15 Actors Who Turned Down DC Comics Roles

Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane!

No, it’s not Warren Beatty. Or Will Smith. Or a whole bunch of other actors. Over more than 50 years of movies based on DC Comics, many of the biggest names in Hollywood have signed on to portray the company’s iconic heroes and villains. But playing a dude in Spandex is not for everyone. For proof, just look at the list of 15 A-listers below, who all had their chance to play members of the Justice League and turned Warner Bros. down flat.

Their reasons for rejecting those offers vary. Some openly admitted they were not fans of superheroes. (Jon Hamm, how could you?) Others like comics but felt they weren’t right for whatever role they were offered. A few wanted to take the part but had to say no for logistical reasons. Whatever reason they had, none of these actors took the parts of DC heroes and villains they were offered. If they had said yes, the DC Movie Universe — and in some cases the entire film industry — could look very different.