10 MCU Actors Almost Cast As OTHER Marvel Movie Characters

7. Sam Neill Was Up For Dr. Octopus

The Role He Got: Odin Actor

The Role He Almost Had...

It's a bit of a shame that Sam Neill hasn't been given a major role in the MCU, because he's great, but his stunt casting as the actor playing Odin in Loki's hilarious stage play honouring his own fake heroism was a brilliant touch on Thor: Ragnarok.

But years before Taika Waititi somehow convinced him to play such a tiny role on Asgard, Sam Neill was heavily rumoured to be in the frame to play Dr Otto Octavius in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man sequel. Such was the enthusiasm for the casting, in fact, that IMDB's cast list was updated prematurely to include him.

Ultimately, the role went to Alfred Molina, but Neill would have been a great alternative.