The mid-2010s were a great time for Matthew McConaughey, who found himself gaining a newfound level of respect as an actor for his one-two punch of “True Detective” and “Interstellar” in 2014. The executives over at Marvel seemed to take note of The McConaissance, which is why they asked him to join the cast of “Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2.” He would’ve played Star Lord’s father, Ego, and we’re sure he would’ve done a great job at it. (Not that we have any complaints about Kurt Russell’s performance, mind you.)
But McConaughey declined the offer, opting instead to star in “The Dark Tower,” a fantasy movie that also came out in 2017. Whereas “Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2” was a big critical/box office success, this movie was a total flop. Fans of the book it was adapting (“The Gunslinger”) hated it, critics hated it, and regular viewers found it forgettable. The film made back its budget at the box office, but still earned nowhere near enough to justify a sequel. It certainly seems like it was the wrong choice for McConaughey, but he had some good reasons for the decision.
“I like ‘Guardians of the Galaxy,'” he told the Independent at the time, “But what I saw was, ‘It’s successful, and now we’ve got room to make a colorful part for another big-name actor.’ I’d feel like an amendment.” Meanwhile, he’d get to be the co-lead of “The Dark Tower,” serving as a meaningful part of the series from day one. “I can be the creator, the author of the Man in Black — a.k.a. the Devil — in my version of this Stephen King novel,” he explained.
The logic is admittedly a little strange. I don’t know any “Guardians of the Galaxy” fans who’d describe Kurt Russell’s Ego as an “amendment,” for one. The character served a meaningful, memorable role in the trilogy, then left when the time was right for the character. Meanwhile, the “Dark Tower” books serve as a clear example of how characters can be added in the sequels without feeling like amendments. Two of its best, most important characters — Eddie and Susannah — don’t show up until book 2, and readers love them.
Unfortunately, McConaughey’s role as the Man in Black was short-lived
In the end, it’s likely the main reason McConaughey picked “The Dark Tower” was because the movie simply appealed more to his taste. He described the movie as, “A fantastic thriller that takes place in another realm, an alternate universe, but it’s very much grounded.” He later added, “I enjoyed approaching my character as if I were the Devil having a good time, getting turned on by exposing human hypocrisies wherever he finds them.”
It’s easy to see what he means; his and Idris Elba’s performances were the best parts of the movie, the only elements no one can complain about. The movie itself may not have done much justice to the source material, but McConaughey did justice to the Man in Black, otherwise known as Walter Padick, or Randall Flagg. (He’s got a lot of names.) If things had gone according to plan, McConaughey’s character would’ve returned in the sequels to continue wreaking havoc.
Instead, any sequel plans the series may have had were put to an end shortly after the movie released. “Dark Tower” fans spent the next few years without any hope of a good, faithful adaptation, before Amazon announced that a TV adaptation was in the works in 2022. This one will be run by Mike Flanagan, who has previously adapted “Doctor Sleep” and “Gerald’s Game” with great success. The details on the project are still sparse, but they’ll likely be casting someone new in the main roles. The future of the “Dark Tower” series in Hollywood is still bright, but sadly when it comes to McConaughey’s role in the series, it seems like the world has moved on.
