Currently in Hollywood, the superhero movies are some of the best movies. They have almost become a guarantee of economic success. Critical acclaim, however, is a different story altogether. But when you’ve got millions in the bank, who cares what some so-called critics believe. Due to the high earning potential of superhero films, numerous comic book characters have found their way onto the silver screen. Some of them like Superman, Spiderman and Batman are perennial favorites. While superheroes like Spawn, Flash, and Punisher aren’t good at that.

However, you can’t deny that the success of superhero characters depends on the casting decisions made by the film’s director and creative team. For example, for the failure of Daredevil to gain a significant fan base, Ben Affleck’s bad storyline and weak script are equally to blame. Then there is a case of cat woman . Although Halle Berry looked smoking hot in the kinky outfit, the same can’t be said about the film.

Knowing how important it is to show the face of a film to succeed, the film’s creative teams take a long look at the various options available. And if they had picked different actors to play the iconic roles, things would have been very different. It would be unfair to say that the films failed with different actors, but it’s hard to imagine. So here are ten actors who could have played iconic superheroes.

• Nicolas Cage (Superman)

Nicholas Cage is one of the most accomplished actors of his age. He has won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award for his performances and has appeared in some classics such as ‘Leaving Las Vegas’ and ‘Lord of War’. he would have added the famous role of Superman to his impressive resume. In fact, it was officially announced that Cage would play the Kryptonian hero in the Tim Burton-directed film. Cage had even taken a few shots with the tight spandex. Some of the characters had also given test shots. Although the proposed project never took off, it is reported that it would have been produced sometime in the 1990s if things had gone well.

In interviews, Cage has claimed that he would have loved to see the film, but felt that in many ways (failing to complete the film) it was a win-win because the imagination was so powerful.

• Tom Cruise (Iron Man)

It’s almost impossible to imagine anyone else from Robert Downey Jr. playing the legendary role of Iron Man in the Marvel movies. Since making his armored superhero debut in 2008, he has become one of the most popular and highest-earning actors. The “Iron Man” movie gave Downey’s career a timely boost and he hasn’t looked back since. Due to his importance in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) films, he has become one of the highest paid actors. He is reported to have earned more than $50 million for his role in the second installment of Avengers. And will pocket a similar amount for his work in the third installment of Captain America. However, if Tom Cruise had been a little more considerate, Downey didn’t even get the opportunity. Cruise was the first choice for the role, but his diva demeanor proved a hindrance. He had requested that his face be visible at all times in the film, which meant that all of Iron Man’s body armor had to be redesigned. The demand proved too great for the producers and they later decided to cast Robert Downey Jr. In hindsight, it all went pretty well for everyone.

• Steve Buscemi

Hulk or Dr. Bruce Banner was played by Eric Bana (in Ang Lee’s standalone version of Hulk 2003), Edward Norton (in Marvel Cinematic Universe The Incredible Hulk 2008), and Mark Ruffalo (in Marvel Cinematic Universe in Avengers ).film series, since Norton’s departure). However, the green rage machine might have been played by a very different actor. The reports have revealed that Ang Lee and other creative executives were interested in casting Steve Buscemi as Bruce Banner in the first installment of the superhero. The biggest thing in his favor was the fact that he looked a lot like Bruce Banner, who was depicted in the comics. Also, the fact that Steve Buscemi is an extremely talented actor and has appeared in several critically acclaimed films would have made him a viable option. However, the reasons why Eric was chosen over Bana Buscemi have not been made public. Maybe Bana looked geeker. In any case, the film would have done well with Buscemi’s comic skills,

• Emily Blunt (Black Widow)

Scarlett Johansson is one of the main reasons for the immense success of the two avengersmovies. Since her debut as Natasha Romanoff AKA Black Widow in 2010’s “Iron Man,” she has starred in two Avengers films and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” as a former assassin dominated by the male superheroes. And there’s no denying that she’s caught the attention of fans in every movie she’s made. The tight spandex suit she wears has made her one of the hottest comic book characters. However, Johansson wasn’t the first choice to play Black Widow. That honor goes to Emily Blunt. The British actress, who won the BAFTA Britannia Award for British Artist of the Year, was offered the role straight away. However, planning proved to be an obstacle. Blunt had time commitments related to Gulliver’s travels‘ fulfill. You don’t have to be a genius to figure out which actress has the better deal.

• John Krasinski (Captain America)

The Captain America was Chris Evans’ second role as a superhero. He had previously played the role of the evil Johnny Storm in the earlier “Fantastic Four” films. Johnny who? The guy who gave off a human torch in the blink of an eye. It must be noted that his first outing as a superhero wasn’t too memorable. Not only did both films not do big business, but they also drew widespread criticism from the critics. However, his second appearance as the “Star Spangled” hero was a commercial and critical success. He has made appearances in two Captain America and two Avengers films. And the next installment of Captain America is one of the most anticipated releases.

However, a completely different actor came close tosack the famous role. Known for his work in the American TV comedy series The Office, John Krasinski was tested for the role and even heavily considered. But in the end, they thought Chris Evans was the perfect “Captain America.”

• Jack Black (Green Lantern)

“Green Lantern” was a fun movie. Not that the director or producer intended it. The movie was actually made as a serious superhero movie. But the movie was so bad it looked really weird. The various members of the Universal Peace Corps saw poor parodies of the cartoon characters, and the script was inadequate and extremely weak. The only bright spot in the film was Ryan Reynolds’ great physique. I’m sure the ladies would have loved it. The other positive was that Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively took their first step in building a relationship by becoming close friends. Otherwise the film was absolutely bad. However, it could have been worse.

The film’s producers had considered casting Jack Black as the lead in a recent comedy adaptation of the Green Lantern concept. The reports suggest he would have played Kyle Rayner as opposed to Reynolds’ Hal Jordan. Look, I told you it could have been worse.

• Bill Murray

Batman is arguably the superhero with the most number of film adaptations. Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney and Christian Bale have all portrayed the Dark Knight in various major budget adaptations, and Ben Affleck will take on the role of Batman vs Superman in 2016: Dawn of Justice And Beyond. However, it would have added another great actor to this great list if Ivan Reitman hadn’t disagreed with the studio. After the immense success of Ghostbusters, Bill Murray became the Dark Knight. The film’s scripts would be developed by Superman: The Movie and James Bond author Tom Mankiewicz. However, the extensive rewriting of the film took six years and by then Tim Burton had been hired to direct. And Burton insisted on casting Michael Keaton as Batman. Interestingly, the studio still wanted to cast Bill Murray. I’m with Burton in that regard because while Murray is a great actor, he didn’t have that edge and that X-factor to play Batman.

• Edward Furlong (Spider Man)

Spider-Man is arguably Marvel’s highest-earning superhero. Spider-Man has inspired two different film franchises to date, and both have been monumental commercial successes. Tobey Maguire played the internet superhero in three Sam Raimi-directed films from 2002 to 2007, during which time he took on the roles of Green Goblin, Dr. Octopus and Sandman. In 2012, Andrew Garfield was introduced as a new webbed marvel with a new look “Amazing Spider-Man”. And as the Marvel looks set to draw a Webbed hero for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Tom Holland will be the latest actor to play Spider-Man.

However, there was also an unlikely candidate forplaying the famous superhero. In the 1990s, following the success of ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’, Edward Furlong was considered for James Cameron’s Spider-Man film. The film would also have featured Lance Henriksen as Norman Osborn and R. Lee Ermey as J. Jonah Jameson.

• Glenn Howerton (Star-Lord)

“Guardians of the Galaxy” was a surprising hitstory of 2014. No one expected the film to gross more than $ 700 million at the box office worldwide. And it’s one of the few superhero films to have received widespread and unequivocal acclaim from critics. The film was praised for its humor, soundtrack, visual effects, Gunn’s direction, and cast performances. And undoubtedly one of the most entertaining aspects of the film was Chris Pratt as Star-Lord. For the film, he developed a revamped character and delivered a charming and witty performance as the hero/outlaw, also known as Peter Quill. Although Chris Pratt was the first choice to land the role, he wasn’t the only man considered for the role. Glenn Howerton, best known for his role as Dennis Reynolds on the FX comedy series It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, was a serious option for the film. He had particularly impressed director James Gunn. And if Chris Pratt hadn’t already auditioned for the role, Howerton would have been busy directing the second part of the film, which is slated for release in May 2017.

• Bob Hoskins (Wolverine)

Like Robert Downey Jr., Hugh Jackman has made Wolverine his own since playing the first role in Bryan Singer’s “X-Men.” And he’s since starred the famous superhero in six films, including a colorful appearance in ‘X-Men: First Class.’

As I kept repeating throughout this article, though, Hugh Jackman wouldn’t have been the first cinematic Wolverine had things turned out differently. That honor would have been credited to the great Bob Hoskins. Apparently, at 5′ 5” height, Bob Hoskins was closer to the comic book version of Wolverine. He was short, stocky, and rugged. So it’s not shocking, he was considered for the role.