Olivier Richters Nearly Landed Juggernaut Role in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’

The Netherlands has gifted Hollywood some remarkable talents, from Carice van Houten in Game of Thrones to Michiel Huisman in Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon. Now, Olivier Richters, famously known as The Dutch Giant, is carving out his own space in the industry.

Standing an impressive 2.18 meters tall, Richters has already appeared in blockbuster films like Black Widow and the latest Indiana Jones. Up next, he’s set to join Prime Video’s hit series Reacher, taking on the role of Pauly, a character described as both complex and intense.

However, Richters’ Hollywood resume could have been even more impressive. In a recent interview with Dutch portal The Nerd Shepherd, the actor revealed that he was once close to landing the role of Juggernaut in the Deadpool franchise—a near-miss that could have added a major Marvel villain to his growing list of accomplishments.

Olivier Richters’ journey to Hollywood has been a blend of preparation, opportunity, and the unique challenges that come with his towering stature. While his size naturally suits him for imposing villain roles, Richters embraces versatility and remains open to a variety of characters.

However, his impressive frame has been both a blessing and a hurdle. He missed the chance to play a Wookiee in Star Wars because his broad shoulders wouldn’t fit the costume. Additionally, scheduling conflicts and injuries forced him to turn down auditions for major projects like Deadpool 3 and Gladiator 2.

I had to turn down a few auditions and roles. Star Wars invited me to audition, but I had to say no because I broke my leg. So, I missed that opportunity. Other roles were offered to me, like in the latest Gladiator film as a Praetorian and in Deadpool as Juggernaut. It feels like a luxury problem to turn down such roles, but it was unfortunate, partly because Reacher took so long to film. And we also had the actors’ strike. (…)

I fear the MCU has moved too far ahead for Ursa Major to return. If I’ve read the comics correctly. Ursa Major wasn’t even planned. I was there just for an arm-wrestling scene. Then the producer asked me to stay two more weeks to play Ursa Major.

They filmed for an hour, but a lot was cut. In hindsight, I’m glad; otherwise, I couldn’t have been considered for Juggernaut. But two years later, they asked me for Deadpool 3, so who knows? I looked up all the tall Marvel and DC heroes, and luckily, there are still a few left. We’ll see!

Source: The Nerd Shepherd

Richters remains hopeful about the future, with potential roles in major franchises and video game adaptations on the horizon.

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