Jason Statham has been filming names on the big screen for almost two decades. Before becoming an actor, Statham was a martial arts practitioner, an experienced diver (he represented England at the 1990 Commonwealth Games) and a famous sports model. His physical prowess and serious attitude paved the way to his Hollywood debut in Guy Ritchie’s film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels in 1998, which he followed up with another Ritchie team-up for the 2000 crime flick, Snatch. Statham again and again demonstrated his skills as an action hero. Despite his proven abilities on the big screen, not every role was intended for Statham. Here are 10 movie roles that Jason Statham refused or didn’t get.
9. Desolation Williams – Ghosts of Mars (2001)
In the film “Ghosts of Mars”, written and directed by John Carpenter, it is told about a convicted criminal named James “Desolation” Williams, who unites with the police squad to fight the possessed citizens of the mining planet. Considering Statham’s early authority as a charming anti-hero in his two first meetings with Richie, he was initially considered for the role of Williams. In the end, the producers of the film needed an actor with a little more star power, so they chose the former actor of N.W.A. Rapper Ice Cube, who by that time had already starred in the films “Boyz in the Hood”, “Anaconda” and two films “Pyatnitsa”, was chosen for this role. Statham, who must have still made a strong impression during his audition, was instead chosen for the role of Sergeant Jericho Butler, which became his first foray into the action genre.RELATED:
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8. Agent 47 – Hitman (2007)
Jason Statham may have been in the running for the lead role in Hitman, but it was ultimately Timothy Olyphant who brought the video game killer known as Agent 47 to the big screen. As it turns out, Statham’s future Fast and the Furious co-star was originally cast for the role. (and Hitman executive producer) Vin Diesel, but he has turned down a role in director Mathieu Kassovitz’s sci-fi film Babylon AD. Hitman was widely panned by critics and even by Olyphant himself, who was replaced by Rupert Friend in the 2015 sequel Hitman: Agent 47.
7. Thomas Shelby – Peaky Blinders (2013-2022)
It’s hard to imagine anyone else besides Cillian Murphy playing gang leader Thomas Shelby in the BAFTA-winning crime drama series Peaky Blinders. But, showrunner Steven Knight actually nearly cast Jason Statham in the role. After meeting both actors in Los Angeles, Knight had initially wanted to go with Statham over Murphy, preferring Statham’s edgier appearance. Murphy wasn’t ready to lay down without a fight, though, and he pleaded his case by sending these four words to Knight via text: “Remember, I’m an actor.” The future Oppenheimer star had already proven his ability to take on transformative roles, and Knight eventually saw his point. The rest, as they say, is history.
6. Owen Shaw – Fast & Furious Franchise (2013-2017)
With two recurring and four starring roles in the Fast and the Furious franchise, as well as a co-star in the spin-off Hobbs & Shaw, Jason Statham has become a mainstay on the series as Deckard Shaw, a former M16 employee turned mercenary. Statham and Doctor Who star David Tennant was initially considered for the role, but Welsh actor Luke Evans was ultimately cast in the role, delivering one of his best performances. Evans reprized Owen Shaw in cameo roles in Furious 7 and The Fate of the Furious, and Statham made his first F&F cameo appearance, appearing in the sixth installment’s post-credits scene as Owen’s vengeful relative.
5. Frank Martin – The Transporter Refueled (2015)
Despite seeing massive success as Frank Martin in the first three Transporter films, Jason Statham ended up backing out of the lead role in The Transporter Refueled. Statham’s refusal to sign on to the fourth film ultimately came down to a business decision, as producers wanted him to sign on for three additional Transporter films and allegedly offered him significantly less money.RELATED:
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4. Captain Britain – Captain America: Civil War (2016)
When Marvel approached Jason Statham to play Captain Britain in Captain America: Civil War, he obviously wasn’t too keen on joining the MCU. In fact, he allegedly laughed at the idea of playing Steve Rogers’ British counterpart. According to Statham, it’s all about age. He was 47 years old at the time and felt that Marvel should cast someone at least 15 years younger. Authorities ultimately scrapped the idea of introducing Captain Britain, but it wouldn’t be the last time Statham would be considered for a role in the MCU.
3. Bullseye – Daredevil (2018)
Jason Statham’s bald head and aggressive demeanor may have been on Marvel Television executives’ radar when they were reportedly courting him to play the sadistic sniper Bullseye in the second season of Netflix’s Daredevil back in 2015. Rumored or not, any negotiations likely stalled after Statham. criticized Marvel films in an interview that year.“I could take my grandma, and put her in a cape and then put her in a green screen and then have stunt doubles come in and do all the action — anybody can do it,” Statham told Italian site I 400 Calci. “They’re relying on stunt doubles and green screen and $200 million budget. It’s all CGI-created. To me, that is not authentic.”
2. SAS Commander Randolph – Daisy Scarlett:
Back in 2004, Kate Beckinsale was in talks to play a super-spy in the vein of Jason Bourne and James Bond in a film tentatively titled Daisy Scarlett: The film also starred fellow hitters Jason Statham and Jet Li, with initial reports claiming that Statham will play a character named SAS Commander Randolph. But Daisy Scarlett was never filmed. Despite the film’s fate, 2004 continued to be a successful year for Statham, with a small role in the Oscar-nominated film Collateral and his first villainous role as a kidnapper in the action thriller Cellular.
1. Unknown Marvel Movie
Even after earlier failed negotiations with Statham, Marvel did not lose hope for his potential casting. During the promotion of Spider-Man. After returning home in 2017, the president of Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige, said that Statham was again considered for a role in the MCU. Although Feige did not mention a specific film or role, he noted that Statham had scheduling conflicts, and despite his previous comments disparaging Marvel films, the actor seemed to be interested in one more film.RELATED:
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“I was in another meeting a few days later, and my cellphone rang. I didn’t recognize the number, but I answered it. And it was Jason Statham,” Feige recalled. “He was saying, ‘Sorry it didn’t work out, maybe next time.’ He couldn’t have been nicer!”