Black Panther: Wakanda Forever recently debuted, with Letitia Wright taking on the titular mantle from the late Chadwick Boseman. Nobody envies her, as it's a tough challenge taking over the role of someone else, let alone when it's one of the most iconic roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
However, due to the complex nature of film productions, a lot of iconic roles almost went to other actors. There are plenty of iconic characters that were supposed to go to completely different actors originally. On the flip side, some actors with big presences also almost made it into the film universe. It's interesting to learn about what could have been when it comes to the biggest superhero franchise in the world.
Timotheé Chalamet
Chalamet has been in several hit movies, and he somewhat recently drew praise for his role in a non-MCU sci-fi blockbuster, Dune. He had a lot of big roles before that, though, and has apparently been eyed for a role in the MCU for a while. Tom Holland reportedly wants him to appear as well, which is ironic considering that Chalamet was up for the role of Peter Parker.
According to PopBuzz, Chamalet auditioned for the role of Peter, and he personally feels like he absolutely botched his audition for the role. Chalamet has avoided superhero movies since, but one wonders if he'll ever return to Spider-Man as a property.
Zooey Deschanel
The early drafts of a movie can sometimes be completely different from the finished project. Plot points and characters can vanish completely, and characters who were cast can show up missing. In the case of The Avengers, the Wasp was originally going to appear. Given she was a founding member in the comics, it does make some sense.
Of course, Evangeline Lilly was eventually cast in this role. In this earlier first appearance, though, she would have been played by Zooey Deschanel. According to Slashfilm, even Joss Whedon himself wanted her for the role. Ant-Man's mythos has often been pushed aside in the MCU, but it seems it didn't have to be that way.
Sungwon Cho
Voice acting champion and sometimes YouTuber Sungwon "ProZD" Cho surprisingly was once approached with an MCU role. According to a video he made on the subject, the actor was approached for a part in a TV adaptation of the New Warriors. Reportedly he would have been playing Microbe.
That role ultimately went to Matthew Moy, although it's ultimately moot. The show ended up never materializing anyway. While it's unfortunate, one can still hear the actor in anime and video game products, such as the Yakuza series of games.
Nathan Fillion
Disney's Marvel TV shows are on the rise, with many previously underdog characters suddenly gaining bigger roles. One show that's getting a lot of discussion right now is Wonder Man. Simon Williams' MCU debut has been hotly anticipated, but it's actually been delayed. As ScreenRant has covered before, Nathan Fillion actually filmed a scene as the character.
He was supposed to appear in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. It was to be one of many superhero cameos, and Fillion seemed excited to play the character. For whatever reason, though, Fillion's cameo was cut from the final film. This allowed Yahya Abdul-Mateen II to secure the role instead, although Fillion might still appear in some way.
Jessica Chastain
As reported by IndieWire, award-winning actress Jessica Chastain was up for roles in the MCU. In fact, she was considered for two separate roles. In Iron Man 3 she was sought after to play Maya, Tony Stark’s old flame. A few years after that, Marvel sought her for Doctor Strange’s love interest, Christine Palmer.
Chastain has said she wasn’t Maya because of a scheduling conflict. However, according to the star, she very much wants to play a superhero if she gets the chance to in the MCU. That’s pretty understandable, and audiences hope her wish will come true.
Hugh Jackman
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Deadpool 3 is supposed to bring the merc with a mouth into his first MCU role. Surprisingly, coming alongside him is Wolverine making his MCU debut as well. Logan will be played by Hugh Jackman as he usually has been. The Australian virtuoso could have had another Marvel star under his belt at one point, though.
According to E! News, Hugh Jackman might have been in talks to make his MCU debut as the leading hero in Iron Man, which of course went to Robert Downey Jr. instead. It seems it ultimately did not happen because it would conflict with his role as Wolverine in FOX’s X-Men franchise. He wouldn’t have been the only one to go from playing one Marvel character to another, but he could have possibly been the only one doing two at once. It would have been a very confusing situation if this almost-cast had really actually happened.