Over the years, we have seen some big industry names starring in the video game adaptation. Most recently, Pedro Pascal sent the internet into a meltdown starring in The Last of Us. However, there are some celebrities who do not want to be associated with this kind of project. Considering the risks and complications these movies and shows bring with them. Just like that, the legendary action star Arnold Schwarzenegger once turned down a leading role in a fan-favorite adaptation that turned out to be a box office bomb later.

According to Express UK, Arnold Schwarzenegger was almost cast in the 1993 live-action Super Mario Bros movie. The Terminator star was approached by creators to play the role of King Koopa, AKA Bowser, in the movie. However, the actor never joined the cast, and the role eventually passed to Dennis Hopper.

Moreover, other superstars who were going to join him in the notorious film were Tom Hanks and Danny DeVito. Though the reason behind their backing out has remained unclear, the actors might be thanked for not taking it. The movie was hugely criticized by critics and viewers failed to collect its $42-48 million budget.

The inconsistent tone and lack of faithfulness to the source material made this film highly unlikely in the eyes of people. Even the actor Bob Hoskins, who starred as Mario, called it the biggest nightmare of his life since he almost died twice on the set while shooting some scenes. While Schwarzenegger narrowly missed the disaster that the 1993 movie was, he had his share of box office fails.

Looking back at some of the box 0ffice fail movies of Arnold Schwarzenegger

Apart from being the central figure of Hollywood for decades, Arnold Schwarzenegger has made some chunkers along the way. One of the movies that received generally unfavorable reviews from viewers is Jingle All the Way (1996). According to the critics, the Commando star didn’t fit in the role of a workaholic daddy. He seemed to be racing around the city to buy his son a prized action figure instead of setting a chemistry with the kid.

Other movies where the former governor of California failed to break free from his action persona include Batman & Robin, The 6th Day, and Red Sonja. Meanwhile, Last Action Hero marked the downfall of this iconic actor in Hollywood.

Do you think the outcome of Super Mario Bros. would have been different with these legendary superstars in it?