Cameron Calls Out Damon's Avatar Casting Story as False
The legendary director sets the record straight after years of the actor's claims about nearly landing the lead role and profit-sharing deal in the blockbuster franchise.
For years, Matt Damon has been telling anyone who would listen that he came incredibly close to starring in James Cameron's groundbreaking 2009 blockbuster Avatar. The Good Will Hunting star has repeatedly shared this story in interviews, claiming he had to pass on the opportunity due to scheduling conflicts with other projects. But now, the King of the World himself is speaking up – and he's not buying Damon's version of events.
Director Disputes Actor's Claims
Cameron recently broke his silence on the matter, directly challenging Damon's narrative about almost becoming Jake Sully, the role that ultimately launched Sam Worthington's career. While the Titanic director acknowledges that conversations did take place between his team and Damon's representatives, he firmly denies that the Martian star ever received a concrete offer to join the project.
The dispute goes beyond just whether talks happened. Damon has previously suggested that walking away from Avatar cost him a fortune, implying he would have received a significant share of the film's massive profits. Cameron's pushback suggests this profit-sharing arrangement was never actually on the table for the Boston-born actor.
The Role That Got Away
Avatar went on to become a cultural phenomenon and box office juggernaut, earning nearly $3 billion worldwide and spawning an entire franchise. Worthington's portrayal of the paralyzed Marine who finds new life on the alien world of Pandora became iconic, making Damon's claims about missing out even more intriguing to fans and industry watchers.
The Bourne Identity star has never been shy about discussing major roles he's turned down or missed out on throughout his career. However, Cameron's direct contradiction of Damon's Avatar story raises questions about how accurate these Hollywood near-miss tales really are when they get repeated over the years.