17 Actors Who Almost Played a Different Character

Some characters are so tightly associated with the actor who plays them, we can’t imagine anyone else in the role (which frankly, might be more a failure of our imagination than anything else). And yet, it often happens that the actor was originally considered for a different character in the same movie (or show, or franchise). These are but a few cases of that happening.
Michael B. Jordan in the MCU

Source: The Daily Beast
Rainn Wilson in 'The Office'

Source: NPR
Gal Gadot in the DCEU

Source: Cinema Blend
Drew Barrymore in 'Scream'

Source: People
Stephanie Beatriz in 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine'

Source: Screen Rant
Lucy Lawless in 'Battlestar Galactica'

Source: Toronto Star
Kumail Nanjiani in the MCU

Source: We Got This Covered
Cillian Murphy in 'The Dark Knight' Trilogy

Source: Heroic Hollywood
January Jones in 'Mad Men'

Source: Showbiz CheatSheet
Bruce Willis in 'Ocean's Eleven'

Sources: Time Magazine, Hollywood.com
James Caan in 'The Godfather'

Source: Vanity Fair
Jada Pinkett Smith in 'The Matrix'

Source: Showbiz CheatSheet
Joe Manganiello in the DCEU

Source: Screen Rant
Kim Cattrall in 'Star Trek'

Source: CBR
Lorraine Bracco in 'The Sopranos'

Source: ABC News
Richard Burgi in '24'

Source: 24 Spoilers
Alexander Siddig in 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'

Source: FanSided