Happy birthday Leo! On her special day, we think back to her many and successful film roles. But the Hollywood star had almost other blockbuster characters in addition to his popular roles in “Titanic” or ”The Wolf of Wall Street.” You can find out here what they are and why the role did not work out for Leonardo DiCaprio.
Leonardo DiCaprio or Spider-Man?
With his various roles, it quickly becomes clear that Leonardo DiCaprio has never played a superhero. In the 90s sure there was the opportunity to be one - that is Spider-Man! But the aspiring actor refused this role. The reason: He wasn’t ready to slip into this outfit at the time. What is certain is that it would suit him perfectly. But Leo probably didn’t mean that point. It remains to be assumed that a long-term commitment to a character in the Marvel Universe wasn’t right for him at this point.
Even without Leonardo DiCaprio, the success of Spider-Man was inevitable: in 2002, the first film in the Marvel series was released with Tobey Maguire in the main role. Director Sam Raimi’s film reached number 6 on the most successful films of all time and laid the perfect foundation for a new era. Do you want to dive right into the world of Peter Parker? Then stream “Spider-Man: No Way Home” now on Joyn.
Leonardo DiCaprio in “Inglourious Basterds”?
Yes, you read that right. Leonardo DiCaprio almost took a central role in “Inglourious Basterds.” It was originally intended for the role of the unscrupulous SS Standartenführer Hans Landa. But Leo was not asked. Director Quentin Tarantino was determined to find a German actor for the role and, after a long search, chose the then unknown Christoph Waltz. This decision was intended not only for the film to be a great success. Although Quentin Tarantino’s masterpiece was nominated for several Oscars, Christoph Waltz won an Oscar for his supporting role, making him one of the most successful actors in Hollywood.
It is not yet clear how Leonardo DiCaprio performed in the role of Hans Landa. Ultimately, the international breakthrough was achieved by casting Christoph Waltz in the role. As for the already known Leonardo DiCaprio, it was probably “just” another successful role in the film - he was already a superstar at that point.
Watch “Inglourious Basterds” now for free on Joyn