Not Just Titanic, Johnny Depp Reportedly Rejected 4 More Blockbusters With a Combined $4.7B Box Office

Johnny Depp was once in talk to join these four films that were a part of blockbuster franchises

Johnny Depp is among the most commercially successful stars in Hollywood. The actor has featured in a string of hit films, particularly the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, which has grossed over $4.5 billion at the global box office. However, Depp is also known for the projects he has turned down over the years that have gone on to become massive box-office hits.

Johnny Depp in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise

Depp was up for the lead role in James Cameron’s Titanic, but he turned it down. While most fans might be aware of Depp rejecting Titanic, there are four other blockbuster films that the actor also turned down. However, these films went on to achieve massive success, spawning franchises that grossed over a combined total of $4.7 billion at the box office. Here are the blockbusters that Johnny Depp has rejected.

Three Blockbusters that Johnny Depp Reportedly Rejected

In the 1990s, Johnny Depp made a name for himself with films such as Edward Scissorhands. At the same time, Depp was also in contention to star in some other projects but things did not work out. One of these projects was the 1995 action film Speed, which made Keanu Reeves a household name. However, Depp was first considered for the role of Officer Jack Traven in the film which went on to gross $350.4 million at the box office.

Keanu Reeves as Neo in The Matrix Reloaded

A couple of years later, Depp was interested in working on director John Woo’s Face/Off. The film released in 1997 starred Nicolas Cage in the lead role. According to reports, Depp wanted to play Sean Archer, a role that eventually went to John Travolta. Depp turned down the film after reading the script. Interestingly, Depp assumed the film was about hockey because of its title and dropped out after learning otherwise. Face/Off was also a major box-office hit with a gross of $245.7 million.

A few years later, in 1999, Depp was once again in consideration for a role that eventually went to Reeves. This time, Depp was reportedly in talks to star in The Matrix by The Wachowskis. However, according to sources, Depp turned down the role of Neo due to his busy schedule. The film became a blockbuster, setting a new standard for sci-fi action films, raking in $467.2 million at the box office.

Johnny Depp Was Considered For The Dark Knight Sequel

Johnny Depp

In the early 2000s, Depp had become a megastar thanks to his beloved role as eccentric pirate Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. At the same, Depp was reportedly considered for a role in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, which was quickly changing the modern superhero and blockbuster movie landscape.

According to reports, Depp was offered the role of the Riddler in the sequel to the acclaimed franchise’s second installment, The Dark Knight. For the third film, it was rumored that the Riddler would be the primary antagonist. However, Depp supposedly refuted the rumors that he was approached for the role of the Riddler. It is also speculated that Depp opted out of the film as he was intimidated to follow up on Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker.