But of course, there exists an alternative timeline in which all of these parts – even those that have gone on to become so closely associated with one specific actor that it's impossible to imagine anyone else playing them – could have gone to someone else entirely.
Scroll down for our 13 picks – from Frank Sinatra to Dwayne Johnson.
1. Frank Sinatra – John McClane in Die Hard
But believe it or not, Sinatra was the first person to be offered the role in John McTiernan's film – even if only due to a contractual obligation.
Because of this, 20th Century Fox had an obligation to offer the role to Sinatra, but he declined – perhaps understandably given his age and the nature of the film.
Even when Willis was eventually approached, he initially turned it down due to a scheduling clash with his hit TV series Moonlighting. But when his co-star on the series, Cybill Shepherd became pregnant, production was paused for 11 weeks and he had the chance to accept the role. The rest is history!
2. The Beatles – Lord of the Rings
After The Beatles had each been given a copy of the books in 1968, they had become obsessed with starring in a film version of it, and even suggested Stanley Kubrick – fresh off the success of 2001: A Space Odyssey – as director.
The reason for that was Tolkien himself, was reportedly wasn't especially keen on the idea of a pop group spearheading an adaptation of his work and denied them the rights.
And of course, Jackson would go on to have another tie to The Beatles – directing several documentaries about the band including the tree-part miniseries Get Back, comprised entirely from archive footage.
3. Jennifer Lawrence – Bella Swan in Twilight
The Hunger Games star auditioned for the role of Bella Swan – which was, of course, eventually played by Kristen Stewart – but was turned down immediately without receiving a call back.
"My life would’ve been totally different [if I'd got Twlight],” she said during an appearance on The Rewatchables podcast with Bill Simmons back in 2023.
"I was still in a franchise, so I was still trying to counteract the franchise-ness, and I would still be doing that if I was in Twilight."
I just assumed it was gonna be like Twilight, like the Twilight-level Fame, and that was just never something I had in mind," she said.
4. Nicolas Cage – Superman
But one star who would have likely offered a rather different take on the iconic DC Comics character is the always entertaining Nicolas Cage.
Indeed, Cage even signed on as Superman with a $20 million pay-or-play contract, saying that he would "reconceive the character" compared to previous on screen iterations.
Filming had been expected to begin in early 1998, but after a couple of rewrites and the failure of Batman & Robin it was put on hold by Warner Bros, with Burton and then Cage both pulling out before it was finally abandoned.
Despite those roles, many fans will still be wondering what a full Nicolas Cage Superman might have looked like. It certainly wouldn't have been boring!
5. Tom Selleck as Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark
Well, believe it or not, the first choice of both Steven Spielberg and George Lucas for the role was not Ford but rather the moustachioed star Tom Selleck – just after he had accepted his iconic lead role in TV series Magnum PI.
He therefore had to pull out, even though the show was later put on a three month hiatus owing to the 1980 Actor's Strike, which would have afforded him enough time to shoot the film.
"I said, 'I gotta look my mom and dad in the eye, and we don't do that,' so I did Magnum... That's not so bad, is it?"
But no one would argue against the fact that they ultimately made the correct call with Ford, who had initially been passed over due to concerns that he was already too well known.
6. Al Pacino – Han Solo in Star Wars
The legendary actor was offered the role of the beloved smuggler but turned it down – the reason being that he couldn't make head nor tail of the script!
"But I looked at this thing and I sent it to Charlie Loughton, my friend and mentor, actually. I said, 'What do you make of this?’ He was pretty wise and he said, ‘I don’t get it, Al. I dunno. I don’t get it.'
Of course, Pacino's rejection opened up the door for Ford to take on the role that would properly launch him as a movie star, with the former joking that he was "in the mood to make Harrison Ford a career."
7. Amanda Seyfried – Glinda in Wicked
The Mamma Mia and Testament of Ann Lee star revealed how she auditioned as many as six times for the role, and spoke to Radio Times earlier this year about how she felt about missing out.
Interestingly, Seyfried's breakout role in Mean Girls also came about partly because she'd auditioned for a different role in the same film.
She had initially been up for the role of Regina George – which was eventually played by Rachel McAdams – and although she missed out on that part, she impressed the casting directors so much they offered her the role of Karen instead.
8. Emily Blunt – Black Widow in the MCU
There are therefore several alternate versions of the MCU out there, and one of those concerns the role of Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow. Before the part was taken by Scarlett Johansson for Iron Man 2, another big name was in the running and even offered the role: Emily Blunt.
“It was a bit of a heartbreaker for me because I take such pride in the decisions that I make, and they mean so much to me, the films that I do, so that was tough,” she said.
Interestingly, it's not the only MCU character Blunt has been linked to over the years, with Captain Marvel, Peggy Carter and Sue Storm reportedly all among the roles she has been considered for. Perhaps we'll still see her in the MCU one day!
9. Orson Welles – Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in Dune
The avant-garde director – known for works such as El Topo and The Holy Mountain – was attached to make a version of Frank Herbert's novel in 1975, but the budget spun completely out of control and the film, which reportedly had a script long enough to run an incredible 14 hours, was ultimately scrapped.
Other examples included Jodorowky's own son Brontis in the lead role of Paul Atreides, French acting legend Alain Delon as Duncan Idaho, Charlie Chaplin's daughter Geradline Chaplin as Lady Jessica and and The Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger as Feyd-Rautha.
The failed attempt to make the film would go on to be chronicled in the 2013 documentary Jodorowky's Dune, while the novel ended up being adapted twice: first by David Lynch, and more recently by Denis Villeneuve.
10. Britney Spears – Allie in The Notebook
However, it could have been very different. While casting was ongoing for the now classic weepie The Notebook, Spears was one of many stars – alongside the likes of Kate Beckinsale, Kate Bosworth, Amy Adams, Mandy Moore, Scarlett Johansson and Claire Danes – who was under consideration for the role.
Fans curious about this version of the film that never happened can even see check out an audition tape that sees the Toxic singer running lines with star Ryan Gosling, which surfaced publicly in 2023.
"Britney blew us all away. Our jaws were on the floor. I was blown away. Absolutely blown away. She brought her A-game that day," he said.
Interestingly, the role of Noah could have been different as well – with George Clooney having been attached to play him in early development before Gosling was ultimately cast.
11. John Travolta – Forrest Gump in Forrest Gump
But 1994 could have been an even better year for him, given that at one point he looked set to play the role that eventually won Tom Hanks the Oscar that very same year.
Still, if he had accepted the role, then he'd likely have had to say no to Pulp Fiction – which just goes to show how difficult it can sometimes be for in demand actors to choose between roles.
Interestingly, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Matthew Broderick an Sean Penn were among the other actors who had been in the running to play Forrest before Hanks landed the role.
12. Amy Schumer – Barbie in Barbie
But at one point there was almost a version of the film with a different star: Amy Schumer. In 2016, Sony Pictures cast the comedian as the beloved doll, while she was also planning on rewriting the script from Hilary Winston.
Later she corrected her initial comments to clarify that it was in fact "creative differences" that had brought about her departure, claiming during an interview on Watch What Happens Live that it didn’t "feel feminist and cool."
Eventually, the rights for the film passed from Sony to Warner Bros and the rest is history – with Barbie becoming a multiple Oscar nominee and one of the highest-grossing films of the decade.
13. The Rock – Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
While Johnny Depp was reportedly the only actor under serious consideration for the role of eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka in Tim Burton's adaptation of the classic Roald Dahl children's novel, Dwayne Johnson was the somewhat unlikely back-up option.
"I remember thinking “HOLY S**T, IM IN", he added before detailing how the role had gone to Depp and he doubted he'd have been able to pull it off at that stage of his career.
Of course, at this point the star was still primarily known for his wrestling career, with relatively few acting credits his under his belt, so it would have been especially unusual casting!
Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
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