Casting close calls are endlessly fascinating. What would have happened if Tom Selleck starred in “Indiana Jones?” Or Will Smith as Neo in “The Matrix?” Film fans love to debate what could have been almost as much as what was. And it appears that there will be plenty to discuss when it comes to the casting of Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods.”
Speaking to Collider, actor Giancarlo Esposito explained that the original cast for Spike Lee’s film was going to look very different.
READ MORE: Spike Lee Had To Fight Netflix To Use 16mm Film For Flashbacks In ‘Da 5 Bloods’
“It was me and Samuel L. Jackson and Denzel Washington, and Denzel’s son,” he revealed.
Presumably “Denzel’s son” is a reference to John David Washington, the actor who will next be seen in “Tenet.”
However, as we now know, those men weren’t actually cast in “Da 5 Bloods.” And it doesn’t seem like the reason for that casting falling apart has anything to do with the script or anything creative. Instead, it all comes down to those dreaded scheduling conflicts.
READ MORE: ‘Da 5 Bloods’: Spike Lee Finally Makes A Worthy, If Bloated, War Epic [Review]
“I just love and adore Spike Lee, and the messages that he created in his films that are so powerful and strong, and also because the cast he was talking to at that time,” said Esposito. “But it didn’t work out for any of us because the shoot got pushed, and Spike was wanting everyone to be there the whole time overseas when he shot it, and I was still shooting ‘Better Call Saul,’ and was juggling that with ‘Godfather of Harlem,’ so it didn’t work out. It was so hard for me not to be able to do that film.”
Obviously, the cast that Lee recruited for the finished film is pretty great anyway. Not only did Lee land “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman, but he also filled out the cast with the likes of Delroy Lindo (getting awards buzz), Jonathan Majors, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis, and Isiah Whitlock Jr.
READ MORE: Spike Lee Thinks ‘Da 5 Bloods’ Was Released “At The Right Time For The World We Live In”
Of course, this wouldn’t have been the first time that the actor collaborated with Lee. In fact, Esposito starred in three of what people can argue are Spike Lee’s best films, “School Daze,” “Do the Right Thing,” and “Malcolm X.” So, even though it didn’t work out with “Da 5 Bloods,” considering their decades-long affiliation, it would stand to reason that Esposito will have another opportunity to work with Lee again.
“Da 5 Bloods” is now available to stream on Netflix.