You Won’t Believe These Actors Were Once Rumored For MCU Phase Three Movie Roles

Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was a rollicking rollercoaster of cinema constantly delivering new characters people never thought they’d see headline major motion pictures (Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel, Black Panther, etc.) all leading up to a pair of massive Avengers sequels. It was a collection of eleven movies that, in their own unique ways, paid off the storytelling Marvel Studios had been delivering since 2008. Along the way, countless actors stepped into this franchise to inhabit characters big and small across these motion pictures.

However, there were inevitably a bunch of actors rumored for roles in the Phase Three MCU movies that never came to be. A slew of factors, from scheduling conflicts to pay disputes to the producers opting to go in a different direction, led to these potential high-profile castings going up in smoke. Years later, they’re all now fascinating “What If…?” scenarios unto themselves. What would Phase Three have looked like if these actors had joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

Morgan Freeman in Doctor Strange

Before the Ancient One was brought to live-action for the very first time in Doctor Strange, a slew of actors were considered for the role that would eventually go to Tilda Swinton. Among that initial trio was Morgan Freeman, who would’ve made this not only his MCU debut but also his umpteenth mentor role. Other rumored names like Ken Watanabe and Bill Nighy indicate The Ancient One was once supposed to maintain his male gender (and even ethnicity) from the comics. Eventually, a radical new direction was taken with scoring Oscar-winner Swinton in the role, instead.

Matthew McConaughey in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

One of the leading finalists for the role of Ego the Living Planet in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was none other than Matthew McConaughey. The actor was so attached to the role that concept art was even drummed up imagining McConaughey as Ego, but Kurt Russell would eventually secure the part instead. As for why the casting fell apart, McConaughey apparently had to choose between Vol. 2 and The Dark Tower. Since the latter project wasn’t a sequel, McConaughey opted to anchor that Stephen King adaptation that turned into a box office flop.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in Black Panther

For the role of M’Baku in Black Panther, director Ryan Coogler and company were apparently looking for a lesser-known face to inhabit this scene-stealing character. Before settling on Winston Duke, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was reportedly a major contender for this part. Though he missed out on this role, Abdul-Mateen II would later get menace Aquaman as Black Manta across two Aquaman installments, as well as heading the Marvel Studios TV show Wonder Man.

Asa Butterfield in Captain America: Civil War

The process of casting the MCU’s Peter Parker/Spider-Man for his debut appearance in Captain America: Civil War was a heavily contested one, with countless young men auditioning for the role. One of the finalists for the part was none other than Asa Butterfield. This young actor had cut his teeth on a slew of acclaimed 2010s movies like Hugo, which certainly made it seem like he had some prestige at his back compared to other candidates. Eventually, Butterfield and all the countless other casting options were passed over for Tom Holland’s eventually iconic Spider-Man performance.

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Rebecca Ferguson in Captain Marvel

Speaking of MCU roles that everyone was after, it felt like every woman of a certain age in the film industry was briefly buzzed about for the role of Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel across 2015 and early 2016. Two months after she crushed it in her action-heavy Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation role, Rebecca Ferguson was rumored to be a top contender for playing Danvers and her superhero alter-ego. Eventually, of course, Brie Larson would secure the role while Ferguson would remain busy with further Mission: Impossible outings and the Dune saga.

David Cross in Avengers: Infinity War

After Anthony and Joe Russo snuck in props and characters from their sitcom directing days into their first two Marvel Cinematic Universe outings, all eyes were on who or what would show up in their third MCU feature, Avengers: Infinity War. Pre-release rumors that David Cross (from Arrested Development, a show the two directors helmed many episodes of) would show up didn’t quite come to pass. The Russo Brothers confirmed Cross couldn’t show up in the movie due to scheduling conflicts. However, a molded cast of his Tobias Funke character does briefly show up in the production.

Joaquin Phoenix in Doctor Strange

The world very nearly didn’t get to experience Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange. Though now thought of as indispensable to this character’s live-action incarnation, Cumberbatch originally couldn’t anchor Doctor Strange due to scheduling conflicts. This led to director Scott Derrickson and company engaging in talks with Joaquin Phoenix to take on the role despite Cumberbatch being the first choice. Per Derrickson, Phoenix was the actor who came closest to replacing Cumberbatch, but it eventually became obvious that he just wouldn’t fit right into this particular franchise. Doctor Strange‘s release date getting delayed four months allowed for the Cumberbatch casting to come through after all.

All these Marvel movies are available to stream on Disney+.