Although Charlie Hunnam missed a major opportunity almost 14 years ago, his Jax Teller's characterization in Sons of Anarchy.

Since Sons of Anarchy's end in 2014, Hunnam has appeared in many recognizable roles. For instance, he played Ray in Guy Ritchie's The Gentlemen and also stepped in the shoes of William "Ironhead" Miller in Triple Frontier. Some might even know him for playing Stanley in the critically acclaimed sports drama Jungleland. However, many would not know that he almost ended up playing two iconic characters on the big and small screens before the roles went to other actors.

Charlie Hunnam Missed The Opportunity To Play Three Comic Book Characters

The Actor Almost Played Two Iconic Marvel & DC Superheroes

As Charlie Hunnam himself has confirmed (via IBTimes), he was among the top contenders to play Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He auditioned for the role and even met the director and the people at Marvel on several occasions. However, they neither confirmed his casting in the project nor completely let him go. Hunnam, too, was unsure about whether he wanted to play the character before it eventually went to Chris Hemsworth.

The Sons of Anarchy star later revealed that he was also approached to play Green Arrow in a DC project. While it is unclear which project he was approached for, it seems likely that he was asked to play the superhero character in the 2012 long-running series. However, Hunnam turned down the role because he did not know who Green Arrow was and was not too enthusiastic about playing him. The actor also joked (via Collider) that he looked up an image of the character and noted that green was not his color and spandex was not his material.

Beyond superheroes, Charlie Hunnam was reportedly offered a role in another comic book adaptation. Long before he appeared in Snyder's Rebel Moon, he was offered to play a part in the director's historical action film, 300, which is also based on a comic. However, as Hunnam revealed (via GQ), he decided to drop the project to be able to act in Alfonso Cuarón's Children of Men.

Hunnam's Casting In Criminal Breaks His Comic Adaptation Trend

Criminal Is Based On An Acclaimed Comic Book Of The Same Name

Hunnam's history of missed comic book roles suggests that they always came to him when he was either not prepared to play them or just not interested in fully committing to the genre. His casting as the lead in an crime drama, however, finally seems to break this trend. Charlie Hunnam has been cast to play one of the main characters in the Amazon Prime Video adaptation of Ed Brubaker's Criminal comic book series. It is Charlie Hunnam's first role in a comic book adaptation, marking a significant shift in his journey as an actor.

Given how Criminal is only Hunnam's second show since Sons of Anarchy, it is hard not to be excited about its release.

While most details surrounding the show and his role are still under wraps, Hunnam will play a character named Leo Patterson in the series. In the comics, Leo Patterson is portrayed as a clever pickpocket, who, despite his dangerous line of work, always tries to avoid getting into trouble. He is often labeled as a coward for his methods, but it is his principles and cautious set of rules that keep him a step ahead of his enemies. Given how Criminal is only Hunnam's second show since Sons of Anarchy, it is hard not to be excited about its release.

Criminal Can Be The Best Thing Hunnam Has Starred In Since Sons Of Anarchy

The Actor Has Yet To Have His Second Television Breakthrough

After all these years, it is hard not to associate Charlie Hunnam with Jax Teller because of how brilliantly he captured the characters' struggles with balancing his life of crime with his responsibilities as a family man. However, with Criminal, this might change soon since the TV series is based on a highly acclaimed set of comic books.

What makes the show even more promising is that the comics' original writer, Ed Brubaker, is its co-showrunner. While only time will tell whether Criminal will be worthy of earning the title of Sons of Anarchy's replacement, it seems to have the potential to give Charlie Hunnam his next TV breakthrough.