The Twilight Saga still strikes a chord with multiple generations, joining the ranks of the most popular films among teens like dystopian epics and dramatic high school love stories. Twilight solidly developed an eternally iconic reputation over time, just like its vampire protagonists. The movies have sparked more appreciation from social media users recently, potentially because the films remain a perfect product of their eras, immortalizing the late 2000s and early 2010s.
The films wouldn’t be the same without their impeccable casting – but what if a different group was honored with appearing in them instead? Let’s look through some Twilight roles that almost went to other actors.
Riley Biers – Channing Tatum
Instead of Xavier Samuel in the supporting yet important role, Channing Tatum almost took on the role of Riley Biers, whose impact becomes essential to the plot line of Eclipse. With Tatum’s high-ranking reputation in the movie world and status as somewhat of a sex symbol, it’s safe to say that his potentially playing a more minor character might have overshadowed the movie’s main players.
Jacob Black – Michael Copon
While viewers know Jacob Black through a brooding but beautiful performance by Taylor Lautner, Michael Copon nearly landed the job instead. According to CinemaBlend, MTV News had noted that he almost replaced Lautner in New Moon due to his more buff and grown-up appearance. As we know, Lautner bulked up and graced the screen again, and thankfully viewers weren’t left with a discombobulating mid-series switch.
Carlisle Cullen – Charlie Hunnam
The refined Carlisle Cullen is played by Peter Facinelli in the Twilight films, incorporating a distinctive feeling to his role. Instead of Facinelli, the role almost went to Charlie Hunnam, whose acting roles on Sons of Anarchy and similar pieces of media have allowed him to further develop his gritty exterior and strong stage presence. As Carlisle, he would maintain a similar visual silhouette (plus some additional muscle), and he might have come off as too strong for a secondary character.
Bella Swan – Emily Browning
Emily Browning playing Bella might have taken the character in a different direction, given her acting resume and experience playing complex characters like Babydoll in Sucker Punch. As Bella, she would have translated Bella’s indifferent exterior that audiences often note as a major aspect of Stewart’s performance, but Browning may have made the role more emotional in her own interpretation.
Alice Cullen – Lucy Hale
The striking Alice Cullen is brought to life by the iconic Ashley Greene, who almost lost the role to Lucy Hale. Hale could have captured the essence of Alice as a character, thanks to her past acting jobs and her innocent presence. But when the Twilight films started to release, she looked much younger than Greene, which may have made Alice’s immortality more believable, but it also would have changed her character’s overall vibe.
“Any Role” – Taylor Swift
It’s not a secret that Taylor Swift has maintained her “big reputation,” even in Hollywood, appearing in multiple movies besides her main music career. Cosmopolitan reports that according to Chris Weitz (who directed the Twilight Saga on screen): “Taylor Swift and I had the same agent at the time, and he said, ‘Taylor would like to be in this movie—not because of you, but she’s a Twi-hard…’ He also recalled the agent telling him Taylor could play any role, no matter how small.”
Edward Cullen – Henry Cavill
Things might not have been incredibly different if this was the case, especially because Henry Cavill is still heavily regarded as a heartthrob in Hollywood. Making this change would have switched the romantic dynamic slightly. It could have potentially revealed and emphasized Edward’s real age earlier in the story by having him appear less like an actual high schooler right off the bat.
Bella Swan – Lily Collins
The work of Lily Collins almost replaced that of Kristen Stewart for the role of Bella Swan. While Collins has excelled in basically all her roles (her talents are especially evident in period pieces), positioning her in another film franchise marketed toward teens and young adults might be a little confusing. Her role in The Mortal Instruments as Clary Fray was a bright spot in an otherwise critically unsuccessful movie series.
Jacob Black – Tyler Posey
Teen Vogue confirms that Tyler Posey was in talks to portray Twilight’s Jacob Black. However, that could have been werewolf overload or added some friction into his schedule, since he went on to play protagonist Scott McCall in the unforgettable fantasy show Teen Wolf. This way, two actors got the opportunity to play a wolf-man, instead of one repeating what might have felt like an exceedingly similar role.
