James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ franchise has become one of the defining cinematic achievements of the 21st century, reshaping blockbuster filmmaking and box office expectations in the process. As ‘Avatar: Fire And Ash’ is currently in theaters and the saga of Pandora continues, Cameron has once again lifted the veil on how the series came to be.
However, this time he revealed how the lead role of Jake Sully might have been filled by many different actors, including a future Marvel star.
The Casting Choice That Could Have Changed ‘Avatar’ Forever
Nowadays, it is almost impossible to imagine ‘Avatar’ without Sam Worthington as the heart of the movie. Jake Sully, a wounded Marine who discovers purpose, love, and belonging among the Na’vi, gave the franchise a foundation in humanity besides its revolutionary visual spectacle. However, as Cameron says, that was not a certainty. The casting was a tense, controversial, and close-call experience that would have changed the face of ‘Avatar’ permanently.
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At the time Cameron started casting for ‘Avatar‘, he had a very clear vision of Jake Sully. He did not want a typical movie star. He needed someone that audiences did not already identify with fame. Someone who could fade into the role and leave Pandora itself in the limelight. Cameron, in a recent interview, expressed his thought process. “There were three young actors who were really nowhere in their careers at the time,” Cameron told Collider. “All three of them went on to be movie stars.”
The audition of those actors was a torturous and exceptionally rigorous one. Cameron did not use one screen test or regular audition tactics. Rather, they underwent several rounds, including straightforward readings, extensive on-set visits, and chemistry tests opposite Zoe Saldaña, who had already been cast as Neytiri. The studio, however, had its preferences. Cameron has publicly admitted that 20th Century Fox executives preferred other competitors over Worthington.
One of the frontrunners? Channing Tatum, long before he became a superstar and a part of the Marvel universe. “I’ll say, one of them was Channing Tatum,” Cameron revealed. “It could’ve been Channing Tatum!” Tatum was still in his early years in the industry, years before he would become a household name. However, Cameron kept going back to Worthington, and this time it was something more intangible than star power. “Sam was the one I kept going back to,” he said, even as the studio disagreed.
James Cameron On Matt Damon’s Comments About ‘Avatar’
‘Avatar’ casting discussion cannot be complete without mentioning one of the most enduring myths of Hollywood: the statement made by Matt Damon that he was offered to play Jake Sully and get 10 percent of the movie profits. With ‘Avatar‘ having a legendary box office performance, having made over 2.7 billion dollars on its first release and almost 2.9 billion dollars on re-release, the story has become a legend.
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However, Cameron has strongly and repeatedly asserted that there was no such offer. “I can’t remember if I sent him the script or not,” Cameron said, recounting his interaction with Damon. The director states that the two had a meeting regarding the possibility of collaborating. However, Damon eventually refused because of a conflict in the schedule with a Jason Bourne movie. “But he was never offered,” Cameron stated plainly. “There was never a deal. We never talked about the character.”
Cameron also ruled out the possibility of Damon getting a 10% profit share, which he termed unrealistic. “And if, in his mind, that’s what it would’ve taken for him to do Avatar, then it wouldn’t have happened,” he added. The remarks of the director support the notion that Avatar was not about selling tickets with big names attached to it. Cameron thought that the world, the story, and the emotional journey were the real stars. Hiring a well-known actor, especially one whose viewers already have a strong connection to other characters, would have compromised that purpose.
