- Alfred Molina, Spider-Man 2, 2003.
- Aaron Eckhart, The Dark Knight, 2007.
- Edward Norton, The Incredible Hulk, 2007. Welcome to Hollywood, Louis Leterrier… Marvel wanted Eric Bana to reprise his hulking from the first 2002 movie. The French director preferred Mark Ruffalo. He considered were Matthew McConaughey, Dominic Purcell and Liev Schreiber. But Marvel told him: “You should get Edward Norton because he’s more famous!” A genuine Hulk fan, Norton had refused the first movie in 2002. He hated the script – and would rewrite most of his one (as Edward Harrison), probably why he was replaced by Ruffalo for Disney’s first summit meeting of the Marvel superheroes, The Avengers, 2011. And six more chapters. At least.
- Danny Huston, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, 2009. Brian Cox hoped to reprise his complex William Stryker from X2: X-Men United, 2012, with the help of youthification CGI as u Stand, 2005. No, said Fox, much cheaper to use a younger actor. Like Michael C Hall. Schreiber was invited aboard by his pal, Hugh Jackman, aka Wolverine, but rejected Stryker and asked to be the more interesting” Victor Creed, aka Sabretooth. Humiliated in a muscle suit, he set out to build real muscle in the gym (while making Defiance, 2008, in Lithuania, working out with Jackman down-under and adding protein due to “the genocide of chickens”). He gained 35 lbs. “I felt I owed it to the genre.”
- Nicolas Cage, Trespass, 2010. Director Joel Schumacher had to stop shooting on August 3, when Cage insisted on swopping roles from Nicole Kidman’s husband to her kidnapper – or he’d quit the film! Hubby was offered to Schreiber but before he could try on a suit – or meet Nicole – Cage turned up for work next day as if nothing had happened.
- Ray Winstone, Noah, 2013. Schreiber, Val Kilmer, Liam Neeson – Darren Aronofsky searched far and wide for “an actor with the grit and size to be convincing as he goes head-to-head against Crowe’s Noah.” They could have all played Noah, himself. But the role was Tubalcain, nemesis of the auteur’s life-long fascination with… “a dark, complicated character who experiences real survivor’s guilt.” And a lot of water.
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 6