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Leonardo DiCaprio has an impeccable portfolio of incredible movies, and he has carefully vetted each of his roles to come up with only the best quality performances. DiCaprio has worked with legendary directors and he is a favorite of Martin Scorsese having worked together on six projects.The Departedactor received a well-deserving Oscar much later in his career, for the 2015 movieThe Revenant.
In his pursuit of delivering exceptional work, DiCaprio has rejected a number of roles, some of which turned out to be iconic roles, while with some others he dodged a bullet. One genre of roles theShutter Islandactor has consistently avoided is that of a superhero.
Also Read:“I just left him in a hole”: Leonardo DiCaprio Accused Tom Hardy of Having Too Much Fun During a Grueling Scene in Oscar-Winner’s $533M Film
Leonardo DiCaprio Rejected A DC Superhero Role
Leonardo DiCapriowas nominated for an Oscar for his performance in the filmWhat’s Eating Gilbert Grapeat the tender age of 19. Following his Oscar nomination,The Great Gatsbyactor was offered a number of roles, from which he had to choose some while rejecting the most. One such that he turned down was that of Richard “Dick” Grayson / Robin in the 1995 DC film,Batman Forever.
TheInceptionactor met with Joel Schumacher, the director of the film, but never proceeded with the audition for the role. TheBlood Diamondactor chose to work in other low-budget and less successful movies in 1995, includingThe Basketball DiariesandTotal Eclipse. During an interview with ShortList in 2015, DiCaprio revealed that he was not ready to play a superhero role at the time. TheJ. Edgaractor toldShortList:
“I never screen-tested. I had a meeting with Joel Schumacher. It was just one meeting and, no, I didn’t end up doing it. […] Er, I don’t think I did [want the role], no. As I recall I took the meeting, but didn’t want to play the role. Joel Schumacher is a very talented director but I don’t think I was ready for anything like that.”
When asked if he felt like he dodged a bullet, theDjango Unchainedactor responded with just a laugh. InBatman Forever,Val Kilmerplayed Bruce Wayne / Batman, taking over the role fromMichael Keaton. The film was a box office success grossing $336 million. The role of Robin eventually went toChris O’Donnell, who also reprised the role in a sequel,Batman & Robin.
Also Read:“I’m not going to tell you what it says”: Kate Winslet Hides a Personal Secret of Leonardo DiCaprio After Her Titanic Co-Star Gifted Her a ‘Friendship Ring’
Leonardo DiCaprio Was Not Ready For Other Superhero Roles Either
Leonardo DiCaprio was also approached to play the role of another superhero, this time the ever-iconicSpider-Man.James Cameronwho directed DiCaprio in the epic disaster film,Titanic, wrote a draft script for the web-slinger and considered theGangs of New Yorkactor for the role. However, whenSam Raimitook over as director and production began without Cameron, DiCaprio recommended his friendTobey Maguirefor the role and the rest is history.
In his ShortList interview, theDon’t Look Upactor was asked about hisSpider-Manrejection too, and he revealed that the situation was somewhat similar toBatman Forever. TheOnce Upon a Time in Hollywoodactor also commented about his future in the genre. DiCaprio toldShortList:
“That [Spider-Man] was another one of those situations, similar to Robin, where I didn’t feel ready to put on that suit yet. They got in touch with me. […] You never know. You never know. They [superhero movies] are getting better and better as far as complex characters in these movies. I haven’t yet. But no, I don’t rule out anything.”
While not exactly superhero movies, DiCaprio also turned down the roles of Anakin Skywalker inStar Warsprequel trilogy and Neo inThe Matrix. It remains uncertain whether fans will ever witness theRevolutionary Roadactor in a superhero role in the future.
Also Read:“I did have a meeting with George Lucas”: Leonardo DiCaprio Was Allegedly in Talks for Darth Vader Before Hayden Christensen – What Changed His Mind?
Batman Foreveris now available for streaming on Max.
Source:ShortList
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3020
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
