Leonardo DiCaprio Talks Turning Down Robin, Spider-Man, & Anakin Skywalker Roles

Did you know there was a small chance that Leonardo DiCaprio could’ve played roles in the Star Wars prequels, the original Spider-Man trilogy, and Batman Forever? They’re no small roles either.

In a recent interview, DiCaprio opened up a bit about how close he came to playing Anakin Skywalker, Peter Parker, and Robin. It wasn’t super close but the talented actor was, at one point, considered for each of the parts. “I never screen-tested,” DiCaprio tells ShortList about a role of Robin in Batman Forever. “I had a meeting with Joel Schumacher. It was just one meeting and, no, I didn’t end up doing it.”

This wasn’t a case of going in for the part and being told no but, rather, going in for the part and saying, “No,” himself. “As I recall I took the meeting, but didn’t want to play the role,” DiCaprio explained. “Joel Schumacher is a very talented director but I don’t think I was ready for anything like that.”

“I did have a meeting with George Lucas about that as well, yes,” DiCaprio says about the Star Wars prequels. Ultimately, the role of Anakin Walker was the “Same scenario,” as Robin because he, “just didn’t feel ready to take that dive.”

As for Spider-Man, you guessed it. Same thing. “That was another one of those situations, similar to Robin, where I didn’t feel ready to put on that suit yet.” The role ultimately went to Tobey Maguire and would become part of the biggest movie of all-time, at that time.

With a “yet” on the end of DiCaprio’s account, one has to wonder if he is considering suiting up with Marvel Studios or DC Comics/Warner Brothers for a blockbuster. “You never know,” he says. “They’re getting better and better as far as complex characters in these movies. I haven’t yet. But no, I don’t rule out anything.”

Would you have liked to see DiCaprio play any of those roles?