Following his role as Alexei Shostakov aka Red Guardian in Thunderbolts* and Black Widow, it’s hard to imagine a world where David Harbour isn’t a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But, once upon a time, Marvel actually rejected him for a reason that seems almost absurd. Before stumbling upon Kevin Durand to play “The Blob” in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the studio first considered Harbour. Why did they pass him up for the part? He was too fat.
In 2009, David Harbour’s career was just starting to take off. He starred in projects such as Brokeback Mountain, Revolutionary Road, and Quantum of Solace. Meanwhile, 20th Century Fox’s X-Men movie franchise was moving into prequels after three successful films. For Harbour, it was a no-brainer.
The first X-Men prequel out of the gate was X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Gavin Hood would direct and Hugh Jackman would reprise his role as Wolverine alongside a few other fan favorites from the comics. The movie would also introduce Fred Dukes aka “The Blob.” “The Blob” is a supervillain known for his thick, indestructible skin. Hood thought Harbour would be perfect to strap on a fat suit and play the villain. When Harbour met for the role, though, things didn’t go smoothly.
To lighten the mood, Harbour lifted up his shirt to reveal his belly and said “I got your Blob right here!” Sure, “The Blob” is supposed to be large, so makes sense to show off what you’re working with. The studio didn’t think it was funny. On the contrary, they were concerned. What was meant to be a silly joke ultimately cost Harbour the role.
David Harbour’s Tummy Was No Laughing Matter to Marvel
Harbour explained in a 2017 interview with The Wrap.
“I just made a stupid joke, and then they called me and the director. We met at a hotel, and he was like, ‘David, look, you’re wonderful, we really think you’re a great actor, we’re just concerned… we’re really concerned.’ I was like, ‘Why, what’s your concern? I’m good to go. I’m available, let’s do this!’ And they were like, ‘No, it’s just, you lifted up your shirt and we saw the… we’re just a little worried about your health.’ I was like, ‘Wait a minute, dude. You are telling me I’m too fat to play The Blob? That’s awesome, I have to get the f*** back to New York.’ That’s my audition—so, I didn’t get The Blob.”
Who knew that Marvel would reject someone for being “too fat” to play a character that’s, notoriously, far from a skinny man. And even so, I’m sure Harbour could’ve bulked up in time if he wanted to. Still, it seemed to work out for Harbour in the end. While 20th Century Fox went with Kevin Durand, Harbour went on to snag his defining role as Jim Hopper in Stranger Things. And he did eventually get initiated into the MCU in the end.
The post David Harbour Almost Played The Blob in X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE appeared first on Nerdist.
This articles is written by : Nermeen Nabil Khear Abdelmalak
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