Many a great actor has been up for an MCU character that didn’t get the gig. Mel Gibson was in the running to be Thor character Odin, and Emily Blunt was offered Black Widow but turned it down. Jason Momoa, currently Aquaman in the DC movies, was in the running to be Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy, but at the time he wasn’t so fussed.
In an interview with Zap2It, he mentions that it was simply the wrong project at the wrong time. “It didn’t really fit in my time because I’ve done so many things where I don’t say much and I’m colored up and I have my shirt off again,” he says. “I made a conscious choice to turn down some movies that were action-based to direct Road to Paloma so people could see that side.”
He adds that part of it was wanting his children to see him do something other than be a strongman who doesn’t emote a huge amount, like on sci-fi series Stargate: Atlantis. “I was on Stargate: Atlantis for four years playing a similar character called Ronon, who was an alien who didn’t say much and grunted,” he explains. “I’ve been there and done that, whether people have seen it or not. You want to stretch.”
Besides Ronon, Momoa was just coming off Khal Drogo on fantasy series Game of Thrones, a largely mute Dothraki leader who mostly looks angry. He was starting to become typecast, a trap that can be difficult to get out of if you leave it long enough.
Momoa starred in and co-wrote thriller movie Road to Paloma, in addition to directing, demonstrating his talents and interests in filmmaking. Not long after Drax was on the table, Momoa became Aquaman, leading the first superhero movie featuring the waterbound protagonist to $1 billion at the box office.
He came out OK in the situation, and believes Dave Bautista was a better fit for Drax anyway. “I think it’s perfectly cast, Dave is perfect for that role, for Drax,” he added.
All’s well that ends well, but Momoa in the Marvel movies would’ve meant quite a different career arc for him. Check out our guide to Aquaman 2 for what he’ll appear next, and out look at Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 for Bautista and the crew.