Shaquille O'Neal says Marvel won't cast him because he's 'too big'
Basketball legend and entertainment personality Shaquille O'Neal has revealed that his long-standing dream of joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been repeatedly shot down. According to Variety, O'Neal confirmed he will not appear in December's 'Avengers: Doomsday' or any other film in the franchise.
O'Neal told the outlet that Hollywood executives have directly told him he is 'too big' for such roles. He explained that they believe his massive fame and instantly recognizable face would break the audience's immersion, making any character he plays, like a doctor, seem unbelievable.
MovieWeb adds that this isn't the first time O'Neal has been given this feedback. He recounted that during a 2018 conversation, an executive told him that while they'd love to include him, viewers would just see Shaq, not the character.
Despite the Marvel rejection, O'Neal does have superhero experience, having starred as the title character in the 1997 DC film 'Steel'. More recently, he participated in promotional commercials for the upcoming 'Superman' movie.
The actor shared these details while promoting his new professional dunking league, 'Dunkman', whose finals air on August 25.
