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Can you imagine Jack fromTitanicto be Tobey Maguire? Yeah well, the film’s director himself can’t picture such a thing either.
On June 19, 2025, James Cameron’sTitanicwill approach its 25th anniversary since its debut in 1997, and the Canadian filmmaker is understandably reminiscent of his work which ended up becoming a cinematic masterpiece in no time.
Having joined forces once again on the set of what is deemed to be an approaching blockbuster forAvatar: The Way of Water, Kate Winslet and James Cameron are remembering the 1997 romance/drama, wherein the former starred alongside Oscar-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who turns out was almost not cast as the charming young artist in the movie. Keyword – almost, because the filmmaker was overwhelmingly sure that nobody else could surpassThe Wolf of Wall Streetstar. Not even the MCU actor, Tobey Maguire.
Related:“You’d have to pay me a lot of money to work with Jim”: Kate Winslet Reveals James Cameron Nearly Broke Her Down During ‘Titanic’, Fat-Shamed Her as Actress Returns For Avatar 2
Why James Cameron Didn’t Cast Tobey Maguire forTitanic
With theInceptionstarLeonardo DiCaprioand the renowned English actressKate Winsletleading the movie,Titanicbecame one of the most highest-grossing movies of all time, earning $2.2 billion worldwide, something whichJames Cameronthinks wouldn’t have been possible without either of the two stars.
Speaking toET,The Terminatordirector said how he“can’t imagine the movie”without either Winslet or DiCaprio in it.
Related:“They just all wanted to meet Leo”: James Cameron Was Shocked to See Every Female Staff Lining Up to Watch Leonardo DiCaprio, Cast Him Straight Away For Titanic Without Second Thoughts
And even though there had been talks about casting theSpider-Manactor,Tobey Maguire, for Jack Dawson’s role at that time, Cameron wasn’t certain about solidifying that decision.
“But he wasn’t really a leading man.”
However, while theShutter Islandstar had managed to charm Cameron effortlessly, the latter still had the rest of the studio to convince for the casting of DiCaprio, and it wasn’t an easy feat either as the director pointed out just what a“tenuous”job it had been.“I’m pretty careful with my casting,”he mentioned.
Nevertheless, Cameron stuck to his decision and 25 years later he is still proud of it. He also revealed how they’re going to“re-release Titanic in 3D”as“a 25-year commemorative”this upcoming Valentine’s Day. So, get ready to celebrate the day with a tissue box at hand for all the tears you’ll shed watching the movie.
Kate Winslet’s Take on Casting Someone Else forTitanic
Even Winslet, who reunited with Cameron on the set ofAvatar 2, the sequel to the 2009 sci-fi/adventure film, noted how she can’t really think of any other actor stepping into the shoes of Jack other thanThe Revenantstar.
While she’s“enormously proud of it[Titanic],” she too is of the firm belief that the way DiCaprio depicted Jack in the movie, nobody else would have been able to do such an impeccable job.
Related:“This is going to be the laziest casting of the world”: James Cameron Initially Wanted Gwyneth Paltrow For Titanic Instead of Kate Winslet Because He Found Her Extremely Boring, Called Her ‘Corset Kate’
“I mean, I certainly can’t imagine it being anyone other than Leo. But also, I was not party to any of those conversations. I mean, like, how could it have ever not been Leo?”
One thing’s for sure though, DiCaprio’s ever-present charisma besides his talented acting definitely played a huge role in winning him the part inTitanic.
Avatar: The Way of Wateris scheduled to release on June 26, 2025.
Titanicis available for streaming on Disney+.
Khushi Shah
Articles Published :857
With a prolific knowledge of everything pop culture and a strong penchant for writing, Khushi has penned over 700 articles during her time as an author at FandomWire.An abnormal psychology student and an fervent reader of dark fiction, her most trusted soldiers are coffee and a good book.
