Casting is a strange, unpredictable business. An actor can walk into a room absolutely certain about the part they’re right for, only to discover the people behind the table see something else entirely. Sometimes that mismatch turns into one of the most memorable performances of their career, just not in the movie they thought they were fighting for.
Cillian Murphy tried out for Batman, landed the Scarecrow instead
When Christopher Nolan was rebuilding the Batman franchise in the early 2000s, Cillian Murphy went in to screen test for the title role itself. Murphy initially auditioned to play Batman himself, saying “[Nolan] for some reason wanted me to screen test for Batman,” which I think I knew – and he knew – I was wrong for.” The role of Bruce Wayne ultimately went to Christian Bale, a decision that shaped the next decade of superhero cinema.
Nolan didn’t send Murphy home empty handed, though. “I did the test, and then he saw something in that and cast me as Scarecrow and we continued on making movies.” That partnership eventually led to Oppenheimer, where Murphy won the Academy Award for Best Actor, proof that a rejected audition can sometimes be the start of something much bigger.
Tom Holland auditioned for Star Wars before Spider-Man ever came calling
Years before he became one of the biggest names in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Tom Holland tried out for a galaxy far, far away. Before becoming Spider-Man, Tom Holland auditioned for the role of Finn in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, ultimately losing out to John Boyega. The audition itself didn’t go smoothly, either.
Holland told the hosts of Hot Ones that his audition left him in hysterics because of a woman impersonating a droid, remembering “Yeah, I just got the giggles,” and adding “you know when you realise you’ve got something so wrong? I just couldn’t stop laughing.” A few years later, Sony and Marvel handed him the webs instead, and the rest became box office history.
Michael B. Jordan bombed the same Star Wars audition Holland did
Holland wasn’t the only future A-lister who tried for Finn and walked away disappointed. Michael B. Jordan also read for the role in The Force Awakens, and by his own account, it did not go well at all.
“That was probably my worst audition to date,” Jordan told Variety, explaining he couldn’t wrap his brain around the vague sides typical of secretive high-level projects, adding “I definitely bombed that one for sure.” Jordan found his footing elsewhere soon after, first with standout dramatic work and then as Erik Killmonger in Black Panther, a role that had nothing to do with rebel pilots or lightsabers.
Chadwick Boseman tried out for Drax before he ever wore the Black Panther suit
Marvel almost had a very different Chadwick Boseman story. Before becoming a king, Chadwick Boseman auditioned for Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy. The physically imposing role eventually went to Dave Bautista, whose wrestling background made him a natural fit for the character’s brute strength.
Boseman didn’t land the role, but casting directors took notice and didn’t forget about him. That attention paid off in a major way once Marvel began developing Black Panther, a film that would go on to earn Boseman global recognition and a lasting place in superhero cinema.
Barry Keoghan thought he was auditioning for one role, then got a shocking phone call
Barry Keoghan’s path to The Batman took an unusual turn. He initially sent in tape hoping for a certain part, only to have the production quietly steer him somewhere else entirely.
A few months after sending in his tape, Keoghan got an ominous call from his agent saying “‘The Batman’ wants you to play the Joker – but you cannot tell anyone,” and while he didn’t get the part he auditioned for, he landed a villain with even more gravitas. The secrecy around the casting only added to the surprise when audiences finally saw his brief but unsettling turn as the Joker in the film’s final scene.
Tom Felton auditioned for Harry Potter and Ron before becoming Draco Malfoy
Long before he was known as the Wizarding World’s most famous bully, Tom Felton actually tried out for the hero’s role. Tom Felton had auditioned for both Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, but he was cast as Draco Malfoy instead. It’s hard to picture now, given how thoroughly Felton made Draco’s sneer part of pop culture.
Felton was among several actors, including Cillian Murphy, Amanda Seyfried, and Barry Keoghan, who ended up auditioning for different characters in their most iconic movies. Draco became a defining role across eight films, and it’s worth remembering that the character almost carried Harry’s own name and backstory in Felton’s early readings.
Lee Pace wanted to lead Guardians of the Galaxy, not menace it
Lee Pace had his sights set on being the charming rogue at the center of Marvel’s cosmic adventure. Back in 2012, Lee Pace admitted that he was auditioning for Star-Lord’s role in Guardians of the Galaxy and that he was very eager about it. The part, of course, eventually became one of Chris Pratt’s signature roles.
The part ended up going to Chris Pratt instead, although Pace wasn’t completely booted from the project. Marvel cast him instead as Ronan the Accuser, the film’s towering Kree villain, a role built entirely around menace rather than the wisecracking energy he’d originally prepared for.
Elizabeth Olsen tried for Daenerys Targaryen before joining the Avengers
Long before she became Wanda Maximoff, Elizabeth Olsen was chasing a very different kind of fantasy role. Before landing her biggest role as Marvel’s Scarlet Witch, Elizabeth Olsen auditioned for the part of Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones. That part, famously, went to Emilia Clarke, who carried the character across eight seasons of the HBO series.
Olsen later recalled in The Hollywood Reporter, “Yes, I auditioned for Game of Thrones,” describing how she read for the assistant to the casting director in a small room in New York. Instead of Westeros, Olsen ended up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, eventually anchoring her own limited series, WandaVision, a project that gave her far more screen time than Daenerys ever would have.
There’s a common thread running through all eight of these stories. None of these actors got what they originally wanted, and in every case, the alternative turned out to define their career in ways the original audition never could have. Casting directors don’t always know exactly what they’re looking for until an actor walks in the door and proves they’re right for something else entirely.
