1. Face/Off
Back in 1997, Johnny Depp was onboard to star opposite Nicolas Cage in Face/Off. The film was set to be directed by Marco Brambilla and would have been Depp’s breakthrough due to the intense story of a vengeful FBI agent pitting against the terrorist.
In a hilarious turn of events, Depp read the script and realized that the movie wasn’t actually about Hockey after all! He passed on the role which eventually went to John Travolta who faced off against Nicolas Cage in the $80 million movie.
2. Speed
“He is devastated”: Johnny Depp’s Crippling Injury May Seal the Fate of Budding Music Career
With Keanu Reeves taking over as Jack Traven in the iconic 1994 movie, the role was actually Depp’s for the taking. Starring alongside Sandra Bullock and the movie receiving rave reviews, the fame could have been Depp’s for the taking.
Keanu Reeves and Johnny Depp were once again in a race to star in the same role in Speed but due to unknown reasons, Depp chose to back out of the project and the role went on to Keanu Reeves.
3. The Matrix
It seems that Johnny Depp had another competition with the John Wick actor. The Edward Scissorhands actor was the first preference of the Wachowski sisters (who essentially created The Matrix franchise) but once again, Depp’s career interfered.
Depp was chosen over Val Kilmer and Brad Pitt for the role but he decided to back out of the movie due to his busy schedule with Reeves once again dropping in to take the role of Neo.
4. Signs
M. Night Shyamalan’s sci-fi horror flick is considered to be one of the best films ever made. Before Mel Gibson was roped in for the lead role, Depp was heavily considered for the lead role of the protagonist. The studio eventually decided to go ahead with Mel Gibson and Johnny Depp missed out on the role.
5. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
In 1986, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off was released to rave reviews from the world.
Starring Matthew Broderick in the lead role, it was initially Depp’s for the taking. Alongside the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory actor, Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Cruise were also considered for the role.
Johnny Depp would, later on, reject the movie because of scheduling conflicts which gave Matthew Broderick a chance to get a shot at worldwide fame.
6. Sin City
Directed by Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez, the role of a corrupt city cop by the name of Jackie Boy in the “Big Fat Kill” segment was originally offered to Johnny Depp. The actor later refused the role due to other commitments and the role later went on to Benicio del Toro.
7. The Rainmaker
“The way he wants to go out”: Johnny Depp Donated $3M for His Idol’s Insane Last Wish After Starring in $18M Cult-Classic Movie With Marvel Star That Left Him Obsessed
Another film where Depp had the golden opportunity to work with veteran director Francis Ford Coppola was The Rainmaker. Considering the character of Rudy Baylor, the studio eventually decided to go with Matt Damon since he was considered a bigger star than Depp during that time.
8. Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Another competition that irked Johnny Depp was his rivalry with Keanu Reeves. With Francis Ford Coppola set as the director of the movie, the studio would go on to reject Johnny Depp for the role of Jonathan Harker in the 1992 movie.
The role later on went to Keanu Reeves who was criticized for his performance and his vague and weird British accent that allegedly ruined the tone of the movie.
9. Pulp Fiction
Quentin Tarantino’s magnum opus Pulp Fiction starred Samuel L. Jackson alongside John Travolta as the iconic lead of the movie. The film also included Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, and several other actors and could have included Johnny Depp if weren’t for Tarantino’s logic.
In an interview, the director revealed that the producer wanted Depp for the role of Pumpkin. As per the interview, the producer stated that roping in Depp would add to the box office collection of Pulp Fiction.
Tarantino simply replied that there would be no difference if he would be only at the beginning and at the end of the movie. The role of Pumpkin eventually went to Tim Roth.
10. Titanic
“You got arrested for something you could be branded”: Pirates Expert Exposes Everything Johnny Depp’s $4.5B Franchise Did Wrong
It’s hard to imagine Johnny Depp romancing Kate Winslet at the bow of the ship but it could have been very well a possibility. Before DiCaprio was finalized for the role, several big names were considered for the role of Jack Dawson.
One of these big names was Johnny Depp. The actor rejected the script and cited the reason that the script was too laborious and boring. We are sure he may have regretted losing that last one as Leonardo DiCaprio’s career took flight and made him a veteran actor.
