Why Matthew McConaughey Rejected Marvel For A Disastrous Stephen King Adaptation

The mid-2010s have been a good time for Matthew McConaughey, who discovered himself gaining a newfound stage of respect as an actor for his one-two punch of “True Detective” and “Interstellar” in 2014. The executives over at Marvel appeared to be aware of The McConaissance, which is why they requested him to affix the solid of “Guardians of the Galaxy: Quantity 2.” He would’ve performed Star Lord’s father, Ego, and we’re positive he would’ve completed an amazing job at it. (Not that we’ve any complaints about Kurt Russell’s efficiency, thoughts you.)

However McConaughey declined the provide, opting as a substitute to star in “The Darkish Tower,” a fantasy film that additionally got here out in 2017. Whereas “Guardians of the Galaxy: Quantity 2” was a giant crucial/field workplace success, this film was a complete flop. Followers of the guide it was adapting (“The Gunslinger”) hated it, critics hated it, and common viewers discovered it forgettable. The movie made again its funds on the field workplace, however nonetheless earned nowhere close to sufficient to justify a sequel. It definitely looks like it was the flawed selection for McConaughey, however he had some good causes for the choice. 

“I like ‘Guardians of the Galaxy,'” he advised the Impartial on the time, “However what I noticed was, ‘It is profitable, and now we have got room to make a colourful half for an additional big-name actor.’ I might really feel like an modification.” In the meantime, he’d get to be the co-lead of “The Darkish Tower,” serving as a significant a part of the sequence from day one. “I could be the creator, the creator of the Man in Black — a.okay.a. the Satan — in my model of this Stephen King novel,” he defined. 

The logic is admittedly a little bit unusual. I do not know any “Guardians of the Galaxy” followers who’d describe Kurt Russell’s Ego as an “modification,” for one. The character served a significant, memorable position within the trilogy, then left when the time was proper for the character. In the meantime, the “Darkish Tower” books function a transparent instance of how characters could be added within the sequels with out feeling like amendments. Two of its finest, most vital characters — Eddie and Susannah — do not present up till guide 2, and readers love them.

Ultimately, it is probably the principle purpose McConaughey picked “The Darkish Tower” was as a result of the film merely appealed extra to his style. He described the film as, “A implausible thriller that takes place in one other realm, an alternate universe, nevertheless it’s very a lot grounded.” He later added, “I loved approaching my character as if I have been the Satan having time, getting turned on by exposing human hypocrisies wherever he finds them.” 

It is simple to see what he means; his and Idris Elba’s performances have been the very best components of the film, the one components nobody can complain about. The film itself could not have completed a lot justice to the supply materials, however McConaughey did justice to the Man in Black, in any other case often known as Walter Padick, or Randall Flagg. (He is obtained a variety of names.) If issues had gone in response to plan, McConaughey’s character would’ve returned within the sequels to proceed wreaking havoc. 

As an alternative, any sequel plans the sequence could have had have been put to an finish shortly after the film launched. “Darkish Tower” followers spent the following few years with none hope of , trustworthy adaptation, earlier than Amazon introduced that a TV adaptation was within the works in 2022. This one shall be run by Mike Flanagan, who has beforehand tailored “Physician Sleep” and “Gerald’s Sport” with nice success. The small print on the mission are nonetheless sparse, however they will probably be casting somebody new in the principle roles. The way forward for the “Darkish Tower” sequence in Hollywood remains to be brilliant, however sadly with regards to McConaughey’s position within the sequence, it looks like the world has moved on.