Movies Leonardo DiCaprio Rejected

Leonardo DiCaprio's extremely selective nature as an actor has ensured that he's taken on quite a few roles in his career that have become iconic. After his work as Jack in James Cameron's "Titanic," the part that really put him on the map as a big box office draw, DiCaprio became a living Hollywood legend thanks to features like "The Departed," "Inception," "Django Unchained," "The Wolf of Wall Street," and numerous others.

Because of the sheer popularity of most of his work, DiCaprio's career is defined by the hit movies he has anchored, not the titles that he's passed on. However, the fact that DiCaprio has turned down some interesting parts over the years is intriguing — it's hard not to imagine what he would have done with these roles if things had worked out differently.

The movies that DiCaprio has rejected vary in terms of genre. There's an animated DreamWorks title, for example, as well as a few well-known biopics, some critically acclaimed crime thrillers, and an entry in one of the most popular Hollywood franchises of all time. DiCaprio's dense filmography already gives fans of the actor so much to chew on, but considering the roles he never took is also a fun mental exercise for those who just can't get enough of the iconic leading man.

When "Rise of the Guardians" debuted in theaters in November 2012, it tanked so hard that DreamWorks was forced to fire around 350 employees to make up for the losses. The dismal box office showing cast a negative aura around the reputation of "Rise of the Guardians" and its tale of childhood icons joining forces to stop The Boogeyman. Perhaps if the film had managed to hang on to its original choice for the main character, it might have done better at the box office. In 2009, news broke that Leonardo DiCaprio was going to voice Jack Frost, a gig that would have functioned as the "Titanic" leading man's inaugural foray into voice-work in a major animated movie. It was also a buzzy casting choice that was in line with past DreamWorks titles hinging on big-name leads, such as Will Smith in "Shark Tale" or Mike Myers in "Shrek."

Sadly, it wasn't meant to be. By January 2011, Variety was reporting that DiCaprio had bowed out of the production, with Chris Pine taking over as Jack Frost. While no official reason was given for why DiCaprio departed the project, "Rise of the Guardians" director Peter Ramsey noted to Animated Views that DiCaprio left the role before he jumped into the director's chair. "By the time I was there, he was clearly not really a possibility," Ramsey said. "It was fine, because once we seriously started thinking about casting and the idea of Chris Pine came up, none of us could get Chris out of our heads." Whatever the reason for his exit, DiCaprio's absence from "Rise of the Guardians" gave this DreamWorks title one less element to use in warding off its dreary box office fate.

Leonardo DiCaprio has staunchly avoided franchise fare over the course of his career, a move that has worked well for him. We're used to seeing DiCaprio's name at the top of movie posters, not below a Marvel Studios or 007 logo, for example. However, early on in his career (just a few years after "Titanic" established him as the new heartthrob of Hollywood), DiCaprio got the chance to star in the granddaddy of all film franchises: Star Wars. Creator and director George Lucas talked with DiCaprio about the idea of playing the teenage version of Anakin Skywalker that would debut in 2002's "Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones."

Speaking to ShortList in 2015, DiCaprio recalled that he was tempted to take on the role, but ultimately decided it was too much too soon. "[I] just didn't feel ready to take that dive at that point," he said. In hindsight, avoiding this part was probably a good movie, considering the pressure that eventual actor Hayden Christensen faced from fans when he took on the role. Saying no to Star Wars also freed up DiCaprio's schedule for movies like "Catch Me If You Can" and "The Aviator," which helped solidify him as a movie star beyond "Titanic." He couldn't have anchored those films nor established himself as a franchise-free box office draw if he had accepted the role of Anakin Skywalker, who, of course, goes on to become Darth Vader in Star Wars lore.

For portraying Alan Turing in 2015's "The Imitation Game," Benedict Cumberbatch secured his first Oscar nod and proved his chops as a leading man in movies. Given how monumental this part was for Cumberbatch, it's difficult to remember that, at one time, this incarnation of Turing was supposed to be played by Leonardo DiCaprio. When "The Imitation Game" was first being pitched to Hollywood studios, DiCaprio was attached as the film's leading man, which led to Warner Bros. snatching the picture up. Following the studio's success with DiCaprio on projects like "The Departed" and "Blood Diamond," the story of Alan Turing (the mathematician and computer scientist who helped crack secret Nazi codes during WWII), looked like it would be another winner for the studio.

However, by 2012, DiCaprio had dropped out of the project for unknown reasons and the film was looking for a new home: As revealed by The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. had no interest in making "The Imitation Game" without DiCaprio anchoring it. Warner Bros. quickly let the project go in the wake of DiCaprio's departure, a move that seemed to kill off the biopic for a little while. However, after a few more years of development, "The Imitation Game" eventually secured independent financing and commenced shooting. The film morphed into the title that would forever change Cumberbatch's career. It was nominated for eight Academy Awards in total, including best picture.

At one point in time, the critically acclaimed 2013 drama "Prisoners" was going to be headlined by Leonardo DiCaprio, but only under some pretty severe conditions. He came aboard in 2010, though he insisted that the film be made within a specific timeframe and with a director of his choosing. "Leo's participation will depend on who's helming," Deadline said when it revealed news of DiCaprio's involvement. Antoine Fuqua had previously been attached at that point, and Swedish director Daniel Espinosa was being mooted.

MTV said that DiCaprio was still attached to "Prisoners" in July 2010, though the outlet did note a director had yet to be chosen for the project, a crucial element in getting DiCaprio fully committed to the production. "File this one under 'wait and see,'" the report stated. The wait turned out to be for nothing, because by the time eventual helmer Denis Villeneuve was given the nod by Warner Bros., "all previously attached talent had vacated the project, including DiCaprio," IndieWire confirmed. In the end, the role DiCaprio was interested in (that of Keller Dover, the father of a kidnapped girl who goes vigilante) went to Hugh Jackman.

When the biopic "Richard Jewell" was first announced in February 2014, it was billed as a reunion for Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill, who worked together so well on "The Wolf of Wall Street." Jewell's story dates back to the 1996 Summer Olympics, held in Atlanta. He was working as a security guard when he spotted a suspicious-looking backpack. It turned out that bag had a bomb in it, and Jewell helped get people to safety before it exploded. He was later named as a suspect and his life was turned upside down. Hill was set to play Jewell (who was later cleared of any wrongdoing), with DiCaprio in the role of his attorney.

According to a Deadline report from September 2014, director Paul Greengrass was ready to come aboard. However, at this point, DiCaprio had made it clear that he wanted to take on fewer roles. "I am a bit drained," he said in a statement (via Slash Film). "I'm now going to take a long, long break." Between that announcement and the release of "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," DiCaprio only shot one new movie, his Oscar-winning film "The Revenant." His plan to take a break from acting likely stopped the original incarnation of "Richard Jewell" from taking off. By the time the feature was revived in April 2019, neither Hill nor DiCaprio were attached. Paul Walter Hauser and Sam Rockwell ended up playing Jewell and his attorney, respectively, though the original stars stayed on board as producers.

In 1974, James Caan headlined the critically acclaimed crime drama "The Gambler," a feature that proved so enduringly popular that plans were announced in 2011 for a remake. The idea was for Martin Scorsese to direct and for Leonardo DiCaprio to take on the character previously inhabited by Caan, a New York-based English professor with a gambling addiction. Speaking to Spotlight Report, Rupert Wyatt (who would eventually direct the picture) claimed that screenwriter William Monohan was hired to write the remake of "The Gambler" in the wake of Scorsese and DiCaprio signing on. This development was critical for "The Gambler," since it meant that it had secured the leading man, director, and screenwriter of "The Departed."

Sadly, many of those promising elements would eventually vanish. While Monohan's first draft remained largely unchanged, Scorsese had left the film by the end of summer 2012. He was replaced by Todd Phillips, who would subsequently get replaced by Wyatt. By this time, DiCaprio's name was nowhere to be found in reports on the film. "The Gambler" had lost Scorsese and had now also fumbled the chance to score DiCaprio. Mark Wahlberg (who was also in "The Departed" and loved Monohan's work) would eventually take on the lead role in this new version of "The Gambler," though his work wasn't nearly as acclaimed as Caan's original performance.

In its journey to the big screen, 2015's "Steve Jobs" went through several changes in the director and lead actor departments. Initially, David Fincher was supposed to helm the film with Christian Bale playing the Apple co-founder. Eventually, both men left the project, but when Danny Boyle was selected to direct "Steve Jobs," a high-profile replacement was floated for Bale: Leonardo DiCaprio. If this casting had gone through, it would have been a massive coup, a signal that "Steve Jobs" was aiming to be a big box office success. However, in October 2014, DiCaprio departed from "Steve Jobs."

The Hollywood Reporter was the first to break the news, revealing that DiCaprio had opted to shoot "The Revenant" instead and that he had "removed himself from the biopic altogether." The actor's decision to ditch the project appeared to anger execs: Former Sony Pictures Entertainment head Amy Pascal called the move "actually despicable" in an email exchange with producer Mark Gordon, as revealed amid the 2014 Sony Pictures hack (via the Independent). The role was eventually filled by Michael Fassbender, who received plenty of plaudits for his performance. DiCaprio, meanwhile, went on to win his long-awaited Oscar for "The Revenant," so it all worked out for the best.

The 2013 crime drama "Out of the Furnace" took a long, twisty road to the screen. In fact, when this film (which follows a steel mill worker as he looks for his missing war veteran brother) was first getting off the ground, it was known as "The Low Dweller" and was set to star Leonardo DiCaprio, with Ridley Scott at the helm. This news broke in March 2008, around six months before the pair's movie "Body of Lies" hit theaters. DiCaprio and Scott were clearly aiming to reunite very quickly. However, by July 2009, Scott was no longer attached as director. Rupert Sanders was set to helm the feature instead, with DiCaprio still in the lead role.

Sanders was still an up-and-coming name at the time, and DiCaprio rarely worked with green directors. Was this why DiCaprio ditched the project? The reason has never been confirmed, but, in the end, Sanders exited, too. By early 2011, Scott Cooper was in the hot seat and DiCaprio was long gone. The actor was in the middle of one of the busiest periods in his career at the time, having just completed the likes of "Shutter Island" and "Inception," with the likes of "J. Edgar" and "Django Unchained" on the horizon. It appears as though he just didn't have time for "Out of the Furnace," though he remained on board as a producer, as did Scott.

When Guillermo del Toro's version of "Nightmare Alley" was first getting off the ground, the film's protagonist was set to be played by none other than Leonardo DiCaprio. In fact, when this news initially broke, The Hollywood Reporter's Borys Kit said that DiCaprio had turned down the chance to appear in new films from Paul Thomas Anderson and Alejandro González Iñárritu so he could make room in his schedule for "Nightmare Alley." However, by June 2019, DiCaprio's name was no longer attached to the film and Bradley Cooper was being linked with the lead role of ambitious mentalist Stanton "Stan" Carlisle, which he eventually secured.

While promoting the theatrical debut of "Nightmare Alley," Guillermo del Toro revealed to The Wrap that he and DiCaprio had extensive conversations about the project that stemmed from them both sharing a deep passion for carnivals. However, the actor's busy schedule meant that he wouldn't be able to participate in "Nightmare Alley" without jeopardizing the availability of other cast members like Cate Blanchett and Ron Perlman. With the director wanting to keep the supporting players he always had in mind for their respective roles, he and DiCaprio went their separate ways, though the A-lister "departed on really good terms," del Toro confirmed.

"The Deep Blue Good-By" is a 1964 John D. MacDonald novel that kicked off a series of books focusing on Florida-based private investigator/beach bum Travis McGee. The property was a smash hit in the 1960s and the McGee character even made it to the big screen in the 1970 feature "Darker Than Amber." Back in 2009, it was revealed that Leonardo DiCaprio would be playing a new incarnation of the character in a film adaptation of "The Deep Blue Good-By," though at the time the movie was simply called "Travis McGee." Initially, the plan was to have Oliver Stone helm the picture, an intriguing choice given that DiCaprio had previously dropped out of Stone's version of "American Psycho" over creative differences with the filmmaker.

Years went by with no movement on the project, though DiCaprio was still attached to headline the movie as late as May 2013, when Dennis Lehane ("Shutter Island") was hired to overhaul the script. In May 2014, James Mangold signed on to direct the movie and the wheels were put in motion, but this development also cost "The Deep Blue Good-By" (the movie had reverted to using the source material's name at this stage) its original leading man. The reasoning was scheduling conflicts, with DiCaprio not having the time to do the project. "The film was originally set as a star vehicle for Leonardo DiCaprio," Deadline said at the time, adding, "That's not going to happen now, as DiCaprio has plenty of work in front of him and this film [...] is certainly ready to go." In the end, this version of the feature never got off the ground, either.