One Of Marvel's Biggest Stars Was Rejected From The Big Bang Theory

Starting with "Iron Man" in 2008, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has never really been in the market for A-list movie stars. 'Twas not always so. When New Line controlled the rights to "Iron Man," Tom Cruise was interested in playing Tony Stark. But once Marvel Studios began casting with thoughts of a bold franchise future, it was less interested in stars than actors. And it was willing to take significant risks to get the right person. That's how it landed on Robert Downey Jr., who'd battled substance abuse for most of his career, to be the anchor of the "Avengers Initiative." As for the rest of Earth's Mightiest (Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, and Jeremy Renner), they were (mostly) well known, but not box office draws in their own right.

Once the brand was the draw (i.e. after "The Avengers" grossed $1.5 billion worldwide in 2012), Marvel could cast just about whomever it wanted (within reason). They just had to be right for the part and willing to sign on for multiple films. Some of these actors didn't need an MCU boost; they just wanted to play a superhero or supervillain because, well, they were kids once, too. And some actors took the gig because they know work is work, and they've been through periods of unemployment where it looked like their dream of being a professional performer was completely out of reach.

Indeed, one of the MCU's most marvelous actors had to feel the sting of losing out on a hit sitcom like "The Big Bang Theory" to know just how precious any kind of work truly is.

In 2020, Brie Larson took to her own YouTube channel to stream a segment called "Audition Storytime." In sharing her tales from the trenches, she revealed that she was passed over for "The Big Bang Theory" back in the late 2000s.

"I tested for 'The Big Bang Theory,'" said Larson. "I remembered that this morning. They were really sweet, they just said I was too young. It's true."

We don't know which role for sure, but it seems likely that she was up for Penny, the fresh-out-of-Nebraska wannabe star (who was almost an android) played by Kaley Cuoco. And while any production should feel lucky to cast a brilliant performer like Larson, the "Big Bang Theory" team was probably right about her age. Larson turned 18 during the year the show premiered, so she might've been all of 17 when she auditioned.

Larson might've been bummed at the time, but eight years later she won the Academy Award for Best Actress for "Room." As such, it's possible that snub was the best thing that ever happened to her.