It seems as though the Marvel Cinematic Universe has expanded overnight and is gaining popularity with each new release. The MCU films are based on characters from the Marvel comic books and will have four phases. With only three phases complete, the MCU universe will continue to grow.

The first phase began with Iron Man in 2008, the second phase with Iron Man 3 in 2013, the third with Captain America: Civil War in 2016, and the fourth will begin with Black Widow in 2020.

With the length of the MCU, landing a role would guarantee an actor several years of work which could be appealing to some. Others might be attracted to the large amount of publicity. Whatever the draw, MCU roles are well sought after, and many high profile actors have been considered for the roles over the years.

Here are 15 actors who lost MCU roles due to stupid reasons.

15 Tom Cruise Denies Rumors Of Iron Man

According to rumors, Tom Cruise was actually the first actor to be considered for the role of Iron Man. It’s hard to even picture someone else besides Robert Downey Jr. in the role. However, Tom Cruise has denied the rumors saying, “I can’t imagine anyone else in the role”, but the rumors had to have originated somewhere.

14 Joaquin Phoenix Didn't Want The Publicity Of Doctor Strange

Joaquin Phoenix was invited to audition for the role of Doctor Strange which some people thought was a odd choice. Becoming Doctor Strange comes with a several year commitment as well as a lot of publicity. Joaquin isn’t in the public eye very often and decided it wasn’t the best fit for him.

13 Matthew McConaughey Was Too Relaxed For Ego The Living Planet

While Kurt Russell was definitely the right person to play Ego The Living Planet, director James Gunn originally hoped that Matthew McConaughey would be the right fit. However, McConaughey ended up being too relaxed for the role and turned down the offer. I guess everything worked out in the end!

12 Adam Sandler Too Funny For Rocket Raccoon

While casting for Rocket Raccoon in 2013, it was rumored that Adam Sandler was being considered to play the part. It kind of makes sense since Rocket Raccoon is a hilarious raccoon who likes to swear. However, many people immediately expressed their disapproval and didn’t think Sandler’s humor was appropriate for the role.

11 Jim Carrey Too Busy To Play Rocket Raccoon

Another actor who was considered for the role of Rocket Raccoon in Guardians of the Galaxy is Jim Carrey. Since it is a humorous role, it seems appropriate that Jim Carrey and his portfolio of comedic experience would be considered for the role. However, Carrey ended up focusing on other jobs.

The Hulk has been played by many actors over the years. In 2008, The Incredible Hulk released which featured Edward Norton. David Duchovny was originally considered for the role. However, producers were hoping for a lot of publicity, so they ended up picking Edward Norton since he was more popular.

9 Sam Rockwell Wasn't Good Enough For Iron Man

Several well known actors auditioned for the role of Iron Man, and Sam Rockwell was one of them. Although directors thought that he wasn’t as good of a fit to play Tony Stark as Robert Downey Jr. But that wasn’t the end of Iron Man for Rockwell since he ended up playing Justin Hammer in Iron Man 2.

8 Emily Blunt's Obligations Get In The Way Of Black Widow

Believe it or not, Emily Blunt was in the running to play the role of Natasha Romanoff, also known as Black Widow. Rumor has it that she was also in the leas ahead of Scarlett Johansson. However, Blunt had contractual obligations with 10th Century Fox and was unable to accept that role.

7 Jake Gyllenhaal Considered As A Backup For Spider-Man

Spider-Man is another role who has been played by many actors. In the 2002 Spider-Man film, Tobey Maguire was set to play the role of Peter Parker when he got injured and was unsure if he could do any stunts. They briefly considered Jake Gyllenhaal when Maguire decided he could continue. However, Gyllenhaal is now in the franchise as a new role!

6 Jensen Ackles Wasn't A Right Fit For Captain America

Jensen Ackles, who is most known for his role on Supernatural, auditioned for the role of Captain America. Marvel thought Chris Evans was a better fit for the role, but offered Ackles the role of Hawkeye instead. He turned down the role citing scheduling issues, but rumor has it that he only wanted to play Captain America.

5 Leonardo Dicaprio Wasn't Ready For The Spider-Man Suit

Before casting Tobey Maguire in the 2002 Spider-Man film, Leonardo DiCaprio was the front runner for the role of Peter Parker. However, Leonardo didn’t feel like he was really to put on that suit yet. Although it’s rumored that Leonardo ended up recommending Maguire, so he still played a big role in the movie!

4 Emily Blunt Has Scheduling Conflicts For Peggy Carter

While Emily Blunt unfortunately missed out on her opportunity to play Black Widow, that wasn’t the end of the Marvel world for her. Marvel still loved her and actually offered her the role of Peggy Carter. However, she still couldn’t get her schedule to align and had to miss out on joining the MCU world yet again.

3 John Krasinski Wasn't Superhero Enough For Captain America

John Krasinski auditioned for the role of Captain America. It ended up going to Chris Evans and while Krasinski was disappointed, he completely understood. Krasinski told Conan O’Brien that while preparing for his audition, Chris Hemworth walked by in his Thor suit and he realized he wasn’t cut out to be a superhero.

2 Jason Momoa Didn't Want The Stereotypical Role Of Drax

Several actors were considered for the role of Drax the Destroyer in Guardians of the Galaxy before ultimately going with Dave Bautista. Jason Momoa was just one of those. However, Jason said that he didn’t want to continue playing stereotypical “big-guy roles” and ended up turning down the role.

1 Daniel Craig Couldn't Land Negotiations For Thor

There is a little confusion about if Daniel Craig was really being considered for the role of Thor. A reporter asked him about rumors of him preparing for a role like Thor and Craig responded that he was in negotiations with MCU. However, he later added that he was just joking.