With a net worth of over $400 million, Adam Sandler has earned the right to pick and choose whatever project he pleases to accept or in some cases, decline.
However, for some fans, that has been a bit of a downfall, as the star turned down a few serious roles in the past that could've changed the trajectory of his career. Instead, it seems like Sandler is content with playing a certain easy role that we're all accustomed to seeing... That was until 'Uncut Gems', in which we saw a different and more serious version, one that passed the test with flying colors.
Nonetheless, Adam has enjoyed quite the career, though we can't help but think how he would've done in certain roles. In this article, we'll take a look at the huge offer he said no to and which role he took on in its place. Looking back, fans can argue that Sandler made the wrong choice, as the MCU film he said no to would go on to shoot two films, along with a third that is currently in the works.
In addition, the role would've been a lot less demanding than the one he ultimately chose. Hollywood is a wild place.
Reuniting With A Familiar Face
In 2014, Sandler released a film alongside a familiar face in Drew Barrymore. The film 'Blended' hit theaters with lots of hype, though the reviews were not as kind, it was mostly considered a passable film, while other like 'The New Yorker' took exception to it. "I'm astonished by the failure of the skilled and successful moviemakers involved in “Blended.” This encompasses the director, Frank Coraci, who directed one of Sandler’s better movies, “Click”; the screenwriters, Ivan Menchell and Clare Sera, both of whom have been in the business for around twenty years; and a team of veteran producers including Sandler himself," Richard Brody stated.
Despite some harsh feedback, the film was a decent draw at the box office, bringing in $128 million on a $40 million budget.
Barrymore would also state that the film was fun putting together, "We got to improvise a lot, but we went into it with a great script. There are some movies where it’s a little looser, or that are very strict and they won’t let you stray from the script. But with Adam’s movies, you also get to play. You have the comfort of knowing that you’re getting the goods, but then you have the awesome scary-excited feeling of knowing that you have to come up with fun stuff to do, on the day, to give them options in editing. It’s fun. The night before, you get weird ideas. It’s just awesome."
Despite the great atmosphere behind the scenes, it didn't compare to the project Sandler turned down.
Rocket Racoon
Way back in 2013, prior to the release of 'Guardians of the Galaxy', Slash Film made mention that both Jim Carrey and Adam Sandler were up for the role of Rocket Racoon, "Latino Review reports Marvel is reportedly courting both Jim Carrey and/or Adam Sandler for yet-to-be-revealed parts in James Gunn‘s 2014 film, Guardians of the Galaxy."
Neither of the two got the role and it is said that Sandler's schedule was a big reason for it. We all know by now, the film was a huge success, bringing in $772.8 million, while the sequel made even more, making a total splash of over a billion, with a third in the works.
Although Bradley Cooper cashed in on the role, fans on Reddit couldn't help but get excited thinking about either Carrey or Sandler in the role instead.
"If they actually use either of these guys, I have faith they will make it work."
"I can just imagine Rocket Raccoon having a 5 minute long "making faces and weird noises" scene that Carrey fans will find hilarious."
Some fans were also skeptical about Sandler in the role, "I would honestly love to see Jim Carrey play the voice of Rocket Raccoon. Adam Sandler, not so much. I figured they would go for someone with a much more gritty voice for RR, but having a comedic actor could add some comedic relief."
Neither got the role but we can bet both Sandler and Carrey aren't losing sleep over it, given how successful they've both been for years now.
Sources: Reddit, Twitter, YouTube, The New Yorker, Slash Film & Collider