Top Gun Maverick actor turned down a major MCU role

An MCU role seems like the dream job of every up-and-coming actor, but this Top Gun Maverick star rejected the chance to play a big part.

After a brief cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and hilarious appearances in She-Hulk, Daredevil is officially back in the MCU, as played by Charlie Cox.

Matt Murdock will now be getting his own show once more with Daredevil: Born Again, which will feature 18 episodes and the return of Kingpin.

However, this show was set to involve another actor in a large role, and that’s someone you’ve likely seen before in a certain huge blockbuster…

Top Gun Maverick actor rejects role in Daredevil: Born Again

With production on Daredevil: Born Again underway, there’s been plenty of great casting announcements. This includes Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin, and Michael Gandolfini joining the cast. Jon Bernthal, AKA the Punisher, is even rumored to return. 

However, not everyone Marvel reached out to accepted the role, including Top Gun: Maverick and The Good Place star, Manny Jacinto.

According to notable scooper Daniel Richtman, Manny Jacinto turned down a part in the show, stating, “Not as big but still interesting info I think – Manny Jacinto has passed on playing a major role in Daredevil: Born Again.”

While Jacinto doesn’t appear in Top Gun: Maverick a lot – Vulture goes through each moment we see him in the film – he’s still clearly a rising star, so it seems a shame that he would pass on an MCU role.

The reason why he rejected the part is unclear, but it could be a scheduling issue, since he is about to star in upcoming Star Wars project The Acolyte. This would still have him working with Disney, just in another department.

Which MCU role did the Top Gun Maverick actor pass up on?

Richtman did not state what Jacinto’s potential role would be, but we can speculate.

So far, a popular theory is that he would be playing Sam Chung, AKA Blindspot, who ends up being a sidekick for Daredevil. However, Chung is significantly younger than Murdock is, which contrasts with Jacinto and Cox’s closer ages, so this might not be the case.

Another theory is that Jacinto was offered the role of Danny Rand, who is also known as the titular Iron Fist by his own Netflix series. Finn Jones initially played him, but fans were turned off by his performance, so this could potentially be a recast.

It should also be said that Sam Chung was previously played by actor James Chen on Iron Fist, so that would be a recast as well.

Perhaps we’ll never know what role Jacinto would have played, but it’s certainly fun to imagine.

Daredevil: Born Again will premiere on Disney+ in Spring 2024. You can find out more about the show here.