The strange reasons why Hollywood stars turned down big roles

Once a movie is a success, it's easy to analyze and understand the reasons for it. However, when the movie is still a project, it is difficult to guess if it will be a hit or not. That's why Hollywood stars have to learn how to decide whether to say yes or no to a role. Here, we will see actors who may have missed the boat on important roles.

One of the first questions Tom Cruise asked Tim Burton about Edward Scissorhands is how the character was able to go to the toilet. It was clear that the actor was too rational for the job and Burton's universe. Johnny Depp ended up nailing the role.

Tom Cruise as the multimillionaire Tony Stark? It may have worked out, but the actor didn't like the script. Robert Downey Jr. didn't complain and embraced Iron Man.

Charlize Theron (1975) was asked to be the mother of Gal Gadot (1985) in the DCU movie, something the south African actress didn't like. In the end, Connie Nielsen (1965) would be the mother of Diana Prince.

The actor, a devoted catholic, rejected the project and said he wasn't comfortable with the intimate scenes of the story. Heath Ledger would be the protagonist of the film along with Jake Gyllenhaal.

Mark Wahlberg also almost played one of Jake Gyllenhaal's most memorable characters: Donnie Darko. Lucky for Gyllenhaal, Wahlberg insisted that the character have a lisp, something the writer Richard Kelly didn't accept.

She refused to be Rose in 'Titanic' because the script was too cheesy for her. Kate Winslet played the role instead and was nominated for an Oscar. Then, a year later, Gwyneth Paltrow won the Oscar for 'Shakespeare in Love', an even cheesier story.

This was one of the worst decisions in the history of Hollywood. Will Smith was chosen by the Wachowski sisters to be Neo in 'Matrix', but the actor decided to do the comedy 'Wild Wild West' instead. A movie that, according to many, is one of the worst films ever.

The birth scene didn't convince the Oscar-winning actress. She thought it was too explicit. However, Katherine Heigl was okay with it.

The Scottish actor was chosen to be the most famous psychopath of the early 21st century, but Christian Bale asked the actor to pass him the role and Ewan McGregor accepted. How can we not love this man?

Garry Marshal had Demi Moore in mind when he started the project, but the actress thought that playing an escort wasn't a good idea and rejected it. Fortunately, Julia Roberts accepted the role.

Meg Ryan was America's sweetheart thanks to many rom-com movies. However, the role of Vivian was too far from the kind of characters she had always played and she didn't take the risk. Then, Julia Robert became America's sweetheart.

He read the book, and the script, and didn't understand it… Sean Connery said no to Gandalf and the 450 million dollars that came with it. Ian McKellen was happy to accept the role.

Tim Burton had Pierce Brosnan in mind to play Batman, but the actor was really struggling to take the superhero seriously. Michael Keaton would then be the actor to play the role, and he was an amazing Bruce Wayne.

There were many candidates for the role, but Michelle Pfeiffer was the one to turn it down because she considered the movie to be too violent. Jodie Foster had no complaints and won her second Oscar thanks to this role.

Brad Pritt, the producer of the movie, was the first choice to be the slave owner Edwin Epps. However, he turned it down because he didn't want his children to see him in such a dark light. Michael Fassbender delivered a fantastic performance and was nominated for an Oscar.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet was sure Emily Watson was the perfect Amélie, but the English actress turned down the role because she didn't know French and thought that it could hinder the character's credibility. Audrey Tatou then triumphed as Amélie.

Even whilst enjoying great popularity, Josh Harnett considered that Superman was an overwhelming character that could haunt him for the rest of his career. The second option for the role was Brando Routh and we know that that didn't end too well either.

Director Bryan Singer even sent the costume to the British actor in an attempt to convince him. It had the opposite effect: when Jude Law saw himself in the Superman onesie, he felt that it was too much for him. Again, Brando Routh was the one who ended up playing the role...

He smashed it in 'Karate Kid' and seemed like the perfect option to be Marty McFly. However, the actor thought that the audience wouldn't be interested in a story about time travel. Michael J. Fox liked the idea and made history thanks to the Robert Zemeckis movie.

Accepting the project would have meant traveling to Belize and the actor didn't want to miss too many Lakers games. He turned down the role and Harrison Ford accepted the challenge.

Steven Spielberg and George Lucas thought Tom Selleck was the perfect Indiana Jones and loved him during the audition. However, Selleck's manager, Mark Goldsmith, convinced the actor that the role wasn't at his level… Harrison Ford is probably still thanking him to this day.

Steve McQueen fell from the project because he didn't know how to cry when the scene needed it. Richard Dreyfuss took on the role and nailed it.

Dave Bautista will be eternally grateful for Jason Momoa turning down the role. But why didn't he want it? The reason was surprising, given his resume: Momoa didn't want to be shirtless on screen.