Random Actors Who Were THIS CLOSE to Playing Superheroes (20 items)

(#20) Channing Tatum
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In 2009, the Magic Mike star went so far as to have meetings with director Kenneth Branagh about playing the God of Thunder, but execs at Marvel Studios didn't think he looked Nordic enough so they moved on.
(#6) Joaquin Phoenix as Dr. Strange

He's known more for arthouse movies, but Joaquin Phoenix was the first choice to star as Stephen Strange in Doctor Strange. The actor spent more than three months negotiating with Marvel Studios, and came close enough to closing a deal to star that he was repeatedly reported to be fully on board.

Ultimately, though, Phoenix opted out and after an extended search, Marvel hired Benedict Cumberbatch as the Sorcerer Supreme. Phoenix eventually went on to play Arthur Fleck in Todd Phillips's Joker.
(#16) Common
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Common made his comic film debut in 2008’s Wanted as the Gunsmith, and that put him in the spotlight for another role - the ill-fated Justice League’s Green Lantern. After being fitted for the Green Lantern costume and undergoing hellish physical training alongside his co-stars, Common watched as the Writers Strike put the Justice League movie on hold. When the strike eventually ended, Warner Bros. decided not to move forward with a superhero team movie and Common's super dreams were crushed.
(#19) Scott Leva
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Before Tobey Maguire became a household name by playing the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, Scott Leva was primed to put on the tights and start swinging across New York. Leva was (and still is) a professional stuntman who was the front runner to play the Spidey when Cannon Films was desperately trying to develop a Spider-Man movie in the late ’80s, lest they lose the rights. Leva had even appeared in promo shots for Cannon wearing the iconic suit.
(#8) James Franco
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Before Sam Raimi brought Spider-Man to the big screen, he auditioned James Franco for the role of Peter Parker. In fact, casting reportedly came down to Tobey Maguire (Raimi's choice) and Franco (the studio's preference). He ended up playing Harry Osborne, which is almost as good of a role.
(#15) Brigitte Nielsen
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Do you remember the She-Hulk movie from the '90s? Because we don't and we know everything about comics. Apparently this movie was a thing that was supposed to happen that people were excited about. The titular She-Hulk was to be played by Cobra and Red Sonja actress Brigitte Nielsen. She had the part and even participated in promotional photo shoots as She-Hulk. As most stories about Marvel in the '90s go, the company failed to materialize the money to finance She-Hulk dreams.