Keanu Reeves Could Have Starred In This Classic 2000s Comedy

Hollywood is currently filled with a number of names that have been thriving on the big screen for years now. While the industry is always looking for bright new stars, there are some performers that manage to maintain their place on top for years on end. Stars like Leonardo DiCaprio and George Clooney are examples of this.

Keanu Reeves has been a major star since the 90s, and while everything has worked out well for the actor, he has missed out on some golden opportunities.

Let’s head back to the 2000s and see which major comedy Reeves missed out on.

Keanu Reeves Has Had A Remarkable Career

At this stage of his career, Keanu Reeves is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood who has displayed an amazing amount of staying power throughout the years. He has hit a number of peaks and valleys, yes, but through the decades, the man has been a mainstay in the toughest business around.

Reeves blossomed into a popular name thanks to the Bill & Ted movies early on, and as the 90s rolled around, he made a seamless transition into action movies. He showed a penchant for doing it all on the big screen, and once he became an A-list star, there was simply no looking back for the actor.

Some of Reeves’ biggest movies include the Bill & Ted films, Parenthood, Point Break, Speed, Dracula, The Devil’s Advocate, the Matrix franchise, and the John Wick franchise. This is just a sample of all of the success that he has had in acting.

As great as things have been for Reeves during his decades on the big screen, the popular actor has also had some major opportunities pass him by at various stages of his illustrious career.

He’s Missed Out On Big Projects

Keanu Reeves breaking out in the 80s and then dominating the 90s and 2000s gave way to a number of amazing opportunities coming his way. Believe it or not, many of his biggest roles came across his desk thanks to others dropping out. However, Reeves himself has missed out on some roles, which opened the door for other people to slide on in and take on a major project.

In terms of movies that Reeves cashed in on, we have to look at major movies like Speed, Point Break, and The Matrix as a few examples. Johnny Depp could have landed all three, but him skipping out on these movies gave Reeves the opportunity to star in these huge hits.

When looking at some of the movies that Reeves has missed out on, however, a number of huge films pop up. According to NotStarring, Reeves has missed out on movies like Bowfinger, Chicago, Enchanted, Heat, Platoon, and Watchmen. These are fantastic credits for anyone to have, but for one reason or another, Keanu Reeves did not appear in any of these movies.

During the 2000s, a major comedy with a lot of potential was in development, and early on, Reeves was a strong contender for a lead role in the film.

He Was Considered For ‘Tropic Thunder’

So, which major 2000s comedy was Keanu Reeves in contention for? Looks like the star was a major contender for the film Tropic Thunder while it was still early in development, and appearing in the film would have been huge for Reeves.

According to Mental Floss, “By the time Ben Stiller’s Tropic Thunder made its way into theaters in the summer of 2008, the meta-comedy had been more than a decade in the making. So it’s understandable that the final product veered from Stiller’s original plan for the film, which included Reeves playing the role of Tugg Speedman (Stiller’s eventual part). Initially, Stiller had planned to cast himself as smarmy agent Rick Peck (Matthew McConaughey picked up the slack).”

This would have been such an interesting casting choice, and seeing Stiller as Rick Peck could have been hilarious. Reeves could have done some hilarious work in the role of Tugg Speedman, especially with his background in major action films, but over time, things shifted, and Stiller wound up starring in the movie.

By all accounts, Tropic Thunder was a hilarious film that found an immense amount of success at the box office, but one has to wonder what the movie would have looked like with Keanu Reeves on board. Down the road, maybe we will get the chance to see Reeves star in a hilarious meta-comedy.