Brad Pitt trivia: 10 Iconic movie roles Brad Pitt turned down

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

While we’ve had the chance to see Brad Pitt’s comedic chops at varying points throughout his career, there’s no denying he’s known mostly for his dramatic performances. That could have changed had Pitt agreed to the role of Willy Wonka in the 2005 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory remake.

The role ultimately would go to Tim Burton’s long-time collaborator Johnny Depp after Pitt turned down the role; however, he might get a second chance if all goes well. While conversations are still early, reports are swirling that Pitt is eyeing to play Willy Wonka in a new movie adaptation of the classic film in development!

Kick-Ass

Over his career, Brad Pitt has taken on many roles; however, he’s yet to officially break into the superhero genre – sans the blink and you miss it cameo he had in Deadpool 2. However, there was a chance for him to do so back in 2010 via Matthew Vaughn’s Kick-Ass. 

While Pitt was involved in the film as a producer, the hope at one point was for the actor to appear on-screen as well as Big Daddy. Due to his work in Inglourious Basterds, Pitt chose to pass on the role, remaining involved with the project solely as a producer, with Nicolas Cage ultimately landing the role.

The Matrix

There’s no denying The Matrix was a career-defining role for Keanu Reeves. His turn as Neo was a breakout performance from the film and its sequels, but it very well could have went to Brad Pitt.

As Brad revealed during an interview in early 2020, he revealed he took the red pill and passed on The Matrix. It is unimaginable to think of anyone passing on the role and even more difficult to now picture anyone other than Reeves playing the role of Neo in the film.