From Will Smith to Emily Blunt: 10 actors who rejected roles that later became iconic​

Will Smith turned down Neo after a pitch meeting with the Wachowskis left him genuinely baffled, choosing Wild Wild West instead. Reflecting on the decision at the 2019 premiere of Gemini Man, he said, “I'd go back to the Wild Wild West set and I would say, ‘Asshole, why didn't you make The Matrix?’”

He has since argued it worked out for the best, telling Variety, “Keanu was perfect. If I had done it, because I'm Black, Morpheus wouldn't have been Black. I probably would have messed The Matrix up. I did y'all a favor.”