The Massive Sci-Fi Flop That Nearly Starred A Young Glen Powell

Netflix

Glen Powell has mastered the art of embodying the charming leading man. 2023's "Anyone But You" — a rom-com loosely based on William Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" — was a surprise mega-hit that helped fast-track Powell and his co-star Sidney Sweeney's careers. Since then, Powell has co-written and starred in Richard Linklater's "Hit Man," where the actor showcased his magnetic star power in impressively entertaining vignettes. The more recent "Twisters," a sequel to the '90s blockbuster "Twister," also saw Powell playing the charismatic lead, in this case the meteorologist and storm chaser Tyler Owens (who's cheekily dubbed the Tornado Wrangler).

Even when Powell isn't donning the leading man suit, he is unforgettable, like in "Top Gun: Maverick," in which he played the skilled but cocky Hangman, a rival to Miles Teller's Rooster. A quick look at the actor's filmography makes it clear that his superstardom is hard-earned. Indeed, a younger Powell often came very, very close to starring in blockbuster films that have since etched themselves in the popular consciousness. For instance, Powell auditioned for Josh Hartnett's role in "Oppenheimer," and per GQ, the actor thinks he messed up his audition for Captain America big time. Of course, as much as these missed opportunities must have contributed to his struggle as an artist over the years, Powell eventually managed to secure his footing as a bankable lead all the same.

Interestingly, however, Powell also missed out on starring in a 2011 sci-fi thriller that went on to become one of the most expensive box office flops of all time. This film in question? Jon Favreau's "Cowboys & Aliens."

Universal Pictures

The "Cowboys & Aliens" role that Powell missed out on was that of Percy Dolarhyde, a trouble-making drunkard who is sent to trial alongside the amnesiac outlaw Jake Lonergan (Daniel Craig) in Favreau's sci-fi Western. Powell took inspiration from Ben Foster's turn as the ruthless cowboy Charlie Prince in the 2007 "3:10 to Yuma" remake for his audition, although the role ultimately went to Paul Dano. Powell went into detail about missing out on "Cowboys & Aliens" during the aforementioned GQ interview, explaining:

"I auditioned for 'Cowboys & Aliens,' to play Harrison Ford's son [Percy]. I was like, I've gotta be Ben Foster. Then I get to the audition the next day and I look at the sign-in sheet. The guy before me is Ben Foster [laughs]."

The commercial failure of "Cowboys & Aliens" was unexpected. Despite grossing a respectable $13 million on its first day of release, the movie finished second during its opening weekend behind "The Smurfs" (which itself went on to become Sony Pictures Animation's highest grossing film at the time until it was overtaken by "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" in 2023). Although experts were optimistic about the film's overarching performance ahead of time, "Cowboys & Aliens" went on to gross a modest $174.8 million at the global box office against a sizable $163 million budget. It wasn't a success with critics either, as the comic book adaptation's eccentric take on genre-blending evoked mixed reactions, with its central performances being lauded as its sole strengths.

Favreau's idea of late 19th-century townsfolk reacting to technologically buffed-up aliens is undoubtedly an intriguing one, as it revamps the core conflicts that are often featured in Westerns. Perhaps a more reined-in approach to this wannabe blockbuster would have allowed its outlandish premise to shine, elevating the film's blandness into something a bit more endearing and memorable.