Brad Pitt as Neo or Josh Hartnett as Batman? It is crazy when you imagine how the actors would look in some roles. However, believe it or not, we would have witnessed them only if they had said yes to the role. And while many actors have rejected popular roles, only a few are brave enough to admit it. One such actor is Will Smith. Over the years, Smith has given us many iconic performances. However, do you know The Men In Black actor once turned down a fan-favorite role alongside Jackie Chan?

Could have, would have, should have been. It might surprise you to know, but Will Smith refused to play LAPD detective Carter in Rush Hour. Interestingly, Chris Tucker was not the first choice of Brett Ratner to play the character. The action comedy film first made its way to our screens in 1998, starring Jackie Chan as Lee. And the reason why Smith chose not to play Carter alongside Chan is peculiar. As per FandomWire, the Men In Black star refused to star as Carter since he did not want to be part of another buddy cop film. Furthermore, three years earlier, Smith had already given the audience a super popular buddy cop movie Bad Boys.

As the actor turned down the role, the audience missed out on the golden opportunity of witnessing the iconic chemistry between Smith and Jackie Chan. Apart from Smith, some very popular actors were also considered for Detective Carter before the role went on to Chris Tucker. Dave Chappelle and Martin Lawrence, for instance, were some who were approached.

Meanwhile, Tucker did not fail to impress. The actor gave a flawless performance as Carter and played a huge part in making Rush Hour the huge success it became. Rush Hour was one of the highest grossing films of its time, earning $240 million worldwide. Furthermore, the franchise, as of late, is worth nearly $850 million.

How Will Smith once inspired Jackie Chan

Will Smith is one of the most established actors in the industry today. However, the I Am Legend actor once had a huge impact on Jackie Chan, but not for his work. As we all know, Chan starred alongside Jaden Smith in the 2010 hit film Karate Kid, which Will Smith produced. And interestingly, the way Will treated Jaden on the sets of the film left Chan in awe.

Jackie Chan shares a complicated relationship with his son. However, after seeing how the Men In Black star was so supportive and helpful towards Jaden, it brought a significant change in Chan’s bond with his son Jaycee.

Do you think Jackie Chan and Will Smith would make a good acting duo? Comment down below.