Non-disclosure agreements contractually prohibits actors from discussing their casting in Marvel or DC Movies, let alone confirming it with news outlets. Which explains why they have to lie about it from time to time. Here are 9 actors who lied about their roles in superhero movies.
Paul Rudd
When Paul Rudd was asked in 2013 if he was playing Ant-Man for Marvel Studios, Rudd very coyly said that it was “It’s all rumor, man”. He followed up by saying that he knew nothing about the role.
Tatiana Maslany
Tatiana Maslany denied being in talks to star in Marvel Studios upcoming Disney+ series “She-Hulk” to the Sudbury Star saying, ““That actually isn’t a real thing and it’s like a press release that’s gotten out of hand. It’s totally not — I’ve been connected to these things in the past and press has gotten onto it, but it’s not actually a thing, unfortunately.”
Benedict Cumberbatch
In 2014 at the “Penguins of Madagascar” Comic Con panel, Benedict Cumberbatch said, “That’s a joke, I’m not Doctor Strange.” During that same convention he responded he was too busy playing Hamlet. Cumberbatch would be announced as the Sorcerer Supreme months later, and while it’s true he turned down Marvel’s initial offer to play Doctor Strange due to scheduling conflicts, Marvel ended up moving the schedule of “Doctor Strange” back to accommodate Cumberbatch.
Brie Larson
In 2016, a month before officially being announced as Captain Marvel at Comic Con, Brie Larson told a reporter when asked about the role, “Who is Captain Marvel?”
Joaquin Phoenix
When Joaquin Phoenix was asked by a reporter if he was going to star in the movie that would garner him an Oscar for playing the Joker, Phoenix said, ““What movie about the Joker?” “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Marion Cotillard
In 2011, when asked by MTV at the premiere of “Contagion” if she was playing Talia Al Ghul, a character from the Batman comics in “The Dark Knight Rises,” Cotillard answered, “”Well, actually, it was not based off of a character in the comic.”
Jason Momoa
Jason Momoa actually admitted to Jimmy Kimmel he had to lie about playing Aquaman for “four to five years” because “they wanted it to be a secret.”
Jonathan Majors
When it was confirmed that the “Lovecraft Country” breakout would join the cast of “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” as time traveling Marvel Comics supervillain Kang the Conqueror, the fact that Kang is a huge deal in the Marvel Comics universe led many to assume he’d show up before the film’s 2023 release in another Marvel project. Like “Loki,” which is all about time travel. Majors straight up denied that in June 2021, but guess what: He had a HUGE role in the “Loki” season finale. (He was great by the way. More please.)
Andrew Garfield
“Spider-Man: No Way Home” may technically be a Sony project, but thanks to their agreement with Marvel, it places the story inside the MCU. And, when it was revealed that the movie would crack open the multiverse, fans immediately started speculating that Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire would return for “No Way Home,” reviving their takes on the friendly neighborhood hero. Maguire did a pretty good job of staying out of the spotlight leading up to the film, but since Garfield had multiple other projects coming out, he had to do a lot of press. As a result, he lied — repeatedly — and insisted he wasn’t in the movie, starting with his famous “I didn’t get a call” quote.