These actors landed big roles that other stars didn't want

Can you imagine what the film would have been like if Scarlett Johansson had not given life to Black Widow in 'Iron Man 2'? It could have happened if the lead actress chosen for that role had said "yes." But who was Marvel's favorite to play this role?

Emily Blunt, the actress from 'A Quiet Place,' was the casting team's first choice, but Scarlett Johansson landed the role in the end. Among the reasons given for Emily Blunt not accepting the role: first, the actress said she wasn't ready for the part, and secondly, according to Deadline, the two parties couldn't reach a satisfactory financial agreement...basically Emily Blunt wanted too much money!

Leonardo DiCaprio's fame skyrocketed thanks to his starring role in 'Titanic' as Jack Dawson. However, the actor did not land the role easily: first, another Oscar winner had to say "no" to the film director, James Cameron. But who?

The casting team chose Matthew McConaughey to star as Jack in the film 'Titanic,' but much to his surprise, he lost the role to Leonardo DiCaprio.
Both the main female actress of the film, Kate Winslet and McConaughey himself, confirmed that they did a reading together and that the producer's response was something like "the role is yours." However, James Cameron spoke about the incident on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.' According to the director, when Leonardo DiCaprio came in, asking for an interview, James Cameron noticed how all the women in the room couldn't stop staring at the handsome young man, so then he knew that he HAD to cast Leonardo in the role of Jack.

Angelina Jolie's role in 'Salt' was supposed to be very different. At first, the idea was to launch the same film, but with a male main character and, of course, Jolie was not the first choice to play him. So who was?

Yes, Agent Evelyn Salt was initially supposed to be a man, not a woman! Agent Edwin A. Salt was the name of the protagonist of the film, and Tom Cruise was the actor that producers had their eye on. However, Cruise abandoned the project, and the production company, Sony, thought that the story would do very well with a feminine touch. So, in the end, Angelina Jolie took the role, and the rest is history!

Something similar happened with the female protagonist of 'Titanic', Kate Winslet. The actress got the role and earned the applause of critics and the public thanks to her portrayal of the young Rose DeWitt Bukater. However, she was not the first choice for this important role.....

Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes in 'Romeo + Juliet' had great chemistry together, and they almost had the chance to work together again. Claire Danes said "no" to being the protagonist of the film directed by James Cameron. The reason? Danes claimed that she was not prepared for the stratospheric fame that the role of Rose DeWitt Bukater would bring her. Ultimately, the chosen one was Kate Winslet, and, over the years, it became known that other names such as Gwyneth Paltrow or Gabrielle Anwar were also strong contenders for the leading female role.

The fans of 'Seven' surely do not imagine any actor other than Brad Pitt playing the impulsive detective David Mills. However, as time went by and after its theatrical release, it became known that the Oscar-winning actor was not the first choice for this role.

Over time, Denzel Washington acknowledged that, after watching the film, he concluded that saying "no" to that role had been a mistake. However, something told him he shouldn't do it, and eventually, Denzel Washington turned down the offer from the casting producers of 'Seven' to be one of their leads. It just goes to show you; our "gut" feelings aren't always spot on!

She took home the Best Actress Oscar for playing sweet Mia in 'La La Land,' but apparently, Emma Stone wasn't the film's director Damien Chazelle's first choice. Another Emma said "no" before Stone and, had she accepted the role, perhaps the story of 'La La Land' would have been different.

The first choice of the director of 'La La Land' for the female lead role was Emma Watson but, due to scheduling problems, the unforgettable Hermione Granger from 'Harry Potter' turned down the role. And all because she had been chosen to be Belle in 'Beauty and the Beast' of 2017, and both shootings coincided.

Something similar happened with Ryan Gosling in the same movie, 'La La Land'. The film's director, Damien Chazelle, had another idea for the lead couple in his Oscar-winning film. If Emma Watson was going to be Mia, someone other than Gosling was going to play Sebastian.

The good vibes between Miles Teller and Damien Chazelle, thanks to the movie 'Whiplash,' could not be repeated in 'La La Land.' Something happened (it is not very clear what) but, although Teller said that he initially thought that the role was his, he ended up receiving a call from his agent in which he was informed that the producer of the film had chosen Ryan Gosling over him. Apparently, this did not sit well with Miles Teller.

Harrison Ford's portrayal of Han Solo in 'Star Wars' is film history, but, at first, he was not the one chosen for the role. Another Hollywood heavyweight said "no" before. But who?

Can you imagine Al Pacino in the role of Han Solo from 'Star Wars'? Well, in the words of the actor himself, it could have been so. Apparently, Pacino turned down the role at the last minute and, instead, those responsible for the 'Star Wars' cast a young Harrison Ford. Did they make the right decision??

She ended up taking the Oscar for Best Actress for her wonderful Leigh Anne Tuohy, but, at first, the film's producers were interested in another Oscar-winning actress....America's original "sweetheart"....

They say Julia Roberts received the script for 'The Blind Side' but did not like the role offered to her. For this reason, she would end up rejecting the offer, and instead, Sandra Bullock was chosen to give life to the film's female protagonist. Did Roberts make a mistake??

In 1995, Tom Hanks won his second Oscar for his brilliant role in 'Forrest Gump,' but the story could be quite different. Which famous Hollywood actor turned down this role before Hanks?

Now it might sound crazy but, at first, the producers of 'Forrest Gump' saw it clearly: John Travolta had to star in this movie. However, the protagonist of 'Grease' said "no," and Tom Hanks took the role. According to various articles, other actors such as Bill Murray or Chevy Chase also refused to play this character.

Shortly after winning the Oscar for 'The Blind Side,' Sandra Bullock landed the role of Ryan Stone in 'Gravity.' The result could not have been better, and she was even nominated for yet another golden statuette again. But apparently, this role was not initially intended for her.

The first choice of the director of the film, Alfonso Cuarón, was another actress with an Oscar collection: Angelina Jolie. However, Jolie herself ended up rejecting the offer in 2010 for reasons not disclosed to the press. Instead, Sandra Bullock accepted the challenge and nailed it.

Another leading role, deserving of an Oscar that was not going to be for the actress, that was finally chosen: Tiffany in 'Silver Linings Playbook.' Jennifer Lawrence played the female lead in the David O. Russell film, but apparently, she was not the preferred candidate.

Another film caused Anne Hathaway to reject the role of Tiffany in 'Silver Linings Playbook':' The Dark Knight Rises.' That and some other differences she had with the director of the film, David O. Russell, which ended with the choice of Jennifer Lawrence as the protagonist of the Oscar-winning film.

It is impossible to imagine any other actor than Keanu Reeves in the role of Neo from 'The Matrix.' The actor, who has been the protagonist of one of the saddest stories in Hollywood, was not the first choice of filmmakers Lilly and Lana Wachowski. So who did they originally have in mind?

As Will Smith himself confessed, he was the first choice to play Neo in 'The Matrix.' However, it seems that he did not understand the project well and declined the offer of the Wachowski sisters. Poor choice Will, poor choice!

The unforgettable Clarice Starling from 'The Silence of the Lambs' could have been somebody other than Jodie Foster. The film's director, Jonathan Demme, had another actress in mind for the lead female character. But who?

Over time, it became known that the director's first choice for 'The Silence of the Lambs' was not Jodie Foster, but Michelle Pfeiffer, who, when the film was in pre-production (the late 80s and early 90) was in her professional prime. However, Pfeiffer decided to scrap this project because the character seemed too sinister and dark. Lucky for Jodie Foster, she took home the Oscar for Best Actress for this role.

It is now unthinkable to imagine an actor other than Viggo Mortensen playing Aragorn from 'The Lord of the Rings.' However, there is a famous Hollywood actor who turned down this juicy role. Who?

Yes, Oscar-winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis was going to play Aragorn in the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy, but he declined the offer despite the interest of the trilogy's director, Peter Jackson. He was the first one called after firing Stuart Townsend, who even shot some scenes as Aragorn (they say he was fired by the director of the film himself, who was not very happy with the actor's portrayal of the character.) However, in the end, Daniel Day-Lewis said "no" to the project so as not to tie himself to a trilogy.