ended up being met with mixed-to-negative reviews from critics and fans, at the time of its production, some big stars were raring to be in it.Daredevil
. When asked about the casting process, the director explained that the studio wanted a star to play the main character due to how unknown Daredevil was to general audiences at that time. “Yes, they definitely wanted a star because the character was so unknown and they felt it needed the help of a star,” Johnson said. “The budget was around $75 million, which was a good-sized budget back then, though by today’s standards it’s more like an independent film! So there was a lot of pressure, and they wanted a name.”
When asked about whether he met Guy Pearce and Matt Damon, who both reportedly passed on the role, Johnson gave a few names of major actors who tried out for the movie. “It was definitely one of those roles where everyone was being mentioned. There were a lot of people in the mix,” Johnson explained. “I don’t remember if I met with Guy, but I did meet with Edward Norton. I also remember Seth Rogen coming in to read for Foggy Nelson.