X-Men: Apocalypse is finally out in theaters, and as we look back at the 16-year saga that has been the X-Men film franchise, it could have looked completely different then what it looks like now. Here are 11 actors who were almost X-Men.
Neil Patrick Harris as Nightcrawler
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Mike Vogel as Angel
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Helen Hunt as Jean Grey
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Famke Janssen is Jean Grey without question (though we're excited to see
Game of Thrones'
Sophie Turner take on the role as a younger version of the character.) However, Janssen was not Fox's first choice for the role. Initially, actress
Helen Hunt was offered the part, but she turned it down in favor of other opportunities. It all worked out though, because Janseen brought the perfect dark angle to the Phoenix.
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Johnny Depp as Wolverine
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Enigmatic actor
Johnny Depp has been known to turn down a number of major roles over the course of his career, and one of those roles was Wolverine in the
X-Men franchise. Still, Depp wasn't the only one to turn down the role,
Russell Crowe,
Mel Gibson,
Aaron Eckhart and
Viggo Mortensen were also considered. Despite all of this,
Hugh Jackman was probably the best choice. We can't seen anyone else being able to potray the animal-like mutant for nearly two decades. Also, with Depp in the role, we doubt we would know him as Captain Jack Sparrow.
Jada Pinkett-Smith & Angela Bassett as Storm
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It may be hard to believe, but
Halle Berry was neither the first nor the second choice to play the weather bending mutant Storm. Initially, the role was offered to
Jada Pinkett Smith, who decided to hand the role over to Berry. Still, before either Berry or Smith were considered, Academy Award nominated actress
Angela Bassett was considered for a starring role in a 1995 film that never came to fruition.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Cyclops
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Sigourney Weaver as Emma Frost
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Rachel Leigh Cook & Kate Winslet as Rouge
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Anna Paquin's performance as Rogue was perfection right out of the gate. Therefore, it's hard to imagine anyone else portraying the energy sucking mutant. However, Fox was originally looking for someone slightly older to play Rouge, and British actress
Kate Winslet was initially offered the role. Ultimately, she turned it down. Shortly thereafter, '90s teen queen
Rachael Leigh Cook was approached, but she was concerned with the amount of CGI required so she took on
Josie and the Pussycats instead. It all works for the best though, because Paquin nails it in the Marvel universe.
Channing Tatum as Gambit
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Before his role in the upcoming standalone
Gambit film was announced, it was highly publicized that
Channing Tatum was in the running for the role in 2006's
X-Men: The Last Stand before the role was written out of the film altogether. In 2009, actor
Taylor Kitsch took on the role of Gambit in
X-Men Origins: Wolverine because Tatum was busy filming
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. Ultimately, as Tatum's star-power rose, he was able to successfully campaign for his dream role which is set to start production at the end of 2016.