Lewis Tan Nearly Portrayed Major MCU Heroes
Could Lewis Tan have become the MCU’s biggest star? The actor revealed that he narrowly missed landing two prominent roles in the franchise: Shang-Chi and Iron Fist.
Lewis Tan’s Comic Book Career
Tan is well-known among comic fans for several roles in comic-related projects. He portrayed Shatterstar in Deadpool 2, took on the role of Cole Young in Mortal Kombat, and appeared as Zhou Cheng in the MCU’s Iron Fist. Despite these appearances, he has yet to secure a leading role in a major blockbuster franchise.
Close Call for Iron Fist Role
During discussions about his part as Shatterstar, Tan shared that he almost played Danny Rand (Iron Fist) during the initial auditions for the series. Missing the lead role, however, turned out to be fortunate since his smaller role gained significant attention.
“You never know in the film industry,” Tan told Comicbook.com. “You do an audition, you do a callback, and a director’s meeting. When they start to ask about your schedule, that’s usually when you are getting down to the final mix. I don’t know how close, but it was close. Everything happens for a reason. The timing just wasn’t right for some reason.”
“It ended up being a blessing because the character I did end up playing got a lot of attention. I know some fans were pushing for me to be that character and some fans were pushing against it.”
Missed Opportunities Beyond Iron Fist
Tan’s near-casting was not limited to Iron Fist; he also lost out on the opportunity to play Shang-Chi in the MCU, suggesting he was a serious contender for multiple key roles.
Summary
Lewis Tan’s close calls with major MCU roles highlight both the unpredictability of casting decisions and his strong presence within comic-based media, hinting at even greater potential stardom.