Emma Stone has proven herself time and again to be one of the industry's most exceptionally talented and transformative performers. Having started out in comedies like Superbad before gaining more exposure through her work in genre films like Zombieland, she has also starred in Oscar darlings such as Birdman and La La Land. Her next big film is Cruella, which sees Stone playing the 101 Dalmatians villainess Cruella de Vil in an origin story charting her journey from a novice fashion designer to the Dalmatian-obsessed antagonist people love to hate. And from the looks of it, she'll be turning in another amazing performance.
Though Stone has shown there's no role she can't play, a number of parts have slipped through her fingers throughout her career.
Debora in Baby Driver (2017)
As casting was starting for Baby Driver back in 2015, Stone was reported as being under consideration for the role of Baby's love interest Debora. Stone was never approached for the part though, and Lily James eventually slid into the role instead.
James was a nice fit for the role, giving the character a likable air and a great deal of warmth. Stone could have probably done the same for the part, though her career hasn't suffered by not being in one of Edgar Wright's films.
Molly Tracey in 21 Jump Street (2012)
Stone was initially set to reteam with her Superbad co-star Jonah Hill in his 2012's 21 Jump Street, but scheduling conflicts with The Amazing Spider-Man forced her to cede the role to Brie Larson.
Larson was a standout in the film that was a surprise hit of 2012, and it's one of the roles that allowed her to become the household name she is today. And while it would have been cool to see Stone and Hill play love interests again, they eventually got to reunite for the Netflix miniseries Maniac.
A role in Ghostbusters (2016)
News of an all-female Ghostbusters reboot spread quickly throughout Hollywood back in 2014, and leaked emails from the Sony Pictures hack revealed Sony's wish-list of actresses for the project, which included the likes of Stone, Jennifer Lawrence, and Melissa McCarthy.
However, Stone revealed in an interview a year later that she was approached for the film and loved the script, but decided to pass on a role because she had just come off doing both Amazing Spider-Man films for Sony and didn't want to be locked into another franchise so quickly.
While it surely would have been a blast to see Stone wielding a Proton Pack in a Ghostbusters film, it was wise of her to not immediately rush back into a franchise. As it turns out though, the 2016 film was not the successful franchise relaunch that Sony had hoped it would be, as it tanked at the box office and earned mixed-to-negative reviews from critics, shuttering plans for any direct sequels.
Edith Cushing in Crimson Peak (2015)
Both Stone and Benedict Cumberbatch were originally set to star in Guillermo del Toro's horror-tinged romance film Crimson Peak, though Stone soon dropped out due to scheduling conflicts with both Aloha and Magic in the Moonlight, with Cumberbatch following suit due to amicable creative differences with del Toro.
They were replaced by Mia Wasikowska and Tom Hiddleston respectively, with the film going on to receive mixed reviews, and is not considered to be one of del Toro's best works. Aside from the Zombieland films, Stone hasn't ventured too much into the horror genre but she would have worked well here, especially alongside the likes of Hiddleston and Jessica Chastain.
Amber in Sucker Punch (2011)
Stone had been offered the role of the timid yet friendly Amber in Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch, though scheduling conflicts with Easy A forced her to decline the offer. Jamie Chung then signed on to replace her.
Stone was probably better off avoiding this one, as it was a box office bomb that earned mostly negative reviews. Easy A, on the other hand was a big success, making a good deal of money at the box office along with earning mostly positive reviews.
Anita "Needy" Lesnicki in Jennifer's Body (2009)
While it was considered a flop upon its release in 2009, Jennifer's Body has been elevated to the status of a horror classic in recent years, as its commentary on both the friendships between teenage girls and how men can rise to power on the suffering of women, is still relevant to this day.
In a 2019 Variety interview to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the film's release, both screenwriter Diablo Cody and director Karyn Kusama mentioned Stone was one of the actresses who read for the role of Needy along with Lizzy Caplan and Amanda Bynes. While Stone would no doubt have been impressive in the role, Amanda Seyfried perfectly embodied Needy to the extent that it's hard to see anyone else in her place. And besides, if Stone had landed this role, then she wouldn't have been available to play Wichita in Zombieland that same year.
Jess Barrett in Focus (2015)
Stone and frequent co-star Ryan Gosling were originally in line to reunite with their Crazy, Stupid, Love directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa on Focus. The movie is about an experienced conman and his protégé who must navigate feelings for each other while working on the job.
Their schedules didn't line up in time for filming however, and neither actor ended up being cast, with Will Smith and Margot Robbie signing on instead. Focus ended up being a fun time in large part thanks to the great chemistry between Smith and Robbie, though it would have been interesting to see how Stone and Gosling would have brought their own brand of chemistry to the roles as well.
Barbara Minerva/Cheetah in Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
Since the end of The Amazing Spider-Man duology, Stone has largely avoided superhero films, but that doesn't mean she hasn't gotten any offers. Stone was actually the first choice of director Patty Jenkins to play Barbara Minerva and her eventual alter ego Cheetah in Wonder Woman 1984 and was offered the role. Ultimately she passed, leading to Jenkins personally selecting Kristen Wiig for the part instead.
As with Sucker Punch, Stone definitely dodged a bullet by not taking this one, as the character of Cheetah was just one of many mishandled plot points in what turned out to be a disappointing follow-up to the first Wonder Woman.
Meg March in Little Women (2019)
Greta Gerwig's 2019 adaptation of Little Women was a critical and commercial success, and a great deal of that success can be owed not just to Gerwig's writing and direction, but also the talents of its ensemble cast including Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson, and Meryl Streep.
Stone was originally included in that line-up, as she was cast to play Watson's role of Meg March before dropping out because of promotional duties for The Favourite. It would have been great to see Stone's charisma on display alongside the rest of the ensemble cast, but Watson more than did the role justice.
Claire Bennet on Heroes (2006-2010)
One of the first roles Stone lost out on was Claire Bennet on NBC's Heroes. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Stone considered the audition her hardest Hollywood moment, as she recalled overhearing a girl being told in another room that "You are our pick … On a scale of 1 to 10 you’re an 11”, with this girl being the character's eventual actress Hayden Panettiere.
While landing Heroes certainly could have been beneficial to Stone's career, losing the the role turned out to be a blessing in disguise: it was only a few weeks later that she booked her first leading role in Superbad, and the rest is history.