Leonardo DiCaprio turned down the role of Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars prequels

'I did have a meeting with George Lucas about that, yes,' he said, but didn't feel ready for that kind of movie

It’s starting to feel like every major Hollywood actor has stooped to a major franchise at one point or another, so you have to admire Leonardo DiCaprio for never having donned lycra and a cape.

It’s not as if the lucrative offers haven’t been there either - he revealed a slew of major roles he was approached about but turned down in an interview with Shortlist this week.

Here’s the exchange:

...Robin in Batman Forever? There’s a rumour you screen-tested for it...

I never screen-tested. I had a meeting with Joel Schumacher. It was just one meeting and, no, I didn’t end up doing it.

Did you actually want the role?

Er, I don’t think I did, no (laughs). As I recall I took the meeting, but didn’t want to play the role. Joel Schumacher is a very talented director but I don’t think I was ready for anything like that.

Were you in talks to play Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars prequels?

I did have a meeting with George Lucas about that as well, yes.

Darth Vader in Revenge of the Sith (Picture: Lucasfilm)

What happened?

Same scenario (laughs).

He wanted you, but you didn’t fancy it?

Um, right. Exactly.

Why?

Again, just didn’t feel ready to take that dive. At that point.

Given how badly the Star Wars prequels were received, Leo definitely dodged a bullet on that one, and it’s hard to imagine him delivering the wooden dialogue that was eventually given to Hayden Christensen for the part.

Seeing DiCap suited up as Vader would have been cool, but we’ll leave that to the Photoshop-gifted to make happen.

The actor also revealed he turned down the lead role in Spider-Man for similar reasons, but didn’t completely dismiss ever playing a superhero.

"You never know. You never know," he said. “They’re getting better and better as far as complex characters in these movies. I haven’t yet. But no, I don’t rule out anything.”