Aaron Taylor-Johnson has revealed he turned down roles in huge film franchises after starring in Avengers: Age of Ultron.
The actor made a name for himself with roles in 2010's Kick-Ass (as the titular character) and 2014's Godzilla (as protagonist Ford Brody), and his star status skyrocketed when he appeared as Pietro Maximoff in 2015's Avengers sequel.
According to Taylor-Johnson, he received offers to continue acting in the blockbuster world, but he wasn't interested at the time — especially as a father to two young children with his wife, Sam Taylor-Johnson.
Now, the actor is back in the big-budget world, starring in the Spider-Man spin-off Kraven the Hunter, but he has no regrets about the opportunities he previously passed on.
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"There was Kick-Ass and then there was Godzilla and Avengers, and all those things lined up for me. But I didn't really care for them," he told Esquire, adding that he got offers for "big, huge franchises that were in play".
Explaining why he turned them down, Taylor-Johnson said: "I wanted, purely, to be with my babies. I didn't want to be taken away from them. I battled with what that would be like."
"I would say I was probably not ready to be in that position anyway — it was too early. But yeah, I also slightly didn't give a f**k."
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Earlier this month, Taylor-Johnson spoke about the differences between Kraven and films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
"Kraven being shot entirely on location is going to make all the difference. It's going to add something really beautiful to our personal story," he said.
"It also sets Kraven apart from that Marvel stage look. It's important for this character to be in the real world. It's important for the authenticity of the story. When you're running on streets barefoot, you take in those elements and play within that."
Kraven the Hunter is scheduled to be released on August 30, 2024.
Reporter, Digital Spy
Stephanie is a writer who specialises in pro wrestling, covering everything from AEW and WWE to NJPW.
After graduating with a degree in history from Queen Mary University, London, she went on to study journalism at Birbeck University.
Outside of her journalism work Stephanie is also a YouTube content creator focusing on AEW and interviewing talent from AEW, WWE, and across the indie wrestling scene. She has also worked for Revolution Pro Wrestling as a backstage interviewer and commentator.
