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Leonardo DiCaprio has never been the type to chase trends or fall into the safety net of franchise films. From the start of his career, he stood apart, not just as another child actor trying to survive in the industry, but as someone with an almost obsessive commitment to understanding cinema. While most kids his age were busy with simpler things, he was digging into performances, studying the work of greats, and already showing the kind of intensity that would become his trademark.
DiCaprio’s early roles in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape and The Basketball Diaries were impressive. They were indicators of a career that would only rise. The Oscar winner’s filmography reads like a highlight reel of modern cinema, with names like Martin Scorsese, Christopher Nolan, Steven Spielberg, and Quentin Tarantino in his back pocket.
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Besides, the Titanic star’s upcoming collaboration with Paul Thomas Anderson feels less like a surprise and more like an inevitability, a pairing that has long felt written in the stars.
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Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorcese on the set of The Aviator, in Montreal, 2003
Photograph: Brigitte Lacombe pic.twitter.com/zShappqx2a
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— Angela Vickers (@CineAngela60s) June 22, 2022
Despite the diversity of roles, from psychological thrillers to historical epics and social commentaries to noir dramas, there’s a specific path the legendary actor has never walked. The superhero genre, now a dominant force in Hollywood, never managed to attract him. While countless actors have strapped on capes and masks, building their careers in the glow of green screens and endless sequels, DiCaprio has always stayed far away.
For all its billions and bombast, the Marvel machine has a strange effect on film culture. To some, it’s a beacon of accessible entertainment; to others, it’s a sign of creative decay. Even directors and actors known for striking, personal work have been tempted by its promises, with some swallowed whole. Florence Pugh went from Midsommar to the Marvel roster, and Chloe Zhao followed up Nomadland, a film of quiet humanity, with the soulless sprawl of Eternals.
DiCaprio, however, never took the bait despite mouth-watering offers. He once sat down with Joel Schumacher to discuss playing Robin in Batman Forever, but the meeting went nowhere. According to Far Out Magazine, DiCaprio said, “I never screen-tested. I had a meeting with Joel Schumacher. It was just one meeting and, no, I didn’t end up doing it… As I recall I took the meeting, but didn’t want to play the role. Joel Schumacher is a very talented director, but I don’t think I was ready for anything like that”.
There was also talk about donning the Spider-Man suit before Tobey Maguire swung into the role. DiCaprio explained, “Er, that was another one of those situations, similar to Robin, where I didn’t feel ready to put on that suit yet. They got in touch with me”.
That’s the thing with Leonardo DiCaprio. He’s not just choosing roles; he’s curating a legacy. The idea of seeing him in a Marvel film feels laughable next to something like a collaboration with Paul Thomas Anderson. One is a paycheck and a suit, while the other is a shot at timeless cinema. It’s clear which side he’s on, and honestly, it’s the better one.
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