12 Movies That Cast MAJOR Actors (Just To Die)

10. Ewan McGregor - Stormbreaker

Scream Drew Barrymore
MGM

There was a time that Ewan McGregor was hotly rumoured to be the next James Bond. Instead he had to make do with nodding toward those rumours by playing a British super spy in the movie of the Bond-for-kids Alex Rider books.

The biggest name in the cast, McGregor was given top billing and featured prominently in much of the movie's marketing. Of course audiences knew that Alex Pettyfer as Alex Rider was going to be Stormbreaker's lead. But anyone unfamiliar with the story must have assumed that McGregor as his uncle, Ian Rider, would still have some sort of significant mentor role.

But, after a quick motorbike-car-helicopter chase and all of a couple of minutes of screen time in the movie's prologue, McGregor gets shot in the face.

It turns out that all the training he needed to do to make Alex into an action spy had been handily squeezed into adventure holidays before the movie even began.

Broadchurch's Andrew Buchan, a much less A-list name, has been cast in the same role for the upcoming Alex Rider TV series. Maybe he'll actually make it beyond the opening credits.

Contributor
Contributor

Loves ghost stories, mysteries and giant ape movies