10 Casting 'What Ifs' From Buffy The Vampire Slayer

10. Ryan Reynolds

Ryan Reynolds is a big star today, having brought Deadpool to life in all his profanity-fuelled wonder, but in the 1990s he was right at the start of his career. Looking for roles, he auditioned for the role of Xander Harris - one of the Scooby Gang along with Buffy and Willow - and he impressed the producers enough to be offered the role.

However, he turned it down. In a 2008 interview, Reynolds explained that he couldn't deal with playing a high school student after his own years were so full of torment. He said at the time "I love that show... but my biggest concern was that I didn't want to play a guy in high school," Reynolds said. "I had just come out of high school and it was f**king awful".

Eventually of course the part went to Nicholas Brendon. What Reynolds' take on him would have looked like is anybody's guess, but given his flair for mixing gut-busting action with comedy, it seems entirely possible that his Xander would have been more of a front-and-centre action hero, more akin to the likes of Riley - albeit with a mischievous comedic streak.