Jason Statham was close to landing a role in a Marvel movie but "it didn’t work out".
The 49-year-old actor was linked to the Netflix ‘Daredevil’ TV series to play Bullseye but ‘The Transporter’ star was approached for a bigger role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe but was unable to take it on due to his hectic schedule.
Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios President, told Den of Geek: "We talked with Statham about doing a role in one of our movies. It didn’t end up working out, his schedule didn’t work out.
"I was in another meeting a few days later and my cellphone rang. I didn’t recognise the number but I answered it. And it was Jason Statham. He was saying, ‘Sorry it didn’t work out, maybe next time.’ He couldn’t have been nicer."
Although Feige didn’t give away what film Statham was approached for there is still a chance he could join the MCU as there are many more Marvel movies coming up in which the British action man could make is superhero or supervillain debut.
However, he will now have even less time on his hands as his fiancée Rosie Huntington-Whiteley gave birth to their first child last Saturday (24.06.17), a son they have named Jack Oscar.
Statham is not the only ‘Expendables’ actor to be approached by Marvel Studios as Sylvester Stallone has a cameo in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2’.
The 70-year-old actor makes a brief appearance in the second instalment but filmmaker James Gunn has admitted it is hoped his character, Starhawk, will have a bigger part to play in upcoming films.
He told the Toronto Sun newspaper: "My plan is to see more of him.
"I’m not sure about him appearing in ‘Vol. 3’, we’ll have to see about that, but it’s our plan to see more of Stallone. Kevin (Feige) and I are working on what is going to become of the Marvel Cosmic Universe and where it’s going to go. We plan to see the rest of [the Ravagers] in the future.
"I will be helping to plant the seeds that will lead to the next decade.