Why these high-profile actors abandoned their superhero roles
Whether you are a fan of superhero movies or not, the moment these high-profile abandoned their superhero roles definitely garnered a lot of attention.
1. Hugh Jackman – Wolverine
Prior to the release of Logan, Jackman announced that his ninth appearance as Wolverine would be his last. It is believed that Jackman walked away from the role as he had been playing the part for 17 years, as well as the physical demands of the role. Luckily for fans, the Aussie actor left the role with a bang as his acting in Logan was both a critical and box office success. One thing that may have kept Jackman playing Wolverine longer would’ve been if the X-Men franchise and the Marvel Cinematic Universe crossed over. He told ScreenRant, “If [an Avengers-crossover] was on the table when I made my decision, it certainly would have made me pause. That’s for sure. Because I always love the idea of him within that dynamic, with the Hulk obviously, with Iron Man but there’s a lot of smarter people with MBAs who can’t figure that out. You never know.”
2. Christian Bale – Batman
Christian Bale and Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy is widely considered the best portrayal of Gotham’s superhero. Prior to announcing Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Warner Bros reportedly offered Bale $50 million to put on the cape once more. However, because Christopher Nolan chose not to return to the story, Bale also walked away. Bale has always said that if Nolan came to him with a new Batman script, he wouldn’t say no.
3. Michael Keaton – Batman
After appearing in 1989’s Batman and the sequel Batman Returns, Keaton walked away from reprising his role as the superhero in Batman Forever, despite being offered $15 million. Keaton was influenced by Tim Burton’s decision to walk away from the franchise but did not initially turn it done. According to Keaton, after meeting with Burton’s replacement Joel Schumacher and reading the rewritten script, he turned down the role claiming that the project “sucked”.
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