Acting is no easy job as often actors have to choose between roles — a decision that can either make or break their careers. The history of Hollywood is also the history of roles that actors famously ended up rejecting. Hugh Jackman famously ended up rejecting the role of James Bond, Clair Danes the role of Rose in Titanic, Harrison Ford the role of Alan Grant in Jurassic Park, and many more.
One actor who is no stranger to rejecting roles is Hollywood heavyweight Matt Damon. A versatile and one of the highest-grossing actors of all time, whose career spans action-packed blockbusters, introspective dramas, and everything in between, Damon has famously rejected roles that could have elevated his already brilliant career to unmatchable heights.
From his Oscar-winning screenplay for Good Will Hunting to his iconic portrayal of Jason Bourne, Damon has cemented himself as a leading man with an uncanny ability to adapt to any role. Yet, the roles that he has let slip through his fingers are iconic on their own accord, having left an indelible mark on cinematic history.
While some of these misses were either due to scheduling conflicts, others were rather calculated creative decisions, but all of them highlight the fascinating “what-ifs” of Damon’s journey in Hollywood.
Among these roles is also a particularly famous Marvel role that could have seen Damon become part of the billion-dollar Marvel Cinematic Universe. So let’s dive into the many roles that Matt Damon almost played, why he let them slip away, and what impact these roles might have had on his legacy.
1. Daredevil in Daredevil (2003)
One of the most famous roles that Matt Damon turned down was the role of Matt Murdock in the 2003 film, Daredevil. While his best friend, Ben Affleck, eventually took on the role and the film turned out to be a commercial success, the role was first offered to Damon. Apparently, the actor was not so sure about the director’s work and ended up saying no despite being a lifelong fan of the Marvel character (see Far Out Magazine). Well, had Damon taken on the role, his grounded, intense acting style would have certainly elevated the film, and who knows he might have potentially altered the trajectory of early 2000s superhero movies.
2. Quentin Beck/Mysterio in Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
While Matt Damon eventually made it to the Marvel Cinematic Universe when he appeared in a cameo as Loki in Thor: Ragnarok, he was supposed to play Quentin Beck aka the cunning Mysterio in Spider-Man: Far From Home. Although it isn’t confirmed whether he was offered the role or not, it was reported by industry insider Jeff Sneider that there were rumors of the role having been offered to Damon first (see Popcorn Talk). While Jake Gyllenhaal portrayed the role rather brilliantly, it would have been interesting to see Damon take on this charismatic yet deceptive character.
3. Harvey Dent/Two-Face in The Dark Knight (2008)
Matt Damon has been a frequent collaborator of Christopher Nolan. However, when it came to starring in the cinematic masterpiece that was The Dark Knight, the actor chose not to play Harvey Dent, the Gotham district attorney who becomes the tragic villain Two-Face. The actor revealed in the Happy Sad Confused podcast, that since The Dark Knight role was relatively smaller and he was busy in some other big movie, he chose to let go of the chance to play Harvey Dent. The role went to Aaron Eckhart, whose performance was widely praised. Missing this role meant that Damon had to sit out on one of the most acclaimed superhero films ever made, but it also allowed him to focus on other projects that ultimately benefited his career trajectory.
4. Jake Sully in Avatar (2009)
Probably one of the biggest career blunders an actor has ever made in the history of Hollywood, Matt Damon famously rejected the role of Jake Sully in James Cameron‘s Avatar, a sci-fi epic that became the highest-grossing film of all time. Even more shocking is that the film’s offer famously dangled 10% of the film’s profits as an incentive, which would have made Damon over $250 million richer than he already is. The role went to Sam Worthington, and as Damon later revealed, he turned down the role due to his loyalty toward his Bourne franchise which he was shooting at that time (via Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace). His everyman charm and emotional depth could have made Jake Sully a more relatable hero, but missing Avatar didn’t slow Damon’s career at all.
5. Rafe McCawley in Pearl Harbor (2001)
Michael Bay’s Pearl Harbor was a commercial success even though it fared brutally in terms of critical ratings. Starring Ben Affleck as one of the leads, the filmmaker initially wanted to cast a star-studded love triangle featuring Affleck, Damon, and Gwenyth Paltrow. However, scheduling conflicts prevented both Damon and Paltrow from joining the film (via IMDb). Meanwhile, Damon enjoyed success with Ocean’s Eleven that same year. However, his ability to convey earnest heroism, as seen in Saving Private Ryan, would have suited Rafe but his absence likely spared him from the film’s mixed legacy.
6. Ennis Del Mar in Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Ang Lee’s 2005 film, Brokeback Mountain was a groundbreaking drama, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger in the lead. A story of forbidden romance, Matt Damon, among several A-listers, was initially considered for the role of Ennis Del Mar in the film (via US Weekly). While the real reason why he passed the role has not been revealed, it is rumored that it either due to his scheduling commitments with other projects or the project being too risky, Damon chose to let go. Missing this role meant Damon skipped a chance to star in a culturally significant film, but he thrived in The Departed and The Bourne Ultimatum around the same time.
7. Dicky Eklund in The Fighter
Matt Damon and Christian Bale‘s paths often clashed back in the day. In an interview with GQ, Bale even joked that several of the roles that he got were because Damon decided to reject them. One of these roles was Bale’s Oscar-winning role as Dicky Eklund in the film, The Fighter. Apparently, when Damon had read the script, it wasn’t as perfect, and the movie had a different director at that time. The actor later praised Bale’s casting. Although Damon gave this role a miss, it did not dim his career trajectory at all.
8. Michael Jennings in Paycheck (2003)
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon started in the film industry at the same time. Given that they were friends and at similar stages in their careers, there were quite many roles that were offered to them both. Apart from saying no to Daredevil, Damon also said no to 2003’s Paycheck. Apparently, Damon did not want to do two ‘amnesia’ pictures one after the other as he had worked in The Bourne Identity just the past year (via UPI). Unfortunately, both Daredevil and Paycheck turned out to be pretty bad for his best friend’s career. Meanwhile, Damon’s decision proved right for him, yet we can’t help but think his cerebral intensity would have certainly suited the memory-twisting plot.
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