Kraven the Hunter star Aaron Taylor-Johnson revealed he was offered a role in 2018's Deadpool 2 but turned it down.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter for Taylor-Johnson's recently-released film Bullet Train, the actor stated, "I feel fortunate and lucky that we were able to make this movie during a pandemic I’ve always wanted to work with Brad Pitt. I’ve always wanted to make a movie on a Los Angeles soundstage." He recounted that he had to put a lot of effort into getting his role in Bullet Train after rejecting director David Lietch's offer to appear in Deadpool 2.
He explained, "[Bullet Train] was yet another movie I fought for. This was one of those hot scripts around town, and David Leitch actually asked me to be in Deadpool 2 ages ago. So I met him, but I didn’t do that. So when this came around, I was like, 'Hey, do you remember me?' And he was like, “Of course. I like you as an actor.' So I was like, 'Cool, what about this character?' And he was like, 'Get in line, buddy. There’s like ten other actors who want this job and they’ve got a bigger name than you do.'"
Aaron Taylor-Johnson Isn't Done With Superheroes
It's unknown what role Taylor-Johnson was offered in Deadpool 2 and why he turned it down. By the time the superhero-comedy was released, Taylor-Johnson had already appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Quicksilver in Avengers: Age of Ultron, though the role only lasted a single film. Deadpool 2 featured a number of new faces, as well as notable cameos from both the cast of X-Men: Apocalypse and actor Brad Pitt, who made a very brief appearance as Vanisher.
Taylor-Johnson is currently filming his next superhero film, Kraven the Hunter. The actor will play the titular supervillain and star alongside actors Russell Crowe and Ariana DeBose. Though details are currently scarce, Taylor-Johnson previously teased Sony's adaptation of Kraven will satisfy fans. He said, "Kraven is a beautiful character. Sergei Kravinov is a beautiful character because it's someone who's really understanding themselves and has flaws... is he going to be the hunter that we all want to see? Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely."
Kraven the Hunter is currently in production and is scheduled for release on Jan. 13, 2023. Deadpool 2 is available for streaming on Disney+.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter