Arnold Schwarzenegger lost a leading role in a Marvel movie simply because he was too short for it. Ironically, a big rival stepped in to play the character in a series and several films.
Arnold Schwarzenegger really can’t complain about having only played small and insignificant roles. Throughout his career, he portrayed well-known characters like the Terminator or Conan the Barbarian. He also starred in Predator, True Lies, and Total Recall, all of which became cult films. By the way, his most lucrative film is not one you would expect.
However, not all roles that Schwarzenegger wanted, he got. An iconic character from the Marvel universe was denied to the bodybuilder and actor.
One of the greatest classics with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the lead role is Terminator 2 by James Cameron:
Seven centimeters made the difference
Which character is it about? We are talking about Hulk, Marvel’s green rage monster. Most of you will have the face of Mark Ruffalo in mind, who played the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in recent years.
Or you might think of Eric Bana or Edward Norton, who played the title role in Hulk in 2003 and The Incredible Hulk in 2008, respectively.
However, there are even older adaptations of the comic source. In 1977, a film was released that was also titled The Incredible Hulk. Arnold Schwarzenegger was originally supposed to play the lead role and was the first choice. He had the right physique and seemed perfect – but a small detail prevented the production from giving him the job.
Because the casting officials insisted on an actor who is at least 1.95 meters tall. With his 1.88 meters, Schwarzenegger didn’t quite meet the requirement. Although it was only 7 centimeters that he was lacking, it was enough to lose the role.
Who played Hulk instead? Ironically, Schwarzenegger’s great rival Lou Ferrigno got the role of Hulk. Ferrigno, like Arnie, is also working as an actor and bodybuilder and gained early fame in the film industry through his appearance in the documentary-drama Pumping Iron with Schwarzenegger in the lead role.
Ferrigno played Hulk in the film and then in a TV series that ran between 1978 and 1982. He later appeared in other Hulk films, and in modern adaptations of the comic character, he also makes appearances in supporting roles or cameos. Nevertheless, Schwarzenegger can look back on a long and impressive career – on MeinMMO you will find 7 facts about him.
