Despite the countless Marvel Studios productions to be released over the past 14 years, there are still a handful of major Hollywood names that have so far escaped the MCU‘s gravitational pull. And one of those is Adam Sandler. The odds are that the acclaimed actor/comedian will wind up hanging with the Avengers one day, though, despite his recent comments on the possibility — in which he finally debunks a long-held rumor.
For those who missed it, Sandler has confirmed that, although he thinks Marvel’s movies are “amazing” and he’s a big fan of what the studio makes, he’s never been approached by the House of Ideas for any sort of project to date. While that may disappoint those who’ve followed Sandler’s career since his Happy Gilmore heyday, it will also come as a surprise for those with long memories of Marvel casting rumors.
You see, back when 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy was coming together, it was widely reported that both Sandler and Jim Carrey were in the running for the role of Rocket Raccoon. Of course, the part of the beloved trash panda ultimately went to Bradley Cooper, but it’s been a matter of internet lore ever since that Sandler came within a hair’s breadth of joining Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord and company in saving the cosmos. Apparently, though, there was never any truth to this as the Hustle star is telling us he’s never been in talks with Marvel.
On the other hand, it’s feasible that James Gunn and his team informally considered Sandler and Carrey for Rocket but never actually got around to reaching out to him. Or this is just one of the many times when MCU rumors have turned out to be nothing but hot air. Oh well, at least Sandler is free to take on the role of The Thing in the Fantastic Four reboot, which is apparently what everyone now wants.