WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN: Marvel & DC In Film

THE MCU.


Iron Man (2008)

>Several directors turned down the movie because they believed it'd flop before Jon Favreau was hired. Louis Leterrier was also interested, and subsequently directed THE INCREDIBLE HULK.

>Sam Rockwell and Clive Owen auditioned for Tony Stark before Robert Downey Jr. was cast.

>Rachel McAdams was approached for Pepper Potts before Gwyneth Paltrow was cast.

>Early drafts featured the Mandarin as a corrupt Chinese businessman who led the 10 Rings and created the Crimson Dynamo armor to fight Iron Man, before Jon Favreau decided to build up to the character.

>Early drafts featured Obadiah Stane only as Stark's estranged mentor, and his descent into villainy would be explored over several movies.

>In early drafts, Stark would fight Stane in the prototype Mark IV armor, which includes a shoulder-mounted gattling gun and would later become the War Machine armor.

>In early drafts, Stark would throw Stane into a vat of acid rather than have him caught in an explosion. When the armor is retrieved, Stane's body is gone, indicating he might have survived.

>The movie was filmed mostly without a script, with actors ad-libbing most of their lines based on a production guideline. Production was so chaotic that both the cast and the producers expected the movie to be a disaster until test-screenings reported surprisingly positive audience reception.

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

>Mark Ruffalo was director Louis Leterrier's original choice for Bruce Banner, but the studio favored Edward Norton.

>Norton declined at first, and only agreed on the condition that he could revise the script and that all of his contributions would be filmed, but most additions ended up being cut after poor reception at test-screenings. Norton also clashed with Leterrier and the producers throughout production.

>Ray Stevenson auditioned for Emil Blonsky before Tim Roth was cast.

>Stan Lee would originally cameo as the captain of the USS Excelsior, a fishing boat that Banner and Betty Ross hire to take them to Manhattan.

>The Hulk would originally decapitate the Abomination, but this was changed due to poor reception at test-screenings.

>Norton was a fan of THE WIRE and added a subplot about a man, played by Michael K. Williams, who reaches out to the Hulk during the Battle of Harlem to stop the destruction. The subplot was almost entirely cut and Williams' role reduced to a cameo.

>Norton also added an extended comedic sequence where Banner interacts with a computer geek while trying to retrieve data from the Culver University. Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill and Jason Segel, among others, were approached for the geek before the scene was scrapped and the geek reduced to a cameo, played by Martin Starr.

>Leterrier pitched an cameo appearance by Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker, bumping into Banner at Empire State University, but Sony Pictures rejected the idea.

Iron Man 2 (2010)

>Jon Favreau planned to adapt the "Demon in a Bottle" storyline, but the studio felt it was too dark.

>Early drafts featured Justin Hammer as the main villain, manipulating brothers Ivan Vanko and Boris Bullsky into targeting Tony Stark in order to steal the Iron Man technology. Vanko would die during a fight with Stark in Monaco, and Bullsky would become the Titanium Man to avenge him. Further revisions made Vanko into the main villain and reduced Hammer to a supporting role.

>Early drafts featured Stark developing a relationship with Black Widow, but this entire subplot was cut, and even their flirtatious conversations were toned down after poor reception in test-screenings.

>Mickey Rourke created an elaborate backstory for Vanko to make him a more sympathetic character, but most of these scenes were cut to streamline the narrative. Rourke was displease and disowned the movie, swearing never to work with Marvel again.

>The original ending where Vanko forces Stark to surrender to him by kidnapping Pepper and is killed by War Machine with the ex-wife missile was scrapped due to poor reception in test-screenings.

>Emily Blunt was cast as Black Widow, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts and was replaced by Scarlett Johansson.

>Al Pacino was approached to play Hammer before the character was reinvented and Sam Rockwell, who had originally auditioned for Bullsky, was cast.

>The cast once again ad-libbed most of their dialogue. Favreau was unhappy with the movie, believing that the rushed production schedule that didn't allow him to refine the script as much as he wanted, and declined to return for IRON MAN 3.

wasn't this already a Sup Forums thread today

Thor (2011)

>Matthew Vaughn was originally attached to direct the movie. Guillermo Del Toro was also approached before Kenneth Branagh was hired.

>The first draft of the script was a dark epic set in the Viking Age and modeled after THE LORD OF RINGS, but was scrapped for being borderline unfilmable in terms of budget.

>Liam Hemsworth, Charlie Hunnam, Joel Kinnaman, Alexander Skarsgard and Tom Hiddleston auditoned for Thor before Chris Hemsworth was cast. Hiddleston impressed the studio and was offered the role of Loki.

>Josh Hartnett and Charlie Cox auditioned for Loki before Hiddleston was cast.

>Brian Blessed was approached for Odin before Anthony Hopkins was cast.

>Jessica Biel and Diora Baird auditoned for Sif before Jamie Alexander was cast.

>Alexander Townsend was originally cast as Fandral, but was fired due to his erractic behavior. Zachary Levi was approached to replace him before Josh Dallas was cast.

>Early drafts featured Thor's human alter-ego, Dr. Donald Blake, but the concept was scrapped for being needlessly convoluted.

>Early drafts featured Thor and Loki's other brother, Balder.

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

>Louis Leterrier volunteered to direct the movie, but the studio favored Joe Johnston.

>Joss Whedon revised the script after signing on for THE AVENGERS.

>Channing Tatum, Garrett Hedlund, Scott Porter, Mike Vogel, Michael Cassidy, Wilson Bethel, Chace Crowford, Patrick John Flueger, Robert Buckley, Jensen Ackles and Sebastian Stan auditoned for Steve Rogers before Chris Evans was cast. Stan impressed producers and was hired to for James "Bucky" Barnes.

>Emily Blunt was approached for Peggy Carter, but declined. Rosamund Pike, Alice Eve, Keira Knightley, Gemma Arterton and Alexa Davalos auditoned before Hayley Atwell was cast.

>Thomas Kretschmann auditioned for Red Skull before Hugo Weaving was cast. He'd later play Baron Wolfgang von Strucker in AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON.

>Evans was initially reluctant to join due to the nine-picture contract offered by the studio, but agreed once it was reduced to a six movie contract.

>Early drafts featured Baron Heinrich Zemo and Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker in supporting roles as high-ranking members of Hydra, but the writers believed they should be saved for more prominent roles in future movies.

The Avengers (2012)

>Jon Favreau and Joe Carnahan were approached to direct the movie before Joss Whedon was hired. Louis Leterrier volunteered, but was turned down.

>Zak Penn wrote the original script, which he revised multiple times to accomodate developments from other movies, but Whedon decide to write a new draft when he signed on for the movie.

>Penn's script featured the Avengers being assembled by SHIELD to fight Hulk, who had been brainwashed by Loki, before they join forces to defend the Earth from an invasion of the Frost Giants.

>Whedon created the concept of an overarching storyline about the Infinity Stones, with Thanos as Loki's benefactor.

>Early drafts featured Ant-Man and the Wasp, who were removed when ANT-MAN was delayed. Whedon also had plans for Ultron and the Skrulls that were ultimately scrapped.

>Robert Downey Jr. ad-libbed most of his dialogue. In early cuts, Iron Man would be revived by Thor's lightning after falling from the wormhole. Mark Ruffalo improvised Iron Man being awakened by the Hulk's roar.

>After Edward Norton's departure, David Duchovny was approached for Bruce Banner before Mark Ruffalo was cast.

>Jensen Ackles was approached for Hawkeye before Jeremy Renner was cast.

>Morena Baccarin and Mary Elizabeth Winstead auditioned for Maria Hill before Cobie Smulders was cast.

>The movie was originally rated "R" for the scene where Phil Coulson is killed by Loki. To ensure the PG-13 rating, the blood was digitally erased, the stabbing was shortened and a reaction shot of Thor was added to break the continuous sequence of Coulson being stabbed and collapsing on the floor.

>There were plans to tie into THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN by featuring OsCorp Tower in New York City's skyline, but a deal with Sony could not be reached in time.

Iron Man 3 (2013)

>Tom Hooper was approached to direct the movie before Shane Black was hired at Robert Downey Jr.'s behest.

>The Mandarin would've been the main villain, before Black pitched the concept of the him being a smokescreen for the real villain.

>Early drafts featured Maya Hansen as the real villain, but producer Ike Perlmutter didn't believe a female villain would be profitable and made Aldrich Killian into the real villain instead.

>Early drafts featured Stark joining forces with Dr. Chen Wu, a scientist whose family was kidnapped by the 10 Rings, to stop the Mandarin, but the concept was scrapped.

>Jessica Chastain was originally cast as Maya Hansen, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. Gemma Arterton, Isla Fisher and Diane Kruger auditioned before Rebecca Hall was cast.

>Andy Lau was originally cast as Dr. Chen Wu, but dropped out due to creative differences and was replaced by Wang Xueqi and the role was severely reduced.

>Jude Law was approached to play Killian before Guy Pearce was cast.

>Anthony Mackie auditioned for Eric Savin before James Badge Dale was cast. He'd later play the Falcon.

>Black's first draft for the movie was rated R and featured a subplot where Killian uses Extremis-enhanced pheromones to seduce Pepper, record their sexual encounter and broadcast it nationwide to taunt Stark.

>IRON MAN 3 was the last movie in Robert Downey Jr.'s original four-picture contract, and was written as a definitive end for the character should Downey Jr. not renegotiate to play the character in further installments.

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

>Patty Jenkins was approached to direct the movie at Natalie Portman's behest, but dropped out due to creative differences, and was replaced by Alan Taylor. Portman was reportedly upset and didn't want to return to the movie, but was contractually forced to do so.

>Jenkins's version was an "intergalactic ROMEO & JULIET" centered on Thor and Jane Foster's estrangement and Odin'd disapproval of their relationship.

>Taylor clashed with the studio as he wanted a darker and edgier movie than they were comfortable with. The script was revised multiple times during filming, leading to numerous subplots being scrapped.

>Mads Mikkselsen was originally cast as Malekith, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts and was replaced by Christopher Eccleston. He'd later play Kaecilius.

>In early drafts, Malekith had a more sympathetic backstory, wanting revenge for the death of his family at the hands of Thor's grandfather, Bors, but the concept was scrapped.

>Early drafts featured a minor role for Loki that was expanded due to the character's newfound popularity after THE AVENGERS.

>Early drafts featured a larger role for Lady Sif, exploring her romantic feelings for Thor, but this subplot was cut after Jamie Alexander injured herself on set.

>Early drafts also included larger roles for Asgardian commander Tyr and Jane Foster's suitor Richard, and also included the Valkyrie and the Enchantress.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

>F. Gary Gray and George Nolfi were approached to direct before Joe & Anthony Russo were hired.

>Early drafts featured Sharon Carter as Captain America's partner, but revisions replaced her for Black Widow.

>Early drafts featured Hawkeye being deployed to capture Captain America after he escapes from the Triskelion, leading to a fight in an abandoned warehouse that ends with Hawkeye being defeated and secretly helping Captain America to escape. This subplot was scrapped due to time restraints.

>Early drafts featured Arnim Zola surviving the bunker's explosion by escaping in a robotic body. This subplot was scrapped for being tonally jarring.

>Anna Kendrick, Emilia Clarke, Felicity Jones, Imogen Gay Poots, Teresa Palmer, Alison Brie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Jessica Brown Findlay auditioned for Sharon Carter before Emily VanCamp was cast.

>Kevin Durand, Josh Holloway and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau auditioned for Brock Rumlow before Frank Grillo was cast.

>Michael B. Jordan auditioned for Sam Wilson before Anthony Mackie was cast.

>Alec Baldwin was approached for Alexander Pierce before Robert Redford was cast.

>Early cuts featured several flashbacks to Captain America and Bucky's experiences during World War 2 which were cut to streamline the narrative.

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

>Peyton Reed and Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck were approached to direct the movie before James Gunn was hired.

>Nicole Perlman wrote the first - and very different - draft of the script: Star-Lord was an U.S. pilot who is accidentally jettsioned to another galaxy in a military experiment gone wrong and joins forces with a group of intergalactic outlaws to stop the Badoon from conquering the galaxy.

>Early drafts featured Richard Rider joining the Nova Corps and developing a feud turned friendship with Star-Lord, but Gunn scrapped the concept in order to streamline the narrative.

>Early drafts featured Bug as a member of the team; appearances by Adam Warlock and ROM; and included the Badoon as Ronan's army and the Spartoi as the Krees' lifelong enemies.

>Early cuts featured ELO's "Living Thing" and Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit in the Sky".

>Early cuts featured Stan Lee as one of the items in the Collector's inventory, but it was cut for being too meta.

>Joel Edgerton, Eddie Redmayne, Jensen Ackles, Jack Huston, Cam Gigandet, Sullivan Stapleton, Logan Marshall-Green, Garrett Hedlund, Chris Lowell, James Marsden, Jim Sturgess, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Aaron Paul, Michael Rosenbaum, Wes Bentley, John Krasinski, Lee Pace and Glenn Howerton auditioned for Star-Lord before Chris Pratt was cast.

>Gina Carano, Olivia Wilde, Rachel Nichols, Thandie Newton, Elizabeth Banks and Adrianne Palicki auditioned for Gamora before Zoe Saldana was cast.

>Jason Momoa was approached for Drax, but refused to cut his hair for the role. Djimon Hounson, Brian Patrick Wade and Isaiah Mustafa auditioned before Dave Bautista was cast.

>Jim Carrey, Adam Sandler and David Tennat were approached to voice Rocket before Bradley Cooper was cast.

>Gal Gadot auditioned for Nebula before Karen Gillian was cast.

>Marvel Studios offered to allow Fox to retain the rights to Daredevil in exchange for using Silver Surfer and Galactus in the movie, but Fox declined.

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

>Production was troubled due to creative disagreements between Joss Whedon and the studio.

>In early drafts, Ultron was modeled after Tony Stark's brain patterns, but the concept was scrapped.

>Early drafts also featured Abomination as Ultron's enforcer; Captain Marvel and Spider-Man as recruits for the New Avengers; Ultron invading Wakanda to steal Vibranium; and the Ultron drones combining to form a skyscrapper-sized Ultron for the final battle.

>Marvel originally planned to pair Black Widow and Hawkeye together, but Whedon preferred her with Bruce Banner.

>In early cuts, Banner would ultimately reject Black Widow, and she would trigger his transformation into the Hulk by lying about having never truly loved him.

>In early cuts, Thor's vision ended with Loki appearing to discuss the impending apocalypse, but this was cut as test-audiences mistakenly assumed it meant Loki was behind Ultron's sentiency.

>Whedon included Thor's investigation into the Infinity Stones at the behest of the studio, in exchange for keeping the visions and Hawkeye's farmhouse, which were both nearly cut. Test-audiences responded negatively, however, and it was almost entirely cut from the movie.

>An alternative ending where Quicksilver survives and joins the New Avengers was shot should the studio decide not to kill a long-running character.

>Saoirse Ronan was approached for Scarlet Witch before Elizabeth Olsen was cast.

Ant-Man (2015)

>Edgar Wright was originally attached to direct the movie, but dropped out due to creative differences. Adam McKay and Rawson Marshall-Thurber were approached before Peyton Reed was hired.

>Wright reportedly wanted a highly stylized, completely standalone movie, and rejected the revisions demanded by the studio.

>Wright's draft featured Scott Lang as a petty crook who's been arrested several times; Hank Pym as a mad scientist driven by ego; a love triangle between Scott, his ex-wife Maggie and his childhood friend Paxton; Darren Cross becoming the Nano Warrior; and minor roles for Hope Van Dyne and Scott's crew, which was comprised by eight criminals.

>Reed's revisions added Yellowjacket; the Quantum Realm; Hope, Luis, Kurt and Dave being prominent characters; Maggie and Paxton being minor characters; and Scott fighting the Falcon.

>Early drafts featured Alexander Pierce as one of the SHIELD agents present when Pym leaves the organization in the 1980's; and Armin Zola - in a robotic body - as Hydra's representative in procuring the Yellowjacket from Cross.

>Early cuts featured a prologue set in 1989, with a young Pym retrieving stolen data from a military compound in Cuba. Jordi Molla was cast as the compound's leader, General Castillo, but his scenes were cut.

>Early cuts featured Lang retrieving the stolen Cross Particles from HYDRA operative Mitchell Carson, but this was cut, leaving the plot thread available for a sequel.

>Joseph Gordon-Levitt auditioned for Scott Lang before Paul Rudd was cast.

>Jessica Chastain was approached for Hope Van Dyne before Evangeline Lily was cast.

>Steve Buscemi was approached for Hank Pym before Michael Douglas was cast.

>Patrick Wilson was originally cast as Paxton, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts and was replaced by Bobby Cannavale.

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

>Early drafts featured Vision on Captain America's team and Ant-Man on Iron Man's team; larger roles for Sharon Carter and Everett Ross; appearances by Bruce Banner and Pepper Potts; and Hope Van Dyne becoming the Wasp.

>In early drafts, Spider-Man had a larger role and Prince T'Challa had a minor role. When the deal between Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures initially failed, T'Challa's role was expanded, including his transformation into Black Panther. Marvel and Sony later reached an agreement and Spider-Man was reinserted in the script in a smaller role.

>Producers initially feared that Giant-Man wouldn't be taken seriously by the audienced and demanded him to be removed from the script. An alternative version featured the Scarlet Witch telekinetically blowing up an underground pipeline to create a diversion for Captain America and Winter Soldier to escape, but the Russos were ultimately able to convince the studio to have Giant-Man in the movie.

>Marvel Entertainment CEO Ike Perlmutter refused to pay Robert Downey Jr's salary, reducing Iron Man to a brief appearance. Downey Jr. lobbied for a larger role and was backed by producer Kevin Feige, leading to a conflict that ended with Marvel Studios splitting off from Marvel Entertainment and Perlmutter being reassigned to the television department while Feige had complete creative control over the movies.

>During the period where Iron Man was unavailable, the Russos mapped out an alternative third act centered on Baron Zemo searching for a biological weapon known as "Madbomb", which compels people into murderous rampages.

>Asa Butterfield, Charlie Rowe, Judah Lewis, Matthew Lintz, Charlie Plummer, Liam James, Chandler Riggs and Timothée Chalamet auditioned for Spider-Man before Tom Holland was cast.

Doctor Strange (2016)

>Fede Alvarez, Nikolaj Arcel, Dean Israelite, Jonathan Levine and Mark Andrews were approached to direct before Scott Derrickson was hired.

>Benedict Cumberbatch initially declined the role of Stephen Strange due to scheduling conflicts with his theater commitments. Mads Mikkelsen, Joaquin Phoenix, Jared Leto, Jake Gyllenhall, Tom Hardy, Colin Farrell, Ethan Hawke, Jack Huston, Oscar Isaac, Keanu Reeves, Matthew McConaughey, Ewan McGregor and Justin Theroux were approached to play the role before filming was delayed to accomodate Cumberbatch's schedule.

>Ken Watanabe, Morgan Freeman and Bill Nighy were approached for the Ancient One before Tilda Swinton was cast.

>Tony Todd was approached to voice Dormammu, but was ultimately replaced by Cumberbatch himself.

>In early drafts, the Ancient One was a Asian man and Wong was not featured. When the Ancient One was made into a Celtic woman, Wong was added to the story as one of Strange's mentors.

>Early drafts revealed that Strange went through the loop thousands of times before Dormammu decided to accept his bargain, and that he remembers each and every time he died.

>Early cuts featured a subplot about Strange's sister, Donna, who falls into a river while they're playing together and drowns despite his attempts to save her, motivating Strange to study medicine. Lulu Wilson played Donna, but all of her scenes were cut.

>Early cuts featured more parallels between science and magic that were cut from the movie so magic would remain shrouded in mystery.

>Early cuts had a slightly darker tone that didn't ressonate very well with test-audiences. Dan Harmon was then hired to revise the script and more lighthearted beats were added in reshoots.

kek Louis kept getting cucked

>>Marvel Entertainment CEO Ike Perlmutter refused to pay Robert Downey Jr's salary, reducing Iron Man to a brief appearance. Downey Jr. lobbied for a larger role and was backed by producer Kevin Feige, leading to a conflict that ended with Marvel Studios splitting off from Marvel Entertainment and Perlmutter being reassigned to the television department while Feige had complete creative control over the movies.

So is this why the Marvel TV shows have gone to shit?

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

>Director James Gunn added Ego as Star-Lord's father before learning that the characters rights belonged to 20th Century Fox. The studio eventually traded Ego to Marvel Studios in exchange for changing Negasonic Teenage Warhead's powers in DEADPOOL.

>Gunn was advised against including a particular alien race, the Sneeps, because their name resembles the Icelandic slang for female genitalia. The studio eventually relented to their appearance.

>Early drafts included the Nova Empire. John C. Reilly and Glenn Close were approached to return as Daenerian Rhoman Dey and Nova Prime Irani Rael, but Reilly was unavailable due to scheduling conflicts, and was ultimately written out alongside Rael.

>Early drafts included the Collector, but Benicio Del Toro couldn't return to scheduling conflicts.

>Early drafts featured Adam Warlock as the Sovereigns' secret weapon, but the character was ultimately cut as he was superfluous to the narrative.

>Early cuts featured a longer segment on Earth including cameo appearances from Nathan Fillion as fictional actor Simon Williams and Gregg Henry as Grandpa Quill, but both were ultimately cut from the movie.

>Early cuts featured a sixth post-credits scene in which Gamora and Mantis hearing the screams of one of the Ravagers who were pierced by Yondu's arrow and has presumably been forgotten and screaming in agony throughout the third act of the movie. This was deleted as test-audiences didn't get the joke.

>Early cuts featured a minor scene of Drax loudly slurping soup to his teammates' annoyance which was cut for time.

>Matthew McConaughey was approached to play Ego, but ultimately declined, and Kurt Russell was cast at Chris Pratt's suggestion. Liam Neeson and Gary Oldman were also considered.

>David Bowie was slated for a cameo as one of the Ravager commanders before his death in 2016.

>Alec Baldwin was approached for Alexander Pierce before Robert Redford was cast.
What the fuck were they thinking?

Redford was perfect for the role and Baldwin would have ruined it.

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

>Ted Melfi was in talks to direct the movie, but dropped out to direct HIDDEN FIGURES and was replaced by Jon Watts. Drew Goddard and John M. Daley & Jonathan Goldstein were also approached.

>Michael Keaton initially declined the role of Adrian Toomes due to scheduling conflicts, but Marvel Studios was able to accomodate to his schedule. Michael Shannon was briefly approached for the role, but declined. Mark Hamill was also interested.

>Watts originally envisioned Nick Fury as Peter's mentor.

>In early drafts, Zendaya's character Michelle was also Peter's apartment neighbor. Further revisions made them just classmates.

>In early drafts, Tony Revolori's character was named "Manuel". Further revisions made him into Flash Thompson.

>In early drafts, Toomes would've been one of Peter's teachers and not Liz's father.

>In early drafts, War Machine and Vision would make appearances, helping Iron Man save the collapsing Staten Island ferry.

>In early drafts, Happy would tell Peter that Tony told him to tell Peter something about how "with great powers comes great... Whatever" when they meet in the bathroom.

>In early drafts, Peter would accept Stark's offer and reveal his secret identity to the world.

>Early cuts featured an extended sequence of Aunt May rescuing a young girl in peril while secretly being observed by Peter.

>Watts produce an entire DVD with over 10 different PSAs starring Captain America, including one about the importance of oral hygiene and one titled "Rapping with Cap".

this is some next level autism

THE DCEU


Man of Steel (2013)

>Ben Affleck, Darren Aronofsky, Matt Reeves, Duncan Jones and Jonathan Liebesman were approached to direct the movie before Zack Snyder was hired, reportedly in part because he was willing to work with WB's deadlines.

>Early drafts featured an extended sequel of Faora and Nam-Ek destroying Hong Kong to pressure Superman into surrendering to them, which was cut due to budget.

>Early drafts featured Zod being exiled to the Phantom Zone in the final battle, but Snyder and Goyer preferred to have Superman kill him. Nolan objected to the idea, but Snyder persuaded him it was necessary to justify Superman's "no kill" code to the audience.

>Early cuts opened with Clark Kent arriving at the Daily Planet, with the plot unfolding through three interlocked sets of flashback sequences, but this was changed after being poorly received by test-audiences.

>Snyder planned to include a post-credits scene featuring a shipment of Kryptonite being delivered to Wayne Manor, but Nolan objected to the idea of overtly teasing a sequel.

>Joe Manganiello, Matthew Goode, Colin O'Donoghue and Armie Hammer auditioned for Superman before Henry Cavill was cast.

>Anne Hathaway, Olivia Wilde, Emmy Rossum, Charlotte Riley, Dianna Agron, Kaya Scodelario, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kristen Bell, Lake Bell and Mila Kunis auditioned for Lois Lane before Amy Adams was cast.

>Diane Kruger, Rosamund Pike and Gal Gadot auditioned for Faora before Antje Traue was cast.

>Viggo Mortensen was approached for Zod before Michael Shannon was cast.

>Daniel Day-Lewis, Clive Owen and Sean Penn were approached for Jor-El before Russell Crowe was cast.

>Julia Ormond and Connie Nielsen were approached for Lara before Aylet Zurer was cast.

>Bruce Greenwood, Dennis Quaid and Kurt Russell were approached for Jonathan Kent before Kevin Costner was cast.

>Sela Ward and Elisabeth Shue were approached for Martha Kent before Diane Lane was cast.

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

>The movie was originally greenlit as a sequel to MAN OF STEEL featuring Lex Luthor and Metallo.

>Josh Brolin and Ben Affleck were approached for Batman, but both declined. Joe Manganiello, Matthew Goode, Scott Adkins, Max Martini and Richard Armitage auditioned before Affleck reconsidered and brought his contributor Chris Terrio to revise David Goyer's script, which he found disappointing.

>Olga Kurylenko, Elodie Yung and Emily Ratajkowski auditioned for Wonder Woman before Gal Gadot was cast.

>Joaquin Phoenix was offered the role of Lex Luthor, but declined. Matt Damon, Bradley Cooper, Denzel Washington and Bryan Cranston were also considered before Snyder changed his plans for the character.

>Jesse Eisenberg was originally approached to play Jimmy Olsen. Snyder had planned to cast a famous actor and then kill Olsen early in the movie to subvert audience expectations, but Eisenberg declined. Snyder felt Eisenberg's disdainful attitude was so powerful he changed the entire script to accomodate for a new interpretation of Luthor that would play to Eisenberg's strengths.

>Batman's Knightmare and Flash's appearance were late additions by Snyder, who believed that the narrative was "too linear" and needed more surreal elements, even though he hadn't quite figured out what they meant.

>Christopher Nolan objected to using Superman's death early into the DCEU, but Snyder persuaded him it was important to the movie.

>The movie's disappointing critical reception and below expectations box office performance prompted Warner to change their plans for the DCEU and scrap Snyder's original vision of a dark and gritty deconstruction of superheroes in favor of more conventional superhero adventures.

Suicide Squad (2016)

>David Ayer pitched the movie to WB and was given one month to write the script ahead of filming.

>Early drafts featured Rick Flag as the main character, but this was changed when Will Smith was cast as Deadshot.

>Early drafts featured King Shark, but the character was deemed too expensive and replaced by Killer Croc.

>Tom Hardy was originally cast as Flag, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. Jake Gyllenhall, Luke Evans, Joel Edgerton and Jon Bernthal were approached to replace him before Joel Kinnaman was cast.

>Bernthal and Jai Courtney also auditioned for Deadshot before Will Smith was cast.

>Oprah Winfrey and Octavia Spencer were approached for Amanda Waller before Viola Davis was cast.

>Shia LaBeouf was approached for Lieutenant GQ Edwards before Scott Eastwood was cast. The character's role was severely reduced in rewrites.

>The movie went through massive reshoots to inject more action and humor and was re-edited multiple times by different companies after middling reception by test-audiences and the disappointing critical and commercial performance of BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE, leading to numerous scenes being deleted, including most content featuring the Joker.

>The abusive relationship between the Joker and Harley Quinn was scrapped in the reshoots in favor of a more conventional romance to capitalize on the characters's popularity with teenage audiences.

>Further revisions made him into Flash Thompson.

FUCKING WHY!!?!?!

Wonder Woman (2017)

>WB originally planned to release the movie after JUSTICE LEAGUE.

>Michelle MacLaren was originally slated to direct, but dropped out due to creative differences. Catherine Hardwicke, Mimi Leder, Karyn Kusama, Julie Taymor and Tricia Brock were also approached before Patty Jenkins was hired.

>WB studied two alternative scripts, one set in the Crimean War and one set in World War I, before ultimately choosing the latter.

>Jenkins was initially adamant that the movie be set in World War II as per the comics, but was convinced otherwise by Snyder.

>Liam Hemsworth and Alexander Skarsgard were approached for Steve Trevor before Chris Pine was cast.

>Nicole Kidman and Cate Blanchett were approached for Queen Hyppolita before Connie Nielsen was cast.

>Eva Green was reportedly approached for Doctor Poison before Elena Anaya was cast.

>Sean Bean was reportedly approached for Ares before David Thewlis was cast.

>The original script was reportedly heavily reworked by on set after the poor critical and commercial reception to BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE.

>The original ending where Diana abandons humanity for 100 years after Steve Trevor's death was scrapped after negative feedback from test-screenings and a more hopeful ending where Diana remains protective of the human race was added in reshoots.

>Kurt Russell was cast at Chris Pratt's suggestion

Good taste Chris

>Morena Baccarin auditioned for Maria Hill before Cobie Smulders was cast

TFW we could havve the perfect Maria Hill but instead we got How we met your mother blandest canadian.

>Early cuts opened with Clark Kent arriving at the Daily Planet, with the plot unfolding through three interlocked sets of flashback sequences, but this was changed after being poorly received by test-audiences.
Thank god. The "welcome to the planet" was kino

>Imogen Gay Poots

aaaahhahahahahaaha i'm sorry but what??? tell me that's not a human's name

>all those other potential Luthors
Jesus Christ we do live in the worst timeline

DC BEFORE THE DCEU


Batman (1989)

>Ivan Reitman, Joe Dante, David Cronenberg and Alex Cox were approached to direct before Tim Burton was hired. Reitman wanted to make it a comedy starring Bill Murray as Batman, Michael J. Fox as Robin as Eddie Murphy as the Joker.

>Tom Mankiewicz wrote the first draft of the script, which featured Batman and Robin fighting against the Joker, who murdered Batman's parents on behalf of mobster Rupert Thorn. Mankiewicz's draft also featured Silver St. Cloud as Batman's love interest and the Penguin as a secondary villain. Burton disliked his ideas and called Sam Hamm to revise the script.

>Early drafts featured a love triangle between Bruce Wayne, Vicki Vale and Alexander Knox that was scrapped when further revisions made Knox into a comedic character. At one point, both Vale and Knox were supposed to be killed by the Joker.

>In early drafts, the Flying Graysons would've been killed during the Joker's parade, and young Dick Grayson helps Batman defeat the Joker, setting up his transformation into Robin.

>Warner Bros Pictures approached Mel Gibson and Pierce Brosnan for Batman, but they both declined due to scheduling conflicts. Kevin Costner, Harrison Ford, Dennis Quaid, Tom Selleck, Jeff Bridges, Charlie Sheen, Alec Baldwin, Kurt Russell, Willem Dafoe and Ray Liotta were also considered before Michael Keaton was cast.

>Brad Douriff, Tim Curry, David Bowie, Jon Lithgow and James Woods were considered for the Joker before Jack Nicholson was offered the role. He initally declined, but later reconsidered upon learning an offer had been made to Robin Williams.

>Sean Young was originally cast as Vicki Vale, but injured herself in a horseback riding accident prior to filming and was replaced by Kim Basinger.

>Steve Martin was approached for Alexander Knox before the role was rewritten and reduced, and Robert Wuhl was cast.

>Kiefer Sutherland was approached for Dick Grayson before the character was removed from the script.

Batman Returns (1992)

>The first draft of the script, written by Sam Hamm, was a direct sequel to BATMAN and featured the return of Vicki Vale, but Burton disliked the concept and called Daniel Walters to pen a new draft that worked as a standalone movie.

>In early drafts, street-smart auto-mechanic Dick Grayson would help Batman repair the Batmobile after it is sabotaged by the Penguin, setting up his transformation into Robin, but the idea was scrapped because Waters disliked the character and Burton didn't want sequel hooks.

>In early drafts, Harvey Dent would sponsor the Penguin's mayoral campaign, and also be responsible for the attempted murder of Catwoman, who would later disfigure half of his face, setting up his transformation into Two-Face, but the idea was scrapped because Burton didn't want sequel hooks, and Dent was replaced by Max Shreck, who would initially be the Penguin's brother.

>Dustin Hoffman, Christopher Lloyd, Bob Hoskins and John Candy were considered for the Penguin before Danny De Vito was cast.

>Annette Benning was originally cast as Catwoman, but dropped out due to her pregnancy. Madonna, Cher, Bridget Fonda, Raquel Welch, Lorraine Bracco, Ellen Barkin, Jennifer Beals, Brooke Shields, Susan Sarandon, Jodie Foster, Geena Davis, Jennifer Jason Leight, Demi Moore and Nicole Kidman were considered for the role before Michelle Pfeiffer was cast. Pfeiffer had previously impressed Burton when she auditioned for Vicki Vale in BATMAN.

>Marlon Wayans was originally cast as Dick Grayson before the character was scrapped.

>Sean Young believed she was entitled to the role of Catwoman and began stalking Burton, even breaking into the Warner Bros loft in a homemade Catwoman costume and forcing Burton to hide in his office until security escorted her out.

Batman Forever (1995)

>WB was disappointed by BATMAN RETURNS' box office and decided to make the franchise more family-friendly. Burton disagreed with their new creative direction and declined to return. Sam Raimi was approached to replace him before Joel Schumacher was hired.

>Michael Keaton declined to return after Burton's departure. Mel Gibson, Daniel Day-Lewis, Alec Baldwin, William Baldwin, Kurt Russell, Johnny Depp, Ralph Fiennes and Ethan Hawke were approached to replace him before Val Kilmer was cast.

>Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, Matt Damon, Jude Law, Ewan McGregor, Toby Stephens and Scott Speedman auditioned for Robin before Chris O'Donnell was cast.

>Rene Russo was originally cast as Chase Meridian, but was replaced because producers felt she was too old for Kilmer. Linda Hamilton, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Sandra Bullock and Robin Wright were considered before Nicole Kidman was cast.

>Robin Williams was approached for the Riddler, but declined, still bitter over being used as "bait" to lure Jack Nicholson into the role of the Joker, and Jim Carrey was cast.

>Schumacher decided not to invite Marlon Wayans and Billy Dee Williams, who were originally slated to play Robin and Two-Face, and had to receive a hefty compensation for the contract breach.

>Schumacher wanted to add Poison Ivy to the script, and originally envisioned Kidman to play her, but the studio argued against three villains in one movie, and Kidman was ultimately cast as Chase Meridian.

>Schumacher wanted to adapt Frank Miller's "Batman: Year One", but WB declined in favor of a sequel with an established Batman. Schumacher added several flashback sequences exploring Batman's past, but most of them were cut.

Batman & Robin (1997)

>Val Kilmer dropped out of the movie due to his disagreements with Schumacher, and William Baldwin and David Duchovny were considered for Batman before George Clooney was cast.

>Olivia d'Abo was considered for Batgirl before Alicia Silverstone was cast.

>Patrick Stewart, Anthony Hopkins and Ed Harris were considered for Mister Freeze before Arnold Schwarzenegger was cast.

>Julia Roberts, Demi Moore and Sharon Stone were considered for Poison Ivy before Uma Thurman was cast.

>In early drafts, Bruce Wayne's girlfriend, Julie Madison, played by Elle McPherson, had a larger role, culminating with Poison Ivy fatally stabbing her. The idea was scrapped for being too dark for a kid-oriented movie, and most of Madison's scenes were cut in further rewrites.

>In early drafts, Poison Ivy seduces Robin in her supervillain persona while also trying to entice Bruce Wayne as Pamela Isley, and Bruce's discovery that they're one and the same is what convinces Robin that they're being manipulated by Ivy. The concept was scrapped in further rewrites.

Batman Begins (2005)

>Ashton Kutcher was WB's top choice to play Batman before Christopher Nolan was hired to direct the movie.

>In early drafts, Harvey Dent was Bruce Wayne's childhood friend who becomes an Assistant District Attorney who collaborates with Batman. When Rachel Dawes was added to the script, Dent was removed and Rachel was given his role.

>Henry Cavill, Cillian Murphy, Jake Gyllenhall, Hugh Dancy, Billy Crudup, Eion Bailey, David Boreanaz, Joshua Jackson and Heath Ledger auditioned for Batman. Jackson was reportedly Christopher Nolan's favored choice for the role, but WB rejected him as Katie Holmes had already been cast as Rachel and Jackson's casting would drawn unwanted attention to the fact they were both in DAWSON'S CREEK, which WB feared would undermine the movie's credibility. Ultimately, Christian Bale was cast.

>Amy Adams auditioned for Rachel before Katie Holmes was cast by WB's demand. Claire Danes and Reese Witherspoon were also considered for the role.

>Christopher Eccleston and Ewan McGregor were considered for the Scarecrow before Cillian Murphy was cast, having impressed Nolan with his audition for Batman.

>Gary Oldman was approached for Ra's Al Ghul, but preferred to play James Gordon. Guy Pearce was in talks for the role, but once Bale was cast, Nolan felt Pearce was too close to Bale's age to convincingly play a seasoned mentor, and Liam Neeson was then cast.

>Chris Cooper was approached for James Gordon, but declined, leading to Gary Oldman being cast.

>Anthony Hopkins was considered for Alfred Pennyworth before Michael Caine was cast.

>Laurence Fishburne was considered for Lucius Fox before Morgan Freeman was cast.

The Dark Knight (2008)

>Harvey Dent's disfigurement would originally happen in the third act, and his transformation into Two-Face would occur in a potential sequel, but the concept was scrapped in favor of completing Dent's storyline in the movie.

>In early drafts, there's a subplot about Batman investigating Harvey Dent's background and learning that Dent's family was brutally murdered, but it was scrapped for being inconsequential.

>In early drafts, Rachel is revealed to a distant relative of the Grayson family, but the idea was scrapped as being inconsequential. Nolan also didn't want fans to believe Robin would be added to the franchise.

>Early drafts reportedly featured Oswald Cobblebot as a Russian weapons dealer and one of the leaders of Gotham's organized crime, and Roman Sionis as Bruce's corporate rival.

>Rachel McAdams was offered the role of Rachel Dawes after Katie Holmes dropped out due to scheduling conflicts, but declined. Isla Fisher and Emily Blunt also auditioned for Maggie Gyllenhall was cast.

>Hugh Jackman was offered the role of Harvey Dent, but couldn't commit due to scheduling conflicts. Jude Law, Josh Lucas, Liev Schreiber and Mark Ruffalo were also considered before Aaron Eckhart was cast.

>Paul Bettany, Guy Pearce, Adrien Brody, Sean Penn, Hugo Weaving, Johnny Depp, Vincent Cassel, Crispin Glover and Lachy Hulme auditioned for the role of the Joker before Heath Ledger was cast. Bettany was reportedly WB's choice for the role and Nolan's backup should Ledger be unavailable.

>Philip Seymour Hoffman and Karl Urban were linked to the role of Oswald Cobbleplot and Roman Sionis before the characters were allegedly scrapped.

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

>Heath Ledger was expected to return as Joker before his death.

>WB wanted the Riddler as the main villain, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, but director Christopher Nolan believed he was too similar to the Joker.

>Nolan and his brother Jonathan Nolan wrote the first draft of the script, which was 400 pages long and had to be severely condensed in order to fit into one movie. Most cuts were done to the second act, with Bruce Wayne trapped in the Pit and Gotham City under siege from Bane.

>In early drafts, several minor characters had larger roles that were reduced in further revisions, including Barsad, Bane's right-hand man; Jen, Selina Kyle's friend and accomplice; Ross, John Blake's partner; and Jones, the leader of the Special Forces team deployed to Gotham.

>In early drafts, Captain Peter Foley is killed by Talia after being run over by a Tumbler. The scene was filmed, but deemed too violent for the studio, and reworked so Foley is fatally shot during the final battle.

>Rachel Weisz was considered for Talia Al Ghul before Marion Cottilard was cast.

>Ryan Gosling was considered for John Blake before Joseph Gordon-Levitt was cast.

>Zoe Kravitz was considered for Jen before Juno Temple was cast.

>Adam Rodriguez was considered for Jones before Daniel Sunjata was cast.

Catwoman (2004)

>Daniel Waters wrote the first draft of the script in 1993 as a spin-off from BATMAN RETURNS in which Selina Kyle relocates to an idyllic small town in Arizona and learns that the city's leaders are members of a cult and are planning to destroy the city in a mass sacrifice. Tim Burton was in talks to direct, with Michelle Pfeiffer set to return as Selina, but Waters' script was deemed too dark by WB, and the project was scrapped after BATMAN FOREVER became a box office hit.

>In 2001, the project was revived and the script was revised multiple times to make it a standalone movie, with Ashley Judd set to play Selina Kyle.

>In 2003, Further revisions reinvented the entire concept and replaced Selina Kyle with an original character, Patience Philips, to avoid conflicts with the BATMAN franchise, which was in development hell.

>Nicole Kidman was approached to play Patience before Halle Berry was cast.

>Josh Lucas was approached for Patience's love interest, Detective Tom Lone, before Benjamin Bratt was cast.

>Julie Newmar and Frances McDormand were approached for Patience's mentor, Ophelia Powers, before Frances Conroy was cast.

>Watts produce an entire DVD with over 10 different PSAs starring Captain America, including one about the importance of oral hygiene and one titled "Rapping with Cap".

I want this DVD.
Those PSA's were truly awful and exactly the kind of well-intentioned schlock I could see Cap gladly signing up for.

>>Rachel McAdams was offered the role of Rachel Dawes after Katie Holmes dropped out due to scheduling conflicts, but declined. Isla Fisher and Emily Blunt also auditioned

Apparently they weren't beautiful enough for the part

>prompted Warner to change their plans for the DCEU and scrap Snyder's original vision of a dark and gritty deconstruction of superheroes

see this is actually an entertaining and interesting way to handle comic book characters on film. The problem was all the dumb hackey shit Snyder did along the way in his quest to achieve this.

Snyder ultimately poisoned his own good idea by being involved in it. Dayum shame.

>but the concept was scrapped
someone should have told Ultron that

Superman: The Movie (1978)

>Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, Sam Peckinpah, William Friedkin, John Guillermin, Peter Yates, Ronald Neame, Robert Aldrich, Norman Jewison, Mark Robson and Richard Lester were approached to direct the movie before Guy Hamilton was hired. He dropped out shortly afterwards and was replaced by Richard Donner.

>Producers Ilya Salkind, Alexander Salkind and Pierre Spengler planned for SUPERMAN and SUPERMAN II to be filmed back-to-back. Mario Puzo wrote a borderline unfilmmable 550 pages script with an overtly campy tone, which Donner disliked. Tom Mankiewicz rewrote the entire script at Donner's behest, but was denied credit by the Writers Guild of America. Donner then credited him as a creative consultant so his contribution would be recognized.

>Puzo's draft featured Clark Kent and Lois Lane as television reporters; two addition evil Kryptonian, mad scientist Jax-Ur and psychotic prankster Jak-El; an additional bumbling sidekick to Lex Luthor named "Albert", who'd be Otis' brother; and a cameo appearance by Kojak, played by Telly Savalas, meeting Lex Luthor at a subway station and offering him a lollipop.

>Donner partially shot SUPERMAN II before convincing Spengler and the Salkinds to focus on completing SUPERMAN, since a cliffhanger ending wouldn't accomplish anything without a succesful first movie.

>In early drafts, Superman would divert Lex Luthor's nuclear missile to space, where it would accidentally free General Zod, Ursa and Non from the Phantom Zone and lead them to Earth. When Donner persuaded the producers to let him complete SUPERMAN as a standalone movie, he used the concept of Superman turning back time and changing the past, originally slated for SUPERMAN II, to give the movie a proper ending.

>Donner notoriously clashed with Spengler and the Salkinds throughout production, to the point they refused to speak to eachother. The Salkinds appointed Lester as a second unit director anticipating that he could take over production should Donner drop out. Lester had previously sued the Salkinds over unpaid dues in a previous collaboration and allegedly only agreed to the job due to the salary they offered.

>The producers were determined that Superman be played by an A-lister. Warren Beatty, Al Pacino, Dustin Hoffman, Steve McQueen, Clint Eastwood, Robert Redford, Paul Newman, Burt Reynolds, James Caan, Charles Bronson and Muhammad Ali were approached for the role, but declined.

>Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Jenner, Neil Diamond, Perry King, Lyle Waggoner, Robert Wagner, John Beck, David Soul, Jan-Michael Vincent, James Brolin, Sam Elliott, Christopher Walken, Nick Nolte, Jon Voight, Jeff Bridges, Kris Kristofferson and David Prowse auditioned for the role before Patrick Wayne was cast. However, he dropped out when his father, John Wayne, was diagnosed with cancer. Donner ultimately persuaded the producers to cast a young unknown, and ultimately selected Christopher Reeve, who had previously been denied an audition for allegedly being "too scrawny".

>Anne Archer, Stockard Channing, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Leslie Ann Warren, Susan Blakely, Deborah Raffin, April Byron, Christina Raines, Barbra Streisand, Natalie Wood, Carrie Fisher and Liza Minelli were approached for Lois Lane before Margot Kidder was cast.

>Paul Newman, Dustin Hoffman, Jack Nicholson, Gene Wilder and George Kennedy were approached for Lex Luthor before Gene Hackman was cast.

>Paul Newman and Charlton Heston were approached for Jor-El before Marlon Brando was cast.

Superman II: The Adventure Continues (1980)

>Spengler and the Salkinds decided to complete SUPERMAN II after SUPERMAN became a box office hit, but fired Donner due to their previous disagreements and replaced by Lester. Gene Hackman objected to the producers' treatment of Donner and refused to return for the sequel, forcing them to write the script around the footage he had already shot under Donner's direction. Lester was also required to reshoot numerous scenes that had already been completed by Donner in order to be properly credited as the sole director.

>Marlon Brando was slated to return as Jor-El, but felt cheated out of the movie's box office earnings and filed a lawsuit against the Salkinds, which led to Jor-El being replaced by Superman's mother, Lara Lor-Van, played by Susannah York.

>David Newman and Leslie Newman, who had previously contributed to the script of SUPERMAN, redrafted SUPERMAN II, adding the prologue with the hostage crisis at Eiffel Tower, the epilogue with the memory-wiping kiss and reworking numerous scenes based on Donner's version.

>Caroline Munro was approached for Ursa before Sarah Douglas was cast.

>David Prowse auditioned for Non before Jack O'Halloran was cast.

>An alternative ending where Zod, Ursa and Non are arrested by the Arctic Police after being depowered by Superman was shot, but never used in neither Lester's cut nor Donner's cut.

Superman III (1983)

>Guy Hamilton was approached to direct the movie before Richard Lester was persuaded to return.

>Ilya Salkind wrote a treatment in which Superman falls in love with Supergirl, another survivor of planet Krypton, as they join forces to battle Brainiac, a mad scientist from planet Colu and Supergirl's adoptive father, who has fallen in love with her; and Mr. Mxyzptlk, a mischievous imp from the Fifth Dimension, but the studio didn't like the concept and called David Newman and Leslie Newman to write a new script.

>In early drafts, Lex Luthor was the main villain and would create a supercomputer known as "Brainiac" as part of a masterplan to take over the world, only for Brainiac to become sentient and resolve to destroy it instead. When Hackman once again refused to return due to his grievances with the Salkinds, Luthor was replaced by a facsimile, Ross Webster, played by Robert Vaughn.

>Margot Kidder also openly supported Donner in his feud with the Salkinds, and as a result Lois Lane was reduced to a minor appearance and Lana Lang was introduced as Superman's main love interest, played by Annette O'Toole.

>Richard Pryor's character, hacker Gus Gorman, was added to the script due to Pryor's five picture contract with Warner Bros Pictures, and led to the movie being retooled as comedy-oriented and the Brainiac subplot being downplayed to the point where the character was never even named in the movie.

Superman IV: The Quest For Peace (1987)

>After SUPERMAN III and SUPERGIRL flopped at the box office, the Salkinds sold the rights to Cannon Pictures.

>Wes Craven and Albert Pyun were approached to direct the movie before Sidney J. Furie was hired.

>Christopher Reeve had initially declined to return, but agreed in exchange for financing for his next movie and the opportunity to co-write the script. He notoriously clashed with Furie throughout production.

>Margot Kidder and Gene Hackman were persuaded to return due to Salkinds no longer being involved, though both of them as well as Reeve later recognized that the movie was awful and damaging to their careers.

>Reeve was originally approached to play the Nuclear Man as well, but the idea was scrapped for being too expensive.

>Cannon Pictures slashed the movie's budget from $36 million to $17 million, preventing several scenes from being completed and reducing the movie's running time from 135 minutes to 90 minutes. A subplot about the first Nuclear Man, played by Clive Mantle, who is defeated by Superman after wreaking havoc in a nightclub, was also deleted after poor reception at test screenings.

>Cannon Pictures considered using the unfinished footage as the basis for a fifth movie, but their plans were scrapped due to Christopher Reeve's horseback accident. The plot would've featured Superman becoming trapped in the Bottled City of Kandor.

>The movie was originally rated "R" for the scene where Phil Coulson is killed by Loki.
The rating system is so fucking stupid.

Superman Returns (2006)

>The project went through multiple iterations over the years, most notably 1997's SUPERMAN LIVES, 2002's BATMAN VS. SUPERMAN and 2004's SUPERMAN: FLYBY.

>Tim Burton, Wolfgang Petersen, Brett Ratner, McG, Michael Bay, Martin Campbell, M. Night Shyamalan and J.J. Abrams were approached to direct the movie before Bryan Singer was hired and convinced WB to produce a spiritual sequel to the Donner movies rather than a complete reboot.

>Henry Cavill, Matt Bomer, Josh Hartnett, Paul Walker, Brendan Fraser, Jerry O'Connell, David Boreanaz, Ashton Kutcher, Ian Somerhalder, Jared Padelecki, Victor Webster, Jason Behr, Daniel Cudmore and Hayden Christensen were either approached or auditioned for Superman before Brandon Routh was cast.

>Amy Adams, Claire Danes, Keri Russell, Mischa Barton and Elisha Cutberth auditioned for Lois Lane before Kate Bosworth was cast.

>Shawn Ashmore, Topher Grace and Eric Christian Olsen were approached for Jimmy Olsen before Sam Huntington was cast.

>Hugh Laurie was cast as Perry White, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts and was replaced by Frank Langella.

>Hugh Jackman was in talks to play Jonathan Kent in an extended flashback sequence, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.

>Early drafts featured Steve Lombard as a abrasive new reporter who antagonizes Clark Kent when he returns to the Daily Planet. Barry Pepper was linked to the role before the character was cut for being superfluous to the narrative.

>Early drafts featured Lex Luthor freeing General Zod from the Phantom Zone to enact revenge on Superman. Jude Law was offered the role, but declined, after which Singer decided to write the character out of the movie.

>Early drafts featured a larger role for Kal Penn's Stanford, who is revealed to be a disgraced science reporter for the Daily Planet who is bribed by Lex Luthor into forging evidence of Krypton's survival to lure Superman away from Earth.

Supergirl (1984)

>The Salkinds greenlit the movie after SUPERMAN III flopped in order to revitalize the franchise.

>Richard Lester and Robert Wise were approached to direct the movie before Jeannot Szwarc was hired.

>Several actresses auditioned for Supergirl, including Melanie Griffiths, Demi Moore and Brooke Shields. Alexander Salkind favored Shields, but both Ilya Salkind and Szwarc wanted an unknown actress in the same vein as Christopher Reeve and cast Helen Slater.

>Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda and Goldie Hawn were approached to play the sorceress Selene before Faye Dunaway was cast.

>John Travolta was approached to play Supergirl's love interest Ethan before Hart Bochner was cast.

>Demi Moore also auditioned for Supergirl's friend Lucy Lane before Maureen Teefy was cast.

>Dudley Moore was approached to play Supergirl's mentor Zaltar before Peter O'Toole was cast.

>Superman was featured in the original script, in which he is kidnapped by Selene and Supergirl must rescue him. Christopher Reeve was slated to appear in the movie and even recommended Szwarc as the director, but dropped out in the last moment, leading to last-minutes rewrites to remove the character from the story.

Green Lantern (2011)

>Greg Berlanti was slated to direct the movie, but dropped out and was replaced by Martin Campbell.

>Early drafts featured Legion as the main villain, a monster born from experiments conducted by the Guardians of the Universe with the Yellow Light of Fear. He was replaced by Parallax to set up sequels.

>Early drafts featured Alan Scott as a government operative and former Green Lantern who assists Hal Jordan. He was replaced by Amanda Waller to set up a DC Cinematic Universe.

>Ryan Gosling, Chris Pine, Jared Leto, Justin Timberlake, Jake Gyllenhall, Michael Fassbender and Bradley Cooper were approached for Hal Jordan before Ryan Reynolds was cast.

>Rose Byrne, Eva Green, Keri Russell, Jennifer Garner and Diane Kruger were approached for Carol Ferris before Blake Lively was cast.

>Hugo Weaving and Jackie Earle Haley were approached for Thaal Sinestro before Mark Strong was cast.

>Reynolds notoriously clashed with Campbell, who favored Bradley Cooper for the role and was unhappy when WB cast Reynolds instead, and often criticized Reynolds' performance and demanded extensive retakes.

>The movie went severely overbudget, requiring emergency rewrites to scale down the scope and several CGI-heavy scenes to be deleted as it would be impossible to complete them, notably an extensive training sequence on planet Oa and Sinestro, Tomar-Re and Kilowog arriving to help Jordan battle Parallax in the third act.

>The stinger with Sinestro stealing the yellow power ring was a last-minute addition to drum up interest in a potential sequel, which had already been greenlit, and was subsequently scrapped.

>The movie was expected to succesfully launch a DC Cinematic Universe, with Green Lantern functioning as WB's Iron Man, but plans were scrapped after the movie was a massive box office flop.