The dream role Matthew McConaughey wasn’t allowed to play: “No, thank you”
Swaggering onto the scene in the early 1990s as the slimeball Wooderson in Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused, Matthew McConaughey proved that he had what it took to become a star by stealing the show.
What was meant to be a small role was made bigger when it became apparent that he had a particularly captivating presence, and soon he had delivered the most quotable lines in the movie.
It was only a matter of time before McConaughey started to land leading roles; he had all the attributes of a Hollywood star, although his Texan drawl helped him stand out from his contemporaries. He soon found himself at home in the romantic comedy genre during the 2000s before pivoting towards some slightly more serious roles, and with this range on display, you’d think that he’d be able to land any job he so desired.
But Hollywood doesn’t always work that way, and the actor was once rejected from starring in his dream job, a big disappointment for someone who wanted to embody a role unlike anything he had taken on before, but it just wasn’t meant to be.
Revealing the letdown on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the actor didn’t specify when, but he admitted that he was turned down when he put himself forward to play Robert Bruce Banner, better known as the Incredible Hulk. The character, created back in the 1960s, is one of Marvel’s most popular superheroes, recognisable for his rippling green muscles, the result of being exposed to gamma rays and a fair bit of irritation.
Inspired by the character Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, the Hulk is the angry, powerful counterpart to an otherwise troubled Banner, and this contrast between the two makes him one of the most interesting and arguably sympathetic characters in the MCU. McConaughey took an interest in playing the character, who has since been portrayed by the likes of Eric Bana and Mark Ruffalo, but for some reason, he didn’t make the cut.
When asked, “Did you throw your hat in the ring? Did you say, ‘I’m game if you guys are?’” McConaughey replied, “Yep. They said, ‘No, thank you’”.
Like many actors of his age, he grew up watching the character on TV, presumably enjoying The Incredible Hulk from the late 1970s, in which Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno played Bruce and the Hulk, respectively. To have a chance of playing the character was perhaps a childhood dream for the actor, but Marvel couldn’t see him realise the layered complexity of the role.
It’s disappointing when you see yet another actor give themselves away to a franchise like the MCU, and while he did perform a voice cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine, McConaughey remains one of the few major stars not to have sold himself to the Hollywood gods of mindless superhero slop, so it’s probably for the best he keeps it that way.
