- 6 weeks ago
They filmed it, but you never saw it! Join us as we count down the biggest celebrity appearances that were left on the cutting room floor. From Superman to Captain Kirk, these A-listers had their moments of glory snipped before release. Which director's decision do you think was the biggest mistake?
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00:00I forgot the vengeance of my son, but I have selfish reasons.
00:07Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 20 biggest movie cameos that ended up getting cut before their release.
00:15I don't know what to say.
00:23You know, it's hard to believe, isn't it?
00:30It is a lot to take in.
00:32Number 20. William Shatner. Star Trek.
00:35The universe is absurd.
00:38William Shatner was originally supposed to appear as a cameo in the 2009 Star Trek reboot.
00:43The original idea had Leonard Nimoy's Spock receiving a birthday message from a previous timeline's Captain Kirk, who would be Shatner.
00:51However, it never came to be.
00:52Shatner, who had portrayed Kirk from 1966 to 1994, wanted a more significant role than just a voice recording.
00:59But the director of the reboot film, J.J. Abrams, thought it would detract too much from the narrative and the new actors and characters.
01:10Or am I?
01:13Number 19. Kevin Costner. The Big Chill.
01:16The critically acclaimed 1983 comedy-drama The Big Chill defined an entire generation of people on the big screen.
01:28Originally, however, it was actually supposed to feature the superstar actor Kevin Costner.
01:33I consider it a really great honor. I was able to...
01:36He was cast as Alex, the deceased friend whose funeral brings the main characters together.
01:40While his character's death is the catalyst for the story of the film, Costner's face is never shown.
01:45He filmed several flashback scenes intended to show Alex's life and his connections to the other characters.
01:51However, director Lawrence Kasdan decided to cut all of the flashbacks,
01:55leaving Costner's only appearance as the corpse being dressed for his funeral during the movie's opening.
02:00Number 18. Liv Tyler. Everyone Says I Love You.
02:04Woody Allen's 1996 musical comedy Everyone Says I Love You was completely jam-packed with celebrity cameos,
02:10with names like Tim Roth, Natalie Portman, and many more.
02:14I'm through with love. I'll never fall again.
02:19What are you saying? You're 14 years old, you'll fall again.
02:23You guys, I am so sorry. I thought that you'd be happy for me. I hope in time you understand.
02:30But some of them ended up not making it to the final cut.
02:32Liv Tyler filmed several scenes with Lucas Haas, but they never made it into the movie.
02:37Just see in your eyes that you're thinking of her in some way.
02:41My favorite moment is the moment when you and your father are just in the abyss of blackness,
02:46and the father and son lock like horns, and you're fighting.
02:50Allen explained that he made the decision to shorten the film's runtime.
02:54Liv wouldn't even be the only celebrity who was cut,
02:56as Tracy Ullman similarly shot an entire storyline that also didn't make it.
03:00Number 17. Katherine Langford – Avengers Endgame
03:04In a scene that otherwise would have been really touching in Avengers Endgame,
03:08Katherine Langford had starred in a sequence that would have given us a final emotional goodbye for Tony Stark.
03:13I...
03:14After he snaps his fingers to defeat Thanos, Tony enters a metaphysical state.
03:27There, he's meant to have a conversation with the grown-up version of his daughter Morgan, played by Langford.
03:32The scene could have given Tony a moment of closure, as his older daughter would have forgiven him for his sacrifice.
03:37I mean, I'm such a huge fan of the Marvel films and the Russo brothers,
03:41so when Marvel reached out to me to play Iron Man's daughter, I was just, like, that was such an honor,
03:46and ultimately I didn't make it into the film, and creatively, like, that makes sense, and, you know, that's totally fine.
03:51I was just content with, like, having the memory in my head, you know, to play with, like, Robert Downey Jr. in the last scene,
03:57he was Iron Man on the last day, he was Iron Man, that was just, like, amazing.
04:01Instead, test audiences found the exchange confusing and felt it didn't land emotionally.
04:07As a result, the scene was cut, leaving his final moments with the Avengers instead.
04:12Number 16. Ricky Gervais, The Muppets
04:14The 2011 reboot of The Muppets brought back the beloved puppets and featured an impressive lineup of celebrity cameos,
04:21with lots of them making it and lots of them getting cut.
04:24Ricky Gervais, together with stars like Danny Trejo and even Lady Gaga and Katy Perry,
04:28all filmed scenes for the movie that were later kept out of the theatrical release.
04:40Gervais' scene involved him as a presenter at a fake awards show, while the others had smaller comedic bits.
04:45Leonardo DiCaprio attended the premiere, and by the end, his date was too old for him.
04:50Although the film was a massive hit, director James Bobin had to make these difficult cuts due to time constraints.
04:56Number 15. Uma Thurman
04:58Savages
04:59Director Oliver Stone's 2012 thriller Savages was an action-packed and fast-paced film with an already stacked cast
05:06that included Blake Lively, Taylor Kitsch, and Salma Hayek.
05:09Yet it could have been even more star-studded.
05:12Famed Kill Bill actress Uma Thurman was supposed to appear as the mother of Blake Lively's character Ophelia.
05:17So when do we do this?
05:19It all depends. When do you want to die? Tomorrow? The day after tomorrow?
05:28How about tonight, bitch?
05:30Splendid.
05:30Unfortunately, her scenes were removed during the editing process.
05:35Stone explained that he had to cut down the film's runtime and felt Thurman's storyline was not essential to the main plot.
05:40It's a shame we never got to see her in this gritty thriller.
05:43Hey, can you boys take me out somewhere nice? Come on, we can drink a little, relax. It's been a while.
05:54Number 14. Tobey Maguire
05:56Tobey Maguire was originally supposed to have a role in the Oscar-winning movie Life of Pi.
06:02He was cast as the writer who interviews the adult Pi after his rescue.
06:06But after filming his scenes, director Ang Lee decided not to include him.
06:10Lee felt that Maguire's star power was too distracting and would take away from the incredible story being told.
06:20Instead, Lee reshot the scenes with another actor, Rafe Spall,
06:24who at the time had gone mostly under the radar.
06:27That's quite a story.
06:29I'd assumed your father was a mathematician because of your name.
06:33While it would have been fun with Tobey,
06:35it paid off to let the late Erfan Khan carry the scene with his amazing acting chops.
06:39Number 13. Tim Roth
06:41Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
06:42Quentin Tarantino fans were eagerly anticipating Tim Roth's cameo in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,
06:48but they were left disappointed when he didn't appear.
06:50The man who pulls the lever
06:52that breaks your neck
06:54will be a dispassionate man.
06:58And that dispassion
06:59is the very essence
07:01of justice.
07:02Roth, a frequent Tarantino collaborator,
07:05filmed scenes as Jay Sebring's butler,
07:07the character Raymond.
07:08He was part of a larger storyline involving Sebring's life before the Manson family murder.
07:13Tarantino ended up cutting out Roth's entire subplot to streamline the film's narrative instead,
07:18which is understandable considering the movie would have otherwise had a four-hour run time.
07:23He's even listed in the credits,
07:24even though he isn't featured in the film.
07:26You don't have to take me and just strap me up to the front.
07:30Strap me on the sidewalk.
07:32I take care of myself.
07:33I won't tell him anything.
07:38I won't tell him anything.
07:40Number 12.
07:41LaToya Jackson, Bruno.
07:43Sacha Baron Cohen is well-known for his outrageous and often very controversial antics,
07:48and his 2009 movie Bruno was no exception.
07:51One of the most talked-about deleted scenes of all time was an interview with LaToya Jackson.
07:56It's like being on a horse, isn't it?
07:58The production company had filmed what was essentially Bruno punking the pop singer,
08:02but a real-life tragedy would occur not long after.
08:05LaToya's brother, the king of pop himself, Michael Jackson, had passed away unexpectedly.
08:10This caused Universal Pictures to cut LaToya's part from the movie out of respect for the Jackson family.
08:17It's peaceful.
08:18But it's nice to spend time with you.
08:26Number 11.
08:27Marlon Brando, The Godfather Part 2.
08:30In what would have been one of the most iconic cameo appearances in cinematic history,
08:35Marlon Brando was set to reprise his role as Vito Corleone in a flashback scene for The Godfather Part 2.
08:41Unfortunately, Brando had a major falling out with Paramount Pictures over his salary and treatment
08:46while filming the first Godfather movie.
08:48I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse.
08:54Just go outside, enjoy yourself, and forget about all this money.
09:01I want you to be welcoming.
09:03Still feeling mistreated, he famously failed to show up for the shooting with no notice.
09:08Director Francis Ford Coppola rewrote the scene on the spot,
09:11with Robert De Niro being the only actor in the role for the film,
09:14for which he would go on to earn himself an Oscar.
09:18You gotta understand that your father has plans for you.
09:21Now many times, he and I have talked about your future.
09:25Number 10.
09:26Viggo Mortensen, The Purple Rose of Cairo.
09:29Imagine Aragorn himself, Viggo Mortensen, making an appearance in a whimsical Woody Allen film,
09:34only for his scenes to be cut completely.
09:37Well, that's unfortunately what happened,
09:39as Viggo Mortensen's early acting gig was unceremoniously taken out of the film,
09:43The Purple Rose of Cairo.
09:44What a shame, it was such a good picture.
09:47Mortensen has gone on to describe his time on set as particularly strange,
09:51saying he wasn't given any direction, at all.
09:54However, he gave it his best shot.
09:56Unfortunately, once the film was released, he sadly learned he didn't make the cut.
10:01It's a shame, as the cameo would have certainly given fans a sneak peek into his burgeoning talent.
10:05Is knowing how to set a broken bone or how to treat severe burn ridiculous?
10:09Knowing how to navigate by the stars in total darkness, that's ridiculous?
10:13Number 9.
10:14Jenna Malone, Batman vs. Superman, Dawn of Justice.
10:18Given that Batman vs. Superman's theatrical cut ran approximately two and a half hours,
10:23it's understandable that some scenes and characters would be removed.
10:26However, many were incredibly disappointed when Jenna Malone,
10:30as scientist Janet Clyburn, was cut from the final edit.
10:33And this is what makes you such a good reporter.
10:37Stuff like this still shocks you.
10:39Known for her roles in The Hunger Games and Pride and Prejudice,
10:43Malone's performance was rather anticipated,
10:45but her scenes only appeared in the ultimate edition of the film.
10:49Her absence left fans feeling shortchanged, however,
10:52as they missed out on what could have been a valuable addition to the film's impressive cast.
10:56Maybe if she'd played a character named Martha, she would have made the cut.
10:59Save Martha!
11:03Number 8.
11:04Paul Rudd, Bridesmaids.
11:06What?
11:06I was on the show.
11:07You were on the show?
11:08I love that show.
11:09Oh my god, how did I miss your episode?
11:10Which one was it?
11:11It didn't air.
11:12If you're a fan of the ageless Paul Rudd, and frankly, who isn't,
11:15then this cameo removal surely stung.
11:18Known for his impeccable comedic timing, improv skills, and charm,
11:2260% of the time, it works every time.
11:25Rudd seemed perfect for the Paul Feig-directed comedy Bridesmaids.
11:30Sadly, all of Rudd's scenes ended up being cut from the final version, due to the film's length.
11:35The affable actor's cameo would have seen him in A Date Gone Wrong opposite Kristen Wiig's Annie at a skating rink.
11:41His nice guy act would be proven a facade when he accidentally cuts a finger with an ice skate.
11:46What happened?
11:46What happened to you?
11:47My shoulder stinks.
11:48Oh, you see?
11:49They're big deal.
11:50This is bleeding.
11:51Sir, can you sit down?
11:52It's bleeding!
11:53It's bleeding!
11:54It was a true missed opportunity for comedy gold from Rudd.
12:02Celebrated actress Sienna Miller had originally filmed scenes for the Johnny Depp-starring biographical mob film Black Mass,
12:08where she played Catherine Gregg.
12:10As the girlfriend and accomplice to notorious gangster Whitey Bulger,
12:14this surely would have been a great addition to Miller's impressive filmography, right?
12:18Thanks to, quote,
12:19narrative restructuring, her small role was removed.
12:22Apparently, the filmmakers wanted to focus more tightly on Bulger's criminal activities
12:27rather than his time with Catherine, which were, quote,
12:29less dramatic.
12:30What's your neighborhood, Whitey?
12:32Is that right?
12:33Well, we won't make.
12:34The exclusion felt particularly harsh, however,
12:37as Miller's performance reportedly brought further depth and nuance to Bulger's complex life.
12:42And, according to several critics, the film could have certainly used it.
12:46I thought it was a family secret.
12:48It's a recipe.
12:55No.
12:57No.
12:59Number 6.
13:00Jack Whitehall, Frozen.
13:02It's technically my second Disney film.
13:04You've been, sorry.
13:05Well, I was actually in Frozen, so...
13:07Oh.
13:08Well, just hold that.
13:11Hold that thought.
13:12He's still not over it, folks.
13:13British comedian Jack Whitehall was reportedly extremely excited about his role in Disney's
13:182013 animated hit Frozen, believing he delivered his lines, quote, perfectly.
13:23I had one line.
13:24I had one line.
13:25Could you do it?
13:26We're all waiting.
13:27Can you do it tonight?
13:28Yeah.
13:29I trollfully pronounce you man and wife.
13:32Whoa!
13:33He proudly told everyone he knew about his part and eagerly went to the theater to hear
13:38himself on screen.
13:39However, when he watched, his character, a troll named Goffy, was about to speak, but
13:44was cut off by Anna's song.
13:45I was shouting at the screen, Jimmy.
13:47I was like, hey, excuse me, Elsa, zip it, b****.
13:49Go if he had something to say.
13:51Confused, he called his agent, who revealed that Disney had reduced his role.
13:55He goes, hey, kid, calm down.
13:57You gotta just let it go.
13:58I was like, don't give me let it go.
14:00Don't let it go.
14:02Don't let it go.
14:03Don't you dare.
14:04A frustrated Whitehall said his agent then told him to, quote, let it go.
14:10But he clearly hasn't.
14:11Let it go.
14:13Let it go.
14:15I am one with the wind and sky.
14:19Let it go.
14:20Let it go.
14:22Number 5.
14:23Harrison Ford.
14:24E.T.
14:24The Extraterrestrial.
14:26Yep.
14:27You heard that right.
14:28Harrison Ford was to appear in Steven Spielberg's sci-fi classic E.T.
14:32Heck, he even filmed all his scenes.
14:34I see you fine young people from good homes, every advantage, your whole life laid out in front of you.
14:44Ford played Elliot's school principal, but sadly, it was all for naught.
14:48Spielberg himself says the decision was a very tough one given his working relationship with Ford.
14:53Snakes.
14:54Why did it have to be snakes?
14:57And while he says he did what was right for the film, the cut still stings.
15:01Ford's unique appearance would have definitely added gravitas to the picture, considering his immense popularity at the time.
15:17However, we suppose when you've got that much star power, it can overshadow the rest of the film, even if it is just a cameo.
15:24Deadpool and Wolverine is celebrated in part for its plethora of amazing cameos.
15:46Unfortunately, not everyone made the final cut.
15:50However, Rob McElhenney's cameo, which was set to reunite him with his Welcome to Wrexham co-star and friend Ryan Reynolds, is perhaps the most brutal axing.
16:01Despite flying to London to film his scenes, McElhenney's appearance was removed because, as Reynolds explained,
16:07In a behind-the-scenes image shared on social media, McElhenney can be seen dressed as a TVA soldier, hinting at what could have been.
16:18Here's hoping that his appearance features in some sort of future director's cut.
16:23A major player in the Spider-Man mythos is Mary Jane Watson, and the actresses who have played the role on film have been Kirsten Dunst, Zendaya, and Shailene Woodley.
16:39Er, scratch that last one.
16:40You see, the Divergent series heroine was originally cast as MJ in the sequel to the Andrew Garfield-led Spider-Man franchise.
16:46However, filmmakers decided to streamline the story to focus solely on Peter and Gwen Stacy's arc instead.
17:04This meant the MJ cameos would be scrapped altogether.
17:07While Woodley says she understands the reasons behind it,
17:10it no doubt broke the hearts of countless comic book fans who wanted to see the beloved character on screen again.
17:16It makes sense to introduce such a vital character to the comic books in a movie that had so much else going on.
17:25The Terrence Malick-helmed World War II epic The Thin Red Line features an absolutely stellar ensemble cast
17:31that includes the likes of Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, George Clooney, and Adrian Brody, among others.
17:37I've been in the army, what, six years now?
17:41And about the time you've smartened up, stop being such a punk recruit.
17:44However, other prominent actors were meant to be featured in the film,
17:48but had their scenes reduced or removed.
17:50Nicky Rourke was one of them, and he was none too pleased about it.
17:54Rourke was particularly offended as he believed he gave some of his best work during filming.
17:59The actor was also quoted as saying he believed the axing was over, quote,
18:02political reasons.
18:04I don't think you understand what's going on down here, sir.
18:06To say it left a sour taste in the actor's mouth would be an understatement.
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18:25Number 1. Henry Cavill The Flash
18:29The DC Universe faced turbulent times amidst shifts in direction and leadership behind the scenes prior to the release of 2023's The Flash.
18:38The film would ultimately serve as a love letter to on-screen DC characters of yore and feature some surprising cameos.
18:44A highly anticipated cameo, however, was ultimately cut amidst the corporate restructuring.
18:58Superhero A-lister Superman, played by Henry Cavill, ended up on the chopping block.
19:03Superman's big cameo was reportedly to appear at the movie's close.
19:07Alas, the last-minute axing resulted in further disappointment and disillusionment for DC loyalists.
19:13No, you can't.
19:15You-you're not Batman.
19:20What's wrong with you?
19:21Which cameos do you think should have made it into the final cut?
19:24Tell us in the comments.
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