Keanu Reeves Refused A Marvel Role (Photo Credit – Instagram)

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Keanu Reeves once dodged a Marvel gig. While most A-list names were sprinting toward superhero flicks during Marvel’s peak, Reeves, cooler than cool with a resume that includes both time-traveling teen goofball and trench coat-wearing hacker messiah, politely stepped aside. He wasn’t just loosely considered either. According to Hypebeast, the role of Yon-Rogg in Captain Marvel was straight-up offered to him on a silver platter. And still, he walked away.

Keanu Reeves Passed On Marvel’s Yon-Rogg Role

Now, flashback to 2019: Captain Marvel was gearing up to launch Brie Larson as the MCU’s powerhouse heroine, and Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige was assembling a strong bench of talent. However, the part Jude Law eventually played was originally meant for none other than Keanu Reeves.

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So, why the pass? At the time, Reeves had just re-lit his action-hero flame thanks to John Wick. The franchise was picking up speed (and bullets), and scheduling played a big part in his decision. Reeves was in the thick of John Wick 3 filming, and squeezing in a Marvel shoot wasn’t feasible without time-turner-level logistics. Plus, if you’ve watched Captain Marvel, you know the role of Yon-Rogg didn’t exactly leave tons of creative room. Jude Law later even said that he wanted the role “to be more arch,” in a chat with Variety.