Actors need to be mindful of the roles they accept in their careers because they never know when a certain character will turn them into blockbuster stars. Many iconic movie characters in the past have remained relevant to this day and they have brought the actors that played them a ton of earnings. Can you ever imagine a different actor playing a certain legendary character that everyone has grown to love over the years? Well, you’re in for a surprise today because here is a list of famous movie characters that were almost played by different actors.

Tom Cruise – Tony Stark In Iron Man

Tony Stark/Iron Man is one of the main characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Robert Downey Jr. has truly done a great job in portraying the role but did you know that there was a time when the Internet was abuzz with speculations that Tom Cruise was going to play Iron Man? It was once rumored that Cruise was going to be Stark but these were all just rumors. Cruise confirmed that he was never close to playing the superhero. Either way, Cruise still earns a cart-load of money through the action-packed roles he has given life to. In 2020, Cruis will be starring in Top Gun: Maverick.

Jack Nicholson – Michael Corleone In The Godfather

Jack Nicholson is a very talented actor who really gives justice to any role thrown his way. Some of his most memorable performances were in movies like As Good As It Gets and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Nicholson was actually supposed to be in The Godfather because he was offered to play Michael Corleone in the movie. He later decided to drop out of the project because he just didn’t see himself giving life to the character. Nicholson says he isn’t in retirement yet but the last time he acted was on How Do You Know back in 2010.

Molly Ringwald – Vivian Ward In Pretty Woman

When you are talking about Julia Roberts’ acting portfolio, the Pretty Woman film will surely be one of her most popular projects. It’s hard to imagine Roberts not starring in the movie but the reality was that she was not really the top choice for the part. Molly Ringwald was actually considered for the role before Roberts but Ringwald said no to the project because she did not really see herself playing a female escort. Ringwald was already famous when the film was released because of Pretty in Pink and The Breakfast Club. Ringwald has an upcoming movie titled, Kingfish.

Gwyneth Paltrow – Rose DeWitt Bukater in Titanic

Titanic is an iconic and classic film from the ’90s which is still watched by many to this day. The movie has made Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet huge stars in the Hollywood scene. However, Winslet was not the first choice to be the leading lady on Titanic because there were a number of actresses who were first considered for the role. Gwyneth Paltrow was one of those offered the part but she turned it down. A year after Titanic’s release, Paltrow had an award-winning performance on Shakespeare in Love. Paltrow has an upcoming show titled, The Politician. Aside from acting, she also writes books and is a businesswoman.

Alec Baldwin – Richard Kimble in The Fugitive

Back in 1993, the movie called The Fugitive hit the cinemas and actor Harrison Ford was the star of the movie. But before the directors and producers cast Ford, they were considering Alec Baldwin. Baldwin was famous that time for his roles on The Hunt for Red October and Beetlejuice. Nick Nolte was also considered but he said that he was too old to play Richard Kimble. Over the years, Baldwin has been making money as a producer and director as well. In 2019, he will be starring in a new movie called Drunk Parents.

Warren Beatty – Gordon Gekko in Wall Street

In the movie Wall Street, the lead character named Gordon Gekko was played by actor Michael Douglas. Douglas received a lot of praises for the performance he had in the film but he wasn’t the first choice for the role. It was actor Warren Beatty who was the top choice to play Gordon Gekko but Beatty was reportedly not interested to star in the movie. He later went on to star in Dick Tracy, Bulworth, and Bugsy. Meanwhile, Douglas seems to be in better health these days and he is still busy acting to this day. Douglas is set to appear in the upcoming Avengers: Endgame.

David Schwimmer – Agent J in Men In Black

One of Will Smith’s most popular portrayals in his career was his role as Agent J on the Men in Black movies. Smith’s earnings from this movie franchise are estimated to be around $45 million in total. Interestingly, before Smith, David Schwimmer was actually offered to play Agent J but he declined. Schwinner was popular at the time because of his role as Ross Geller in the acclaimed sitcom, Friends. Both Smith and Schwimmer continue to act to this day. Smith will be starring in the upcoming Alladin film while Schwimmer has an upcoming movie called The Laundromat.

Russell Crowe – Wolverine In X-Men

Hugh Jackman was able to earn millions in the bank because of the many years he played Wolverine in different X-Men movies. Originally, director Bryan Singer wanted actor Russell Crowe to play the character but Crowe didn’t accept the offer. Crowe was apparently the one who recommended Jackman. Even if Jackman was not popular yet during that time, he impressed everyone during his audition. The last time Jackman played Wolverine was back in 2017’s Logan. Jackman won’t be appearing in the upcoming Dark Phoenix movie. However, he is set to star in a new film called Bad Education.

Edward Furlong – Spider-Man In Spider-Man

The young ones these days tend to associate the Spiderman character to actor Tom Holland. But if you know about the original Spider-Man franchise that hit the theaters during the early 2000s, then you must recognize Toby Maguire as Spiderman. In the first franchise, Maguire starred in all three movies. But if the producers ended up going with James Cameron’s screenplay, Cameron said that his top choice for the lead role would have been actor Edward Furlong. Furlong was known for movies like Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and Pecker. Furlong’s career has gone downhill over the years because of his vices and arrests.

Cary Grant – James Bond In Dr. No

Dr. No was the first of many movies that Sean Connery did to breathe life into the character of James Bond. The movie only had a $1.1 million budget but it made nearly $60 million at the box office. The producers of Dr. No originally wanted actor Cary Grant to play ‘Agent 007’ but Grant was not really keen to do a franchise. Grant rose to fame in the 1940s, thanks to his roles in movies like None but the Lonely Heart, Penny Serenade, and To Catch a Thief. Grant’s health was declining by the 1980s and a stroke later ended his life in 1986.

Mel Gibson – Maximus In Gladiator

In the Gladiator movie released back in 2000, the lead character, Maximus, was played by actor Russell Crowe. Crowe had to hit the gym and get in shape for the role. But he almost didn’t have the chance to play the character because Mel Gibson was first offered the part. Gibson didn’t accept the role because he said he was too old for the role. Gibson was known at that time for his very successful Lethal Weapon and Mad Max movies. He is producing and starring in a new movie titled The Professor and the Madman which will be released in 2019.

Colin Farrell – James Bond In Casino Royale

Daniel Craig is the ‘latest’ actor to play James Bond on the big screen. In fact, he is reportedly starring in his fifth Bond film in 2020. His first Bond film was 2006’s Casino Royale and before the film hit the cinemas, there were rumors saying that Colin Farrell was considered for the role. These were later confirmed to be just rumors because Farrell stated that had no interest in portraying the character. During the mid-2000s, Farrell was known for going to rehab and having a leaked private tape. Farrell will be starring in the upcoming Dumbo movie.

Tom Hanks – Jerry Maguire In Jerry Maguire

Jerry Maguire was a rather significant project in Tom Cruise’s acting career because his performance as the starring character in the movie led to him taking home the Best Actor Award at the Golden Globe Awards. Cruise reportedly received a $20-million paycheck for his work in the film. Director Cameron Crowe actually wanted Tom Hanks to star in the movie but he eventually realized that Hanks was too old for the character. Hanks was known at that time for his award-winning performance on Forrest Gump. Hanks’ latest project is Toy Story 4 while Cruise has two new Mission: Impossible movies lined up.

Bill Murray – Batman In Batman

We are used to seeing actor Bill Murray portray comedic roles in the big screen and he is truly skilled in making people laugh. Because he’s always in comedies, it is hard to imagine Murray portraying a role like Batman. In the Batman movie back in 1989, Murray was one of the actors considered for the lead role if Ivan Reitman ended up directing it. Warner Brothers decided to go with Tim Burton and this later led to casting Michael Keaton as the caped crusader. Murray still earns money in the acting scene today and he is set to appear in a new movie called The Dead Don’t Die.

Will Smith – Neo In The Matrix

The Matrix was another movie franchise which was a huge hit at the box office. The film even snagged a number of awards at the Academy Awards. The starring role of Neo was first offered to actor Will Smith but he said no because he was doing Wild Wild West. Smith also shared that he wouldn’t have given justice to the role. Keanu Reeves was later cast as the lead actor and this franchise has enabled him to amass the $360-million net worth that he has today. In 2019, you will be seeing Reeves star in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.

Tom Selleck – Indiana Jones In Raiders Of The Lost Ark

Raiders of the Lost Ark was the first ever movie from the Indiana Jones franchise. Harrison Ford was the star of the movie and to this day, he is still associated with the character. In 2021, Ford is set to star in a new Indiana Jones sequel. Actor Tom Selleck was actually supposed to star in the franchise but he just didn’t have the time to commit to the filming for the movie. Selleck was busy with  Magnum, P.I. during that time. Just like Ford, Selleck isn’t really doing that much retirement planning yet. His most recent role is in the ongoing series, Blue Bloods.

Madonna – Ginger McKenna In Casino

In case you did not know it, Madonna isn’t only known for her talent in singing. Madonna also managed to grow an acting portfolio of her own in the past. Some of the movies she starred in were Evita and Dick Tracy. Back in the 1990s, Madonna was also considered for the leading lady part in the Casino movie. Unfortunately, the role eventually went to Sharon Stone.  Madonna is already 60 years old today but it seems that she still has a lot of things going for her. In 2018, Madonna has confirmed that she is working on a new album and she plans to release it sometime in 2019.

Daniel Day-Lewis – William Shakespeare In Shakespeare In Love

Daniel Day-Lewis became a part of the Royal Shakespeare Company back in the 1980s and he later starred in plays like A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Romeo & Juliet. For the movie Shakespeare In Love, Julia Roberts was supposed to be the lead star instead of Gwyneth Paltrow. Roberts had insisted that her leading man would be Day-Lewis but he didn’t really want to do the movie. Day-Lewis’ “no” led to Roberts dropping out of the project. Day-Lewis isn’t as busy as he used to be but he is involved in a lot of charity work. His last acting role was in 2017’s Phantom Thread.

Robin Williams – Jack Torrance In The Shining

Jack Nicholson was the star of The Shining which was released back in 1980. Director Stanley Kubrick’s choice to play the lead was indeed Nicholson, though there were still other actors who were considered for the lead. Robin Williams was one of them, but Stephen King didn’t really want him. It was totally okay for Williams to not get the part because he was cast in a ton of movies during the 1980s. Williams sadly committed suicide back in 2014. He sure practiced proper wealth management over the years because he was worth $100 million at the time of his death.

Sean Penn – Tyler Durden In Fight Club

Fight Club was a very popular movie back then even if its box office results and reviews were just “so-so.” Brad Pitt starred in the movie while Edward Norton played the Narrator. Sean Penn was one of the guys who was initially considered for the role of the Narrator but director David Fincher picked Norton because of how good Norton was in The People vs. Larry Flynt. Meanwhile, Penn has been consistently making money as an actor over the years. He is set to star in a new miniseries titled, American Lion.

Stuart Townsend – Aragorn In The Lord Of The Rings

Most of you might remember actor Stuart Townsend for the roles he had on The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Queen of the Damned. Townsend actually auditioned for The Lord of the Rings and he was initially cast as Aragorn. Sadly, director Peter Jackson decided to let go of Townsend because he was just too young to play the character. Aragorn was played by Viggo Mortensen. Townsend must have been really frustrated because he trained for months just to be fired a day before filming started. These days, Townsend lives a peaceful and quiet life in his property in Costa Rica. He reportedly manages his very own vehicle garage.

Jeremy Irons – Hannibal Lecter In The Silence Of The Lambs

The Silence of the Lambs was one of the highest-grossing movies during the early 1990s. It only had a $19-million budget but it made a whopping $272.7 million at the box office. The movie starred Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster. Jeremy Irons was one of the actors who was considered to play Dr. Hannibal Lecter before Hopkins but Irons turned it down. Irons was popular at that time because of his award-winning performance on Reversal of Fortune. Taking care of his well-being over the years has paid off because Irons is still active to this day. His latest project is the 2019 series, Watchmen.

Billy Crystal – Buzz Lightyear In Toy Story

Aside from on-screen acting, actors can also earn a huge salary by taking on voice roles. Animated movies like Toy Story have made the voices of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen very popular over the years. Before Allen, Billy Crystal had been offered to be the voice of Buzz Lightyear. He turned it down and eventually regretted his decision. Crystal eventually became the guy who voiced the role of Mike Wazowski in the Monsters Inc. movies. The new Toy Story 4 movie is set to hit the cinemas in June 2019.

David Boreanaz – Batman In Batman Begins

In the Dark Knight trilogy, we saw Christian Bale do the Batman character so much justice. Bale showed such dedication and he really made sure he was mentally and physically ready for the role. A personal trainer even helped him put on 100 pounds and get extra buff for the part. Just like in the casting of many superhero films, there was a lot of other actors who were interested in getting the lead role. One of them was David Boreanaz who was known for his roles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. These days, Boreanaz is known for starring in the series, SEAL Team.

Eric Stoltz – Marty McFly In Back To The Future

It’s hard to imagine the Back to the Future franchise without Michael J. Fox. Fox was the top choice for the role but he initially had to turn it down because of Family Ties. Eric Stoltz was later given the starring role but after a month of filming, director Robert Zemeckis just didn’t like Stoltz’s acting. The movie’s release was eventually pushed back and Fox’s schedule finally freed up. It cost them a lot of money to re-shoot it with Fox but it was worth it in the end. Stoltz’s most recent role was on Madam Secretary (2014-2018).

Jim Carrey- Captain Jack Sparrow In Pirates Of The Caribbean

Can you imagine actor Jim Carrey in the whole Jack Sparrow movie costume? Well, it seemed that this almost had happened because Carrey was considered to star in the Pirates of the Carribean franchise. Things with Carrey did not push through because filming for Bruce Almighty was his top priority. The starring role later went to Johnny Depp and it was like destiny because Depp had such an amazing performance in the franchise. Carrey is a part of the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog movie while Depp is set to star in Minamata, among other films.

John Travolta – Forrest Gump In Forrest Gump

Tom Hanks will forever be known for starring in Forrest Gump because his performance earned him a number of awards. Despite Hanks’ success, he was not actually the first choice for the role. They wanted John Travolta to star in it but he turned it down. When Travolta saw how successful the movie became, he instantly said that he regretted turning it down. Travolta was still lucky because he got to star in Pulp Fiction. Travolta has worked hard over the years and this is why his net worth is at $170 million these days. Travolta is starring in Trading Paint in 2019.

Josh Hartnett – Loki In Thor

Even if Loki was the villain in the Thor movie, a lot of women still fell in love with the character because he was played by handsome actor Tom Hiddleston. Before the cast of Thor was revealed, a number of celebrity news sites were talking about rumors that Josh Hartnett was going to be Loki. Hartnett was known for his roles on Pearl Harbor and 40 Days and 40 Nights. On the other hand, Hiddleston had actually auditioned for the role of Thor but director Kenneth Branagh thought that it was more fitting for Hiddleston to be a villain. Hiddleston will be appearing in the upcoming Avengers: Endgame movie.

Sean Connery – Gandalf in The Lord Of The Rings

The Lord of the Rings was a very successful movie franchise that made millions at the box office. The role of Gandalf was played by Ian McKellen who a lot of you know for his role as Magneto in the X-Men franchise. Sean Connery was reportedly offered to play the character and despite being offered a huge paycheck, he decided to turn down the role. Sources said that he didn’t really “understand” the character and the script. Connery is best known for being the first guy who played James Bond on the big screen. He has been retired since 2006 but he did do voice work for Sir Billi back in 2012.

Bruce Willis – Sam Wheat In Ghost

Ghost was one of the blockbuster hits of the late Patrick Swayze. Swayze played Sam who was the “ghost” in the movie. The movie had a $22-million budget but the money it made at the box office was estimated to be at a whopping $505.7 million. Bruce Willis was initially offered to star in the movie but he said no because he did not really think that the movie would do good at the box office. During that time as well, Willis was still married to Demi Moore who was Swayze’s love interest in the film. Willis has an upcoming movie titled, Cornerman.

Liam Neeson – James Bond In GoldenEye

Pierce Brosnan is another actor who was able to play James Bond on the big screen. GoldenEye was the first Bond movie he did and he eventually did three more. Prior to Brosnan getting cast, Liam Neeson was one of the actors they were considering for the role but Neeson turned it down. Neeson was popular during that time because of his performances on Schindler’s List, The Bounty, and Next of Kin. Brosnan and Neeson’s careers continue to grow their multi-million dollar net worth. Brosnan has a new movie titled The Misfits while Neeson will be starring in Men in Black: International.

O.J. Simpson – T800 In The Terminator

If you ask anyone about some Arnold Schwarzenegger movies they know, they would surely mention the Terminator films. Schwarzenegger is widely known for playing the “Terminator.” One of the men being considered for the lead role before Schwarzenegger was former NFL player-turned-controversial figure, O.J. Simpson. It’s quite bizarre because director James Cameron didn’t cast Simpson because he didn’t think he could be a killer. Fast forward a decade later, Simpson faced arrest for allegedly murdering his former wife and her friend. Simpson officially became a free man back in October 2017.

Robin Williams – Hagrid In Harry Potter

The Harry Potter franchise lasted for about a decade and we saw the young actors who starred in it grow up. One of the supporting characters was Hagrid and he was played by actor Robbie Coltrane. The late Robin Williams was considered to play Hagrid but then director Chris Cameron only wanted Irish or British actors. Williams could have totally pulled off the role since he could easily rock thick facial hair. Meanwhile, Coltrane doesn’t do much acting anymore but he has been hosting Robbie Coltrane Critical Evidence since 2016.