5 Actors Who Were Fired From Superhero Movie And TV Roles... And 5 Who Chose To Walk Away

Following the shocking news that Ruby Rose is walking away from the role of Batwoman on The CW, we're taking a look at more actors who left superheroes behind...as well as those who were forced to leave!

By JoshWilding - May 20, 2020 06:05 AM EST

Filed Under: Batwoman

In news none of could have seen coming, it was revealed last night that Batwoman star Ruby Rose will not return to play Kate Kane after starring in the first season of The CW series. That's a shocker for sure (it would have been like Grant Gustin leaving The Flash or Stephen Amell quitting Arrow), but it's got us thinking about other notable departures.

Over the years, we've seen actors walk away from superhero movies and TV shows, while others have been fired for some often very surprising or shocking reasons.

With that in mind, we're now taking a look back at 5 actors who quit, and five who ended up being given the boot. You may not know the story behind many of these - Shailene Woodley in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, for example - so we're sure you'll find some very interesting reveals here.

To check them out, all you guys need to do is click on the "Next" button down below!

10. Ed Norton (The Hulk) = Walked Away

The original plan was for Ed Norton was originally supposed to return as Bruce Banner/The Hulk in The Avengers but plans changed when he butted heads with Marvel Studios during The Incredible Hulk's production. After insisting that he rewrite parts of the script, Norton refused to promote the movie due to his unhappiness with how it ultimately came together.

His desire for creative control was a problem for Marvel even in their earliest days, and while we've never been entirely sure whether he walked away from the MCU or was fired, comments from the actor have indicated that he probably decided not to reprise the role down the line.

After his experience working on The Incredible Hulk, Norton is unlikely to ever return to the genre!

9. Andrew Garfield (Spider-Man) = Fired

Andrew Garfield had a good thing going with The Amazing Spider-Man franchise. Sure, the first two instalments weren't particularly well-received by a lot of fans, but they were financially successful, and he had Sinister Six and at least two more solo outings to look forward.

However, he ended up being fired by Sony and that apparently came after he failed to attend an event with Sony bigwigs for what he claimed was sickness caused by jet lag. It did not go down well.

The plan had been to announce The Amazing Spider-Man 3 at that event and with Marvel pushing for the opportunity to reboot the franchise, Sony finally pulled the trigger on an overdue MCU team-up.

8. Shailene Woodley (Mary Jane Watson) = Fired

Talking of The Amazing Spider-Man movies, Shailene Woodley was cast as Mary Jane Watson in the 2014 sequel, but the apparent negative reaction from fans to her being chosen to play the character resulted in Sony completely cutting the actress from the movie.

She had shot a number of scenes (MJ would have been Peter's new neighbour and possible love interest) but they all ended up on the cutting room floor, and she was nowhere to be seen.

It was later claimed that Marc Webb scrapped her role in order to streamline the sequel and focus on Peter and Gwen Stacy, and while there was talk of Woodley returning for the third instalment, it didn't sound like she was particularly happy with the way she was treated.

7. Hugh Jackman (Wolverine) = Walked Away

Hugh Jackman was first cast as Wolverine in the late 90s and the fact he was still playing the character two decades later is nothing short of remarkable. However, realising that he wanted to embark on other projects and feeling that he was too old to continue playing a superhero, the Australian actor decided to hang his claws up with 2017's Logan.

That brought the character's story arc to a close in an emotional and memorable finale.

As of right now, Wolverine is very much dead and that's something Jackman seems content with. Ryan Reynolds hasn't had much luck convincing him to reprise the role, and with the Disney/Fox merger meaning the hero is returning to the MCU, it seems likely Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige will find a new actor to play the popular X-Man.

6. Ben Affleck (Batman) = Walked Away

If Ben Affleck had ended up playing the Caped Crusader in The Batman, it would have been nothing short of a miracle. The actor clearly didn't want to continue playing the character, and after the negative critical response to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League, it's easy to see why that is. As a result, he gave up both the role and director's chair.

He also had his fair share of personal issues while making the movies, but did indicate that he enjoyed working with Zack Snyder in recent interviews (but not Joss Whedon, we're assuming).

Matt Reeves has since chosen Robert Pattinson to play the new Batman, and there's now no chance of Affleck ever reprising the role. On the plus side, he now seems to be considerably happier.

5. Ruby Rose (Batwoman) = Walked Away

Batwoman just wrapped up its first season, but Ruby Rose has announced that she's decided to walk away from the role. A specific reason wasn't given, but there has to be a reason.

It could be because she injured her back on set or the negativity the actress has had from fans, but we're bound to find out what happened sooner rather than later. For now, though, The CW now needs to find a new actress to replace Rose in season two, and they're looking for an LGBTQ actress.

This is undoubtedly one of the most surprising departures on this list, and a game-changer for the series.

4. James Purefoy (V) = Fired

V for Vendetta is one of those great comic book movies which seems to have been mostly forgotten in recent years, but what you may not realise is that before Hugo Weaving ended up landing the lead role, James Purefoy had been cast as the iconic character.

He had even shot scenes as V, but when the movie's director and producers realised he didn't have the charisma needed for the role, he was unceremoniously fired by the studio.

Weaving was asked to take over and it's thought that there are even scenes in the finished movie where it's Purefoy beneath the mask (clearly not all his scenes were terrible). It's now hard to imagine anyone other than Weaving playing V, but one has to wonder about what might have been.

3. Dougray Scott (Wolverine) = Walked Away

Before Hugh Jackman was cast as Wolverine, Batwoman star Dougray Scott had been chosen to take on the role of the iconic Marvel Comics mutant by director Bryan Singer.

His casting had been made official, and he was getting ready to start shooting before some unexpected scheduling conflicts resulted in him being forced to choose between starring in X-Men or answering the call from Tom Cruise to play the lead villain in Mission: Impossible II.

Scott didn't believe that superhero movies were popular enough to have a positive impact on his career, so he went with the spy franchise and ended up starring in arguably the worst chapter in that series. As a result, the actor likely missed out on becoming a household name.

2. Terrence Howard (Rhodey) = Fired

Believe it or not, because he was a more bankable star at the time, Terrence Howard scored a larger sum for Iron Man than Robert Downey Jr. Unfortunately, he took a little too much credit for the first movie's success and demanded a massive pay rise for the sequel which frugal Marvel boss Isaac Perlmutter simply refused to pay.

As a result, he was fired from the role for controversial reasons. Brace yourselves for this one.

You see, it's been said that Perlmutter was confident that no one would notice Howard being replaced...because all black people look the same. Crazy, right? Don Cheadle ended up as War Machine in Iron Man 2, and he's done a great job, with Howard starring in critically acclaimed Fox drama Empire.

1. Michelle Pfeiffer (Catwoman) = Fired

Michelle Pfeiffer did an incredible job as Catwoman in Batman Returns and delivered the most iconic take on the character to date (even all these years later). At the time, Warner Bros. wanted her to star in a solo outing but the plug was quickly pulled on the project, and she was unceremoniously fired.

The true story behind these events have never been revealed, but it's been widely reported that it boiled down to Warner Bros. and Joel Schumacher wanting to head in a more kid-friendly direction moving forward. That obviously didn't work out well for the Batman franchise as what came next sucked.

On the plus side, Pfeiffer got another shot at a superhero role in Ant-Man and The Wasp.

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52 Comments

1 2

tmp3 - 5/20/2020, 6:03 AM

Honestly, I know that CW's denying it, but I think she left due to safety reasons. A production assistant got paralyzed on set and she suffered a huge injury too... doesn't seem like the safest environment, especially with all the stunt work.

CWBNGAJEEPGUY85 - 5/20/2020, 6:07 AM

I had no idea that Michelle Pfeiffer was fired from her role as Catwoman!

TexasAvenger - 5/20/2020, 6:08 AM

The devil works hard but Josh Wilding works harder. Especially when there's a list article to be made.

tmp3 - 5/20/2020, 6:13 AM

Andrew Garfield was such a wasted opportunity, man. Hell of an actor, why'd they have to shackle him with the worst scripts

1 2

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5 Actors Who Were Fired From Superhero Movie And TV Roles... And 5 Who Chose To Walk Away

Following the shocking news that Ruby Rose is walking away from the role of Batwoman on The CW, we're taking a look at more actors who left superheroes behind...as well as those who were forced to leave!

10. Ed Norton (The Hulk) = Walked Away

9. Andrew Garfield (Spider-Man) = Fired

8. Shailene Woodley (Mary Jane Watson) = Fired

7. Hugh Jackman (Wolverine) = Walked Away

6. Ben Affleck (Batman) = Walked Away

5. Ruby Rose (Batwoman) = Walked Away

4. James Purefoy (V) = Fired

3. Dougray Scott (Wolverine) = Walked Away

2. Terrence Howard (Rhodey) = Fired

1. Michelle Pfeiffer (Catwoman) = Fired

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