Anakin Skywalker was supposed to be the human side of the enigmatic evil, Darth Vader. Fans had long speculated to see the origin of the famous villain. However, when they were finally introduced to Canadian star Hayden as the young Skywalker in Episode II and Episode III, they weren’t impressed. However, he wasn’t the first choice to play Anakin. It is now being heard that other Hollywood big-shots were in the race to explore the origins of Darth Vader.
Back in 2015 during the promotions of Revenant, Leonardo DiCaprio revealed that he declined the offer to play Anakin. In his own words:
“I did have a meeting with George Lucas about that, yes. [But I] just didn’t feel ready to take that dive, at that point.”
DiCaprio has a long history to declining significant roles. He also rejected the chance of playing the Spiderman and Robin (in Batman Forever).
However, he wasn’t alone. Christian Bale (who is known throughout the globe for his role of The Dark Knight) could also have played Skywalker Sr. However, in this case, Bale was rejected because he looked too old in comparison to Natalie Portman (who was 19 at that time). Other actors who were in the race of playing young Vader (and couldn’t make it) included Ryan Philippe and Joshua Jackson (of Dawson’s Creek fame).
