The Marvel Role That Keanu Reeves Turned Down

It has been over 17 years since the Marvel Cinematic Universe officially launched with "Iron Man." Although superhero films were already gaining more prominence within the mainstream throughout the early to mid-2000s — thanks to the success of "X-Men," "Spider-Man," and "Batman Begins," among others — the summer of 2008 was where the genre solidified itself as a definitive aspect of our popular culture. The one-two punch of "Iron Man" and "The Dark Knight" was an inflection point in superhero cinema, further legitimizing it to critics and audiences alike, much of which can be attributed to the fact that Robert Downey Jr. and Christian Bale headlined both films. Both were well-respected actors in the industry, who took what many have dismissed as "kids' stuff" and brought them to life with full dimension.

Although the trajectory of both Marvel Studios and DC Films (which has since become DC Studios) in the following years went into completely different directions, the critical and commercial success of both "Iron Man" and "The Dark Knight" has enticed some of Hollywood's biggest stars to jump on the superhero bandwagon. The groundbreaking success of the MCU, in particular, has attracted an ever-growing list of A-listers. But to this day, there is at least one major action movie star that Kevin Feige has yet to get to join the MCU. Given the film and role he was offered, perhaps it was for the best.

The MCU's first female headliner was Brie Larson's Captain Marvel, who was described by Marvel Studios boss as the most powerful superhero in the entire franchise. Larson was surrounded by well-respected performers in 2019's "Captain Marvel," including Annette Bening, Jude Law, and of course, Samuel L. Jackson, who reprised his role as Nick Fury. Interestingly enough, the role of Yon-Rogg — commander of Starforce and Carol's mentor — was also offered to Keanu Reeves, according to Deadline reporter Justin Kroll.

Reeves first broke through in Hollywood in the 1990s with memorable roles in films such as "Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey," "My Own Private Idaho," "Point Break," and "Speed." However, it was his role as Neo in "The Matrix" that catapulted him into the stratosphere. He would continue to be a bankable star during the early to mid-2000s, but a string of critical and commercial underperformers set his trajectory back a bit. 

Thankfully, Reeves would make one of the defining comebacks of the 2010s thanks to his titular role in the revenge action thriller, "John Wick," a film featuring his most defining character besides Neo. The success of "John Wick" spawned a slew of sequels, and Reeves' resurgence certainly caught the attention of numerous studio heads. Feige in particular wanted to strike while the iron was hot, and going after Reeves was a no-brainer. However, Reeves turned the role down, and Jude Law was ultimately cast instead. For his part, Law has said he found the role "a bit dry" and he wasn't given much room to make Yon-Rogg his own.

Years before the MCU launched, Keanu Reeves dabbled in the comic book movie genre with "Constantine," where he played the titular role. Directed by Francis Lawrence, the film was loosely based on the DC Comics character John Constantine, an exorcist with the ability to perceive and communicate with half-angels and half-demons, and who can travel between Earth and Hell. A sequel, which would see the return of both Reeves and Lawrence, is currently in development and would likely be produced under DC Studios' Elseworlds projects. Reeves also voiced Batman in "DC League of Super-Pets." 

The actor remains in demand as a potential franchise lead. Following the success of the "John Wick" movies, many fans have clamored for him to play more comic book roles. Whether or not Kevin Feige will finally get the "Baba Yaga" to join the Marvel universe, though, remains to be seen. 

In the meantime, audiences can see him as John Wick in the film "Ballerina," alongside Ana de Armas, which is now playing in theaters. You can read SlashFilm's review of "Ballerina" here.