Aaron Taylor-Johnson Turned Down A Role In ‘Deadpool 2’ Before Leading Sony's ‘Kraven The Hunter’ Movie

British actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson (“Tenet”) is no stranger to comic book roles. He first made big waves in the U.S. when he played the lead in Matthew Vaughn’s “Kick-Ass” and eventually took on the role of Quicksilver in “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” The actor has now landed a second Marvel role by leading Sony’s “Kraven The Hunter,” which is a“Spider-Man” spinoff focused on the villain but has recently revealed he almost appeared in another Marvel project before that.

During a chat with The Hollywood Reporter, Taylor-Johnson says he was up for an undisclosed part in “Deadpool 2” before turning it down and eventually ended up working with director David Leitch on “Bullet Train,” instead. 

“David Leitch actually asked me to be in ‘Deadpool 2’ ages ago. So I met him, but I didn’t do that,” Taylor-Johnson recalled. “So when [‘Bullet Train’] came around…he was like, ‘Get in line, buddy. There’s like ten other actors who want this job, and they’ve got a bigger name than you do.’”

READ MORE: Aaron Taylor-Johnson Says His Version Of Kraven The Hunter Is An “Animal Lover & Protector Of The Natural World”

Two cast members from “Bullet Train” did appear in the “Deadpool” sequel with Zazie Beetz as the lucky mutant Domino and Pitt’s brief cameo as The Vanisher during a humorous death scene. Ryan Reynolds’ “Deadpool 3” is moving forward at Marvel thanks to the hiring of director Shawn Levy and Beetz teased a return to the role earlier in the month to THR

Speaking of “Kraven The Hunter,” the actor also championed how the upcoming comic book film was shot “entirely on location.” This comes after many have criticized the overuse of digital sets and bluescreens in superhero film projects. 

“‘Kraven’ being shot entirely on location is going to make all the difference. It’s going to add something really beautiful to our personal story,” Taylor-Johnson shared. “It also sets Kraven apart from that Marvel stage look. It’s important for this character to be in the real world. It’s important for the authenticity of the story.”

If you’re not aware of the creative team behind “Kraven,” it is directed by J.C. Chandor (“Triple Frontier“) from a script penned by Richard Wenk with rewrites from Matt Holloway and Art Marcum. The rest of the cast consists of Ariana DeBose (“West Side Story“), Alessandro Nivola (“The Many Saints of Newark“), and Fred Hechinger said to be playing Kraven’s half-brother, The Chameleon. Another addition to the film’s call sheet that would highlight the Marvel flick isn’t directly set in the main MCU as Oscar-winner Russell Crowe is also featured, who recently played Zeus in “Thor: Love & Thunder” and may reprise the Greek God in the future

“Kraven” has a release date of January 13, 2023, and we’ll have to wait to see if the pic will have any serious connective tissue to other “Spider-Man” projects or will be just another standalone.