9 Actors Who Were Cut Out Of Movies For Ridiculous Reasons

Shooting a movie rarely goes to plan 100% of the time.

Some projects get stuck in development hell for an eternity while others require extensive cuts to nix superfluous footage, and even superfluous actors.

There are times when studios and directors have legitimate reasons for axing their stars - we get why Zach Galifianakis wasn't overly keen on working with Mel Gibson on The Hangover Part II - but there are others when their logic is utter claptrap.

From petty bust-ups to hair-brained creative decisions, Hollywood is awash with stories about actors being cut from films for some of the most ridiculous reasons imaginable, and it isn't just the Z-listers this can happen to.

Everyone from Liam Neeson to Ryan Gosling have found their heads on the chopping block at some point, and here are some of the most ludicrous examples of cast culling you'll ever read about.

So, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was supposed to have a Mary Jane Watson.

The role was cast - handed to the excellent Shailene Woodley, no less - the scenes were filmed, and MJ was ready to turn Peter Parker's world upside down.

The reason you didn't spot her in the final cut is because she was chopped from the movie completely, and the logic behind this move is embarrassing.

Apparently, director Mark Webb wasn't to blame. Sony Pictures was keen to push for as many sequel and spinoff setups as possible, so the filmmaker was forced to give extra screentime to pointless villains like Paul Giamatti's Rhino, leaving none for MJ.

Webb later downplayed the decision and put it down to creative streamlining, but creatively streamlined is the one thing Amazing Spider-Man 2 is not.