David Harbour has joked about not being the first choice when it came to casting Hopper in Stranger Things and he revealed that the role was initially turned down by a "big movie star" prior to it being offered to him. Netflix's hit series is set to return for its fourth season in 2022 after a 2-year hiatus following the COVID-19 pandemic. Audiences will see their favorite band of Demogorgon-destroyers reunite for another round of spooky happenings in their hometown of Hawkins, Indiana. While few details have been announced at this stage, a recently released teaser revealed that the upcoming season will center around the Creel House, an eerie family home with a dark past.

Harbour plays the troubled, but lovable police chief Hopper, whose role within the series became all the more central when he becomes the adoptive father of Eleven (played by Millie Bobby Brown) after audiences learned that he had previously lost his own daughter to cancer. Season 3 saw Hopper sacrifice himself in order to save his hometown (and the world), however, his apparent death was almost immediately thrown into question as a post-credits scene appeared to hint that this was not the case. This theory was then all but confirmed following the release of a short teaser last year that showed a now bald Hopper looking very much alive.

Related: Stranger Things Season 4 Needs To Address The Mind Flayer's Victims

Now, Harbour has revealed that he was not the first choice to play the fan-favorite character. Speaking at New York Comic Con 2021 (via CBR), the actor joked that "a big movie star" was offered the part before him, but ending up passing on the role, much to Harbour's delight. Despite naming Ewan McGregor in a passing reference to articles he had seen online, Harbour did not confirm the identity of the actor. Check out his full quote below.

"And I joke with the Duffer Brothers, there was one person that was offered the role of Hopper before me, who was apparently a big movie star, and occasionally when I am in such a self hatred mood that I Google myself, ScreenRant's got all these articles that are always like, occasionally they'll be like, 'Ewan McGregor was off-,' but I still don't know who the actual celebrity -- if anybody knows, let me know so I can thank them for passing."

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While it has never been officially confirmed who the role was offered to prior to Harbour joining the cast, this is not the first time Ewan McGregor's name has been linked to the project. Another actor who is also rumored to have been offered the role is Sam Rockwell, however, this also remains unconfirmed. Of course, the role ultimately went to Harbour, and his gratitude towards the casting is largely apparent. It was recently revealed that Harbour, alongside his co-star Winona Ryder, earns around $350,000-$400,000 per episode of Stranger Things, which would certainly make starring in the role that much sweeter.

Audiences may never know which big movie star previously turned down the role of Hopper, however, Harbour's sentiments towards his character are largely echoed by fans of the show, who were devastated at his apparent death in the final moments of season 3. Confirmation that he would be returning in Season 4 was greatly received by many, who are excited to see what the future has in store for the beloved police chief. Considering the success of Stranger Things, and the hype that surrounds the show as audiences eagerly await this highly-anticipated fourth season, it's fair to say that the role of Hopper was not to be sniffed at, but the decision to cast Harbour certainly ended up paying off.

Next: Stranger Things Teases A Different Genre For Season 4 (& That's GOOD)

Source: CBR