After four (soon to be five) seasons of “The Boys” on Prime Video, we’ve witnessed a lot of super drama among the show’s heroes, villains, and those who dangle in the gray area in between. One such despicable soul is Aquaman knock-off The Deep, whom actor Chace Crawford has turned into one of the most loathsome and pitiful players in the show’s hyper-violent battles. As hard as it is to envision another actor in the role, there was a point where a “Star Trek” crew member came close to wearing The Deep’s gills instead.
While attending Dragon Con 2022, Ethan Peck, who brought a new version of Spock to life on “Star Trek: Discovery” before taking the iconic character to “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” on Paramount+, spoke about some roles that he tried out for but didn’t book.
“I was of a smaller few [group of actors] to be considered for Captain America many years ago, which stands out,” Peck recalled (via The Direct). “And also, I came pretty close to the role of The Deep in ‘The Boys.'”
White Lotus and Gen V star Patrick Schwarzenegger tried out for Homelander
If Chace Crawford is to be praised for perfecting The Deep’s pathetic, limpet-level existence, then credit must also go to Antony Starr for scaring audiences as The Seven’s unhinged frontman, Homelander. But before Starr landed the role, Patrick Schwarzenegger, another actor familiar to fans of the “Boys”-verse, had a go at stepping into the star-spangled serial killer’s red-and-gold boots.
During an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, “The White Lotus” star Schwarzenegger recalled the experience, and it was apparent that he didn’t take the rejection to heart. “It was nothing,” he explained. “We audition for hundreds of things, and we get 1% — less than a percent — of what we audition for.” Luckily for him, he left enough of an impression that he got a call a few years down the line asking him to join the comic book show’s spin-off, “Gen V.”