- 23 hours ago
Some of Hollywood's biggest names want nothing to do with the MCU! Join us as we look at the actors who have made it clear they'll never be suiting up for Marvel! Which of these stars do you think would make the perfect MCU addition? Let us know in the comments below!
Transcript
00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 10 actors who, for one reason or
00:05another,
00:06have distanced themselves from the idea of ever appearing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
00:10Gentlemen, you had my curiosity, but now you have my attention.
00:16Number 10, Simon Pegg.
00:18In 2015, Simon Pegg made the headlines after criticizing superhero movies for their role in infantilizing viewers,
00:25and more broadly, dumbing down cinema.
00:27And this is what you want?
00:30You should grow up, mate. Join society.
00:33Yeah, we're good.
00:34Mum died.
00:35And we're all very sorry.
00:37But now it's time to go home.
00:39He openly spoke about the loss of his longtime collaborator, Edgar Wright, as a writer of the first Ant-Man
00:44movie,
00:45when the writer walked away from the project.
00:47Pegg seemed to have faith in Wright's abilities to bring something fresh to the table.
00:51How can this be for the greater good?
00:52The greater good.
00:53Shut it!
00:54Even though Pegg has tied himself down to the Star Trek franchise in the past,
00:57don't hold your breath waiting for him to do the same for any Marvel series.
01:01I'm giving her all she's got, Captain!
01:03Number 9, Amanda Seyfried.
01:05The reasons that Amanda Seyfried gave for turning down the role of Gamera in Guardians of the Galaxy were simple.
01:10On one hand, she didn't love the idea of being covered in green makeup all day after hearing about Jennifer
01:14Lawrence's experience playing Mystique in X-Men.
01:17You're gonna tell me what's the matter? Would I have to read your mind?
01:19You promised me you would never do that.
01:21On the other hand, she genuinely believed that audiences would have a tough time connecting with the characters,
01:26worrying that the film was destined to become Marvel's first major bomb.
01:29I'm gonna die surrounded by the biggest idiots in the galaxy.
01:33Although she has admitted that she was wrong about the movie,
01:36she's not expressed any interest in entering the MCU in any other way since then.
01:40I'm kind of psychic.
01:41I have a bit sense.
01:44What do you mean?
01:45It's like I have ESPN or something.
01:47Number 8, Ewan McGregor.
01:49For most, the opportunity to take part in a franchise like Star Wars would be a dream gig.
01:55And for Ewan McGregor, his work in one major series has left him content.
01:58Don't center on your anxieties, Obi-Wan.
02:00Keep your concentration here and now where it belongs.
02:04But Master Yoda said I should be mindful of the future.
02:07But not at the expense of the moment.
02:09Be mindful of the living force, young Padawan.
02:11Although the actor was reportedly linked with the lead role in Marvel's Doctor Strange
02:15before Benedict Cumberbatch got the offer,
02:17he does sound less interested as time goes on.
02:20For McGregor, playing Obi-Wan Kenobi across three films and a TV show
02:24has made him an integral figure to one hugely devoted fanbase.
02:28You've no idea what the Empire is capable of.
02:30While he claimed that the door was not entirely shut on the idea,
02:33don't expect to see him in the MCU anytime soon.
02:36Will your paramour be joining us this evening?
02:38Not tonight, Roaming.
02:40Not tonight.
02:42Well, enjoy yourself, Miss Quinn.
02:44And do give the joke of my best.
02:45Number 7, Jon Cho.
02:47There are several reasons why Jon Cho has little interest in playing a superhero.
02:51We gotta go to White Castle.
02:52Yes! Yes! I knew you had it in you, dude!
02:55First of all, he doesn't seem to be a fan of the physical preparation involved,
02:59joking about his reluctance to diet and work out to the extent that guys like Chris Hemsworth have.
03:03Three, five, six...
03:08Secondly, he likened franchise contracts to indentured servitude,
03:12and how they tie many great actors to years of service that can get in the way of more interesting
03:16projects.
03:17Cho stands out as an actor who is deliberately avoiding the MCU model,
03:21and while things may change, for now, he seems pretty determined in his stance.
03:25You're dead!
03:27We killed you.
03:29Yeah, you did.
03:31Number 6, Emily Blunt.
03:33There have been a few close calls when it comes to Emily Blunt's past associations with the Marvel brand.
03:38You said you were his mom.
03:41Yeah?
03:43You told me you're not.
03:46You said that?
03:47She missed out on the role of Natasha Romanoff in Iron Man 2,
03:51due to a scheduling conflict,
03:52and also had to pass on Peggy Carter years later.
03:55Keep it steady!
03:56No, wait!
04:01Go get him.
04:02That said, in the time since,
04:04despite rumors linking her to Sue Storm in The Fantastic Four,
04:08she has made it clear that superhero movies simply aren't her thing.
04:11The world is pivoting in some new direction.
04:15Reforming.
04:18This is your moment.
04:20At this stage,
04:21she seems to be far more focused on stand-alone commitments
04:23rather than diving head-first into a multi-film deal.
04:26And at this point in her career,
04:28we can blame her.
04:29Right here.
04:30It's where I'm supposed to be.
04:31Okay.
04:31Number 5, Jason Statham.
04:34As one of the most acclaimed action stars of the last 30 years,
04:37it's interesting that Jason Statham has yet to make the same transition into superhero films
04:41as so many of his peers.
04:43Rules are meant to be broken.
04:44Not mine.
04:45Even though he's not necessarily hostile to the genre,
04:48he has made it clear that they are not his preferred style of movie.
04:51Nothing kills me.
04:52I'm immune to 179 different types of poison.
04:55I know,
04:56because I ingested them all at once
04:57when I was deep undercover
04:59in an underground poison-ingesting crime ring.
05:02According to the action veteran,
05:04he prefers far more grounded and realistic films
05:07and has jokingly made it clear
05:08that he has no appetite for wearing capes or tights.
05:11You know, twinkle toes in another life,
05:13I bet me and you could have done some serious damage.
05:16Yeah, we could have.
05:17Yeah.
05:18Considering that he has also been a vocal critic of the overuse of CGI,
05:22it doesn't seem like Statham and Marvel will be linking up anytime soon.
05:25You decide who you work for.
05:27Number 4, Sean Penn.
05:29As one of the most respected actors in the business,
05:32when Sean Penn speaks about something,
05:34people tend to listen.
05:35My name is Harvey Milk and I'm here to recruit you.
05:39That said,
05:40his criticism was aimed less at Marvel's individual movies
05:43than at what the MCU represents within Hollywood.
05:46In 2021,
05:47during a promotional media tour,
05:49Penn lamented that Marvel movies had taken up the space
05:51and claimed so much time in the careers of so many talented people.
05:55I'm coming back to me.
05:57Given that Penn clearly prefers smaller scale character-driven pieces,
06:01the idea of him suiting up with a green screen backdrop
06:03seems pretty far-fetched.
06:05To say the least.
06:06Do you submit yourself?
06:08Yes, sir.
06:09I submit myself.
06:11Number 3, Jodie Foster.
06:13As one of the more direct critics of Marvel and the superhero movie craze,
06:16Jodie Foster has certainly put a lot more distance between herself and the genre than most.
06:21Dr. Lecter, my name is Clarice Starling.
06:23May I speak with you?
06:24While discussing their dominance,
06:26she put forth her belief that the whole thing is a phase
06:29that has unfortunately lasted a little too long for her liking.
06:32She wasn't entirely negative,
06:33praising Black Panther and Iron Man as examples of movies she has certainly gotten invested in
06:38based on their undeniable entertainment value.
06:40That said,
06:41she clearly doesn't see these movies as transformative art,
06:43and that makes the idea of her tying herself to them creatively a long shot at best.
06:48I don't know what you want from me.
06:49I want you to f***ing care.
06:51I do care.
06:51Number 2, Jennifer Aniston.
06:53In contrast to many other A-list stars,
06:56Jennifer Aniston did not beat around the bush while offering her opinion on Marvel films.
07:00She criticized the changing landscape of cinema,
07:02I do want to express myself,
07:05okay?
07:05Now I don't need 37 pieces of flair to do it.
07:07and specifically blamed constant Marvel blockbusters
07:10for reducing the availability of the kind of movies she wanted to make.
07:14You know what I'm saying?
07:15Oh, really, bitch?
07:16Yeah, bitch.
07:17It's not like the former Friends star was saying the genre was bad or not worthwhile,
07:21but she was very clearly lamenting the impact they've had on the industry.
07:24As a result,
07:25the idea of her doing a U-turn and joining the MCU
07:27seems incredibly unlikely at this stage.
07:30I'm so sorry.
07:31I don't know what to say.
07:32Go, go, go.
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07:47Are you not entertained?
07:49Number 1, Leonardo DiCaprio.
07:52After famously advising Timothee Chalamet against taking any hard substances
07:55or doing any superhero movies,
07:57it should be no surprise that Leonardo DiCaprio has never been in the MCU.
08:01Once an idea has taken hold in the brain,
08:03it's almost impossible to eradicate.
08:05An idea that is fully formed, fully understood, that sticks.
08:09While Chalamet has admitted that he would be open to suiting up for the right role,
08:13DiCaprio has stuck to his guns.
08:15Never had an audition.
08:16I've never had a meeting.
08:17As one of this generation's biggest movie stars,
08:20Leo has been going his own way for decades now,
08:22so the idea of him suddenly making a major pivot seems unlikely at best.
08:26I don't get mad.
08:27I don't get mad about anything anymore.
08:29When you have directors like Martin Scorsese,
08:31Paul Thomas Anderson,
08:32and Quentin Tarantino lining up to work with you,
08:34it seems like a pretty easy decision to make.
08:36Really want me to shake your hand?
08:41I insist.
08:42But which actor would you love to see make their debut in the MCU?
08:45Let us know in the comments below.