Credit: Edited by Inside The MagicAccording to a recent interview, Hollywood superstars Dwayne Johnson and Will Smith almost made it into the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the same surprising role.
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After almost two decades of incredibly successful films, the MCU has created or elevated dozens of actors into superstardom, including Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther), Tom Holland (Spider-Man), Elizabeth Moss (Scarlet Witch), and Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark).
One of these stars was Chris Evans. While he had appeared in previous films, like Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010) and the Fantastic Four movies, he wasn’t nearly at the same level that he is at now. And if one director had their way, he wouldn’t have been in the MCU at all.
Will Smith and Dwayne Johnson Were Almost Marvel Stars
In a recent interview, director Jeff Wadlow, who is most well-known for directing Kick-Ass 2 (2013) and the upcoming Imaginary (2024), revealed how much he wants to direct a superhero movie. In fact, he had been wanting to work with Marvel Studios ever since Iron Man (2008).
“I would kill – kill – to make a big superhero movie, I’ve gotten very close on a few. After Iron Man came out in 2008, I called up my manager and was like, ‘You’ve got to get me in at Marvel. I don’t know what they’re doing next, but that movie was such a game-changer, I want to go in and pitch.'”
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Eventually, the Non-Stop (2014) director got to pitch a movie based on Marvel Comics’ Captain America. However, they didn’t quite go for his pitch.
“I think my pitch was too far afield from their intentions. Part of my thesis was that Captain America shouldn’t be a blonde white guy. That’s an Aryan idea. ‘Captain America should look like Will Smith or like this wrestler named The Rock.’ Ultimately, they had different plans, but 100% I would kill to make a big superhero movie.”
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Eventually, Marvel would release Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) starring Chris Evans to critical acclaim, and Will Smith and Dwayne Johnson would star in their own superhero films, Suicide Squad (2016) and Black Adam (2022), respectively. But with things shaking up in both the MCU and James Gunn’s new DCU, who knows where people will end up?
Do you think Dwayne Johnson or Will Smith would have been better than Chris Evans? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!