" and "Street Fighter" — were all critical and commercial disappointments (via Box-Office Mojo). This trend generally continued until the recent success of the "Sonic the Hedgehog" films and "The Last of Us" TV show on HBO Max (via Rotten Tomatoes).

Despite that, 1995's "Mortal Kombat" was an early outlier, with a good box-office showing and decent reviews, including a "thumbs up" from Gene Siskel. It had amazing fight scenes, showing Hong Kong wire-fu stunts years before "The Matrix." It also got a fun script, slick direction from Paul W.S. Anderson, and a fun cast. This includes the lead, Liu Kang, played by Hong Kong-American actor Robin Shou, who was a great center of the film — bringing the role a sense of strength, integrity, and true leadership. But it wasn't easy.

Shou recalled the arduous and grueling audition experience: "It was the toughest casting process ... I read seven times. My agent friend had never heard of anyone who had to read seven times. I had to read for the producers, the director, the casting director, the line producer and then my final reading was with New Line" (via The Hollywood Reporter). Shou even considered giving up. Luckily he didn't, because "Mortal Kombat" wouldn't be the same without him in the lead role.

Believe it or not, Paramount Pictures' first choice for the compelling Godfather franchise was not Al Pacino. It's hard not to picture him in the leading role, but at one point Jack Nicholson was wanted to play Michael Corleone, according to The Guardian. Dustin Hoffman (via Independent) and Warren Beatty also expressed interest in playing the role and made it far in the casting process. Meanwhile, director Francis Ford Coppola nearly pulled out of the project as he fought Paramount executives over casting Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone, according to Vanity Fair. 

Batman is a resilient character. He first debuted for DC Comics in 1939, and the caped crusader has since appeared in many different forms — from a moody, violent vigilante based on the Shadow (via Comics Alliance), to a goofy and campy comedic crime fighter who has a red phone to the police.

Batman's first movie (unless you count the extremely racist '40s serials) came out in 1966 and was based on the Adam West-led TV series. But the hero's first big blockbuster was the 1989 Tim Burton-directed version mentioned in the previous entry. Although Burton agreed to helm the sequel, filmmaking duties were later handed over to Joel Schumacher, whose Batman sequels were more campy and reminiscent of the Adam West series.

Whatever fans think of those movies now, many at the time felt Schumacher poisoned the franchise, leading to a full reboot. Ironically, Schumacher himself suggested doing a darker, more serious Batman movie before "Batman & Robin" flopped (via The Hollywood Reporter). Luckily Warner Bros. saw the value. British director Christopher Nolan — who had just helmed the twisty neo-noir "Memento" from 2000 — was brought in as director based on his pitch of a gritty, realistic take on the material. Many actors auditioned, including Jake Gyllenhaal and Cillian Murphy, who would later get cast as the scarecrow (via Variety). Fortunately, Christian Bale — hot off his role as the lead of "America Psycho" — nabbed the role.

Who doesn't get a kick out of this super '60s-themed spy comedy? Up until a scheduling conflict with the production of "Liar, Liar," comedy superstar Jim Carrey was set to play Dr. Evil in "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery." Stuck for an actor to fill the crucial role, star and creator Mike Myers decided to don the bald cap and play Austin Powers' nemesis himself.

The quest to find the perfect actor to play the future King of Gondor was almost as long as Frodo and Sam's journey to Mordor. When Peter Jackson and his team set out to adapt J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy epic "The Lord of the Rings" for the silver screen, they launched an exhaustive worldwide casting search that included quite a few of Hollywood's heaviest hitters — many of whom were eyed for the role of Aragorn.

Nicolas Cage turned it down, telling Newsweek he couldn't "be away from home for three years." Three-time Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis also famously said no, citing fears of boredom, according to MTV. Russell Crowe considered joining the fellowship, but budget constraints caused him to pull out (via Telegraph). Stuart Townsend, 27, was finally cast and trained for over two months, but was replaced with Viggo Mortensen just before filming began, as Jackson felt Townsend was too young for the role.

Origin stories are all the rage these days, so it's not surprising that MGM, Warner Bros., and GK Films decided to reboot the "Tomb Raider" film franchise nearly 15 years after Angelina Jolie last donned the popular video game heroine's infamous hot pants. According to director Roar Uthaug, this new film incarnation features Lara Croft as a "young woman who hasn't yet found her way and her place in the world," according to GQ.

Not long after the project was announced, a host of Hollywood's hottest young female talent lined up to try to snag the part, including Saoirse Ronan and Emilia Clarke (via Deadline). "Star Wars" heroine Daisy Ridley was in serious talks with the casting team at one point (via The Hollywood Reporter), but ultimately, the producers went with Oscar winner Alicia Vikander, according to EW.

M. Night Shyamalan's critically-acclaimed breakthrough horror film "The Sixth Sense" made Haley Joel Osment a star and landed him a best supporting actor Oscar nomination at the ripe old age of 11 (per The Chicago Tribune). Cole Sear, the little boy who can communicate with the dead, was a plum role, and lots of Hollywood's youngest actors were eager to see dead people in the 1999 flick.

Liam Aiken, the star of "Stepmom" and later "A Series of Unfortunate Events," auditioned for Shyamalan (per NY Mag). He wanted the role badly, but his mother declined due to his age (he was only 8 at the time) and the dark subject matter. While he's mostly now known as a comedic actor, Michael Cera also auditioned to play the sensitive, troubled Cole. In an interview with Esquire, Cera recalled not knowing the character sees dead people and instead playing the serious, emotional audition scene "very optimistically." Needless to say, Cera's shot at the role was dead too.

Despite being one of the most recognizable comic-book superheroes of all time, Spider-Man had a hard time getting his Hollywood debut. Originally, the film rights went to schlockmeister B-movie studio Cannon Films — the studio behind the infamous "Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo." Tobe Hooper ("Texas Chainsaw Massacre") was hired to direct a horror movie version of the story (via Digital Spy). After rewrites and budget cuts, the project was shut down and the rights shuffled around before eventually reverting to Marvel, who sold them to Sony Pictures Entertainment in 1999. 

The success of "Blade" in 1998 and "X-Men" in 2000 piqued the studio's interest in superhero movies and eventually led to Sam Raimi's iconic Spider-Man trilogy, which later inspired the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). After "Spider-Man 3," there was uncertainty about if Spider-Man would ever join the MCU (Sony Pictures owned the rights to the character and all his proprietary villains). Luckily, Disney and Sony reached an agreement, with Spider-Man making his first MCU appearance in 2016's "Captain America: Civil War." 

Almost every major young star aged 15-25 came in to read for the MCU version of Spider-Man, including "Dune" star Timothée Chalamet (via The Hollywood Reporter), Asa Butterfield (via Collider), and "Ms. Marvel" co-star Matt Lintz (via Insider). The casting web was spread so wide that the actor who ended up sticking was relatively unknown theater star Tom Holland, who at the time was best known for the stage musical version of "Billy Elliot." 

"The Addams Family" — that idyllically kooky and spooky goth family — have been around for decades, debuting in a 1938 issue of The New Yorker as a macabre and hilarious single-panel comic written by the aptly named Charles Addams. They were meant to be a parody of "normal" families, focusing on dark things rather than suburban ideals, like using guillotines to chop off doll's heads or dropping hot oil on Christmas carolers. 

The family has been featured in multiple TV and movie adaptations, most notably the 1960s black-and-white sitcom, as well as the 1991 live-action feature film. In 2022, Netflix took its own shot at portraying the family in "Wednesday," a spin-off series created by "Smallville" showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. Not only that, but the spooky patron saint of Hot Topic himself, Tim Burton, helped produce and direct five episodes.

As the title suggests, this particular series focuses solely on the stoic and sadistic Wednesday. However, unlike pretty much every other iteration of the character, including the film version famously played by Christina Ricci (who appears in "Wednesday" as a different character), this Wednesday is a teenager rather than a child. 

According to casting director John Papsidera, finding the right Wednesday to helm the show was "daunting," because so many factors had to align to make the character, and the show, successful (via CNN). That was, until he found Jenna Ortega ("X" and 2022's "Scream"), who nailed her audition while covered in blood (via Wired).