You Won’t Believe the Cast Weapons Almost Had (Including More Marvel Stars)

Scheduling conflicts cause all kinds of problems in Hollywood. As much as an actor might want to be part of something, if they’re already signed on for something else, it’s not going to happen. Countless performers found themselves in a tough spot following the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in the summer of 2023, unable to fulfill all their commitments after business came to a standstill for several months. For example, Steven Yuen was set to play Bob Reynolds, aka Sentry, in Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts*, but he had to back out, opening the door for Lewis Pullman to take over. However, massive superhero films weren’t the only ones feeling the heat.

Hot off releasing the surprise hit Barbarian, director Zach Cregger was working on his next feature film, Weapons. Like Barbarian, Weapons would tackle serious issues in the horror genre, and Warner Bros. Discovery wasn’t going to pull any punches when it came to building a cast. Some of the biggest names in Hollywood were set to star in Weapons, but nearly every role had to be recast before the cameras started rolling.

2025’s Most Important Leading Man Nearly Put a Weapons-Sized Notch on His Belt

It’s hard to think of the year 2025 without also thinking about Pedro Pascal. It feels like every week, the actor has another movie out that’s ready to dominate the box office. He can’t even stay off TV, being an integral part of one of the biggest shows of the year, HBO’s The Last of Us. While it’s hard to believe that Pascal can fit so many projects into his schedule, it makes more sense when it comes to light that he’s turning just as many opportunities down. Pascal was set to play Archer Graff, a grieving father, in Cregger’s Weapons, but his schedule started to complicate matters (via Entertainment Weekly). When it became clear that Pascal wouldn’t be able to show up when the production needed him, Cregger realized his original vision for the cast wouldn’t come to fruition.

Another Marvel Cinematic Universe actor, Eternals’ Brian Tyree Henry, also had to drop out of the project, as did The Worst Person in the World‘s Renate Reinsve, who would have played the schoolteacher who became the subject of controversy after nearly her entire class disappeared in the middle of the night. Only one actor, Austin Abrams, played ball and stayed with the film – and it proved to be a smart move. After releasing in theaters on August 8th, Weapons is now the talk of the town, being projected to earn big money at the box office.

Weapons Is a Smash Hit Despite Losing Its Original Cast

Cregger didn’t lose faith despite watching so many actors walk away. Along with his creative team, he searched and found new actors to portray his complicated characters, including Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, and Benedict Wong. Filming began in May 2024, and a little over a year later, the movie landed in theaters. Weapons‘ reviews are spectacular, to say the least. The film holds a 96% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer, and audiences are following suit, filling the Popcornmeter with positive reviews that complement Cregger’s vision and the actors’ performances. Garner appears to be the standout, with critics and fans alike commending her for bringing depth to a tragic figure.

While Cregger likely isn’t paying too much attention to how other movies are performing right now, it’s hard to ignore the fact that Weapons is projected to beat The Fantastic Four: First Steps at the box office in its opening weekend. Sure, the superhero movie that Pascal left Weapons for has been out for a few weeks, but typically, Marvel has better legs, especially in the summer. It just goes to show that audiences are gravitating toward original ideas like the ones Cregger has, since theater visits cost so much these days. However, the director’s next film will see him play in somebody else’s sandbox as he attempts to get the Resident Evil franchise back on the big screen. That kind of movie might be more up Pascal’s alley, as he has a thing for joining major properties with a built-in fanbase.

Weapons is in theaters now.

Did you know that Pedro Pascal was part of the cast of Weapons at one point? Are you glad that the movie ended up the way it did? Let us know in the comments below!

Weapons Ending & Story Twist Explained (And It’s So Obvious)