15 Actors Who Turned Down Roles of a Lifetime That Could’ve Changed Their Careers

Not that long ago, Brad Pitt revealed that he had passed on starring in The Matrix — “I took the red pill,” he said. This is incredible to think about because that would’ve made it a totally different movie. And there are many more famous roles that could’ve been played by other “big” actors but got turned down due to conflicting schedules or personal issues.

We at Bright Side were curious about what 15 famous movies would look like if other actors had accepted the offer.

1. Brad Pitt and the role of Neo in The Matrix

2. Matthew McConaughey and the role of Jack Dawson in Titanic

3. John Travolta and the role of Forrest Gump

4. Johnny Depp and the role of Hulk

5. Iwan Rheon and the role of Jon Snow in Game of Thrones

6. Matt Damon and the role of Peter Appleton in The Majestic

7. Josh Hartnett and the role of Peter Parker in Spider-Man

8. Anthony Mackie and the role of Black Panther

9. John Krasinski and the role of Captain America

10. Russell Crowe and the role of Wolverine in X-Men

11. Vince Vaughn and the role of Joey in Friends

12. Keanu Reeves and the role Jiff Ramsey in Bowfinger

13. Jake Gyllenhaal and the role of Frodo in The Lord of the Rings

14. Sam Rockwell and the role of Tony Stark in Iron Man

15. Tom Cruise and the role of Benjamin Button

Which actors can you see playing the main role instead of the original cast members? Who’s your favorite actor?