Why Matthew McConaughey Turned Down Guardians 2

"I’d feel like an amendment."

By Alex Osborn

Matthew McConaughey has come forward to explain why he turned down a role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 for the opportunity to star as the Man in Black in Sony's upcoming film adaptation of The Dark Tower.

In an interview with Playboy (via io9) the actor said he'd "feel like an amendment" if he joined James Gunn's forthcoming sequel. "I like Guardians of the Galaxy, but what I saw was 'It’s successful, and now we’ve got room to make a colorful part for another big-name actor.'"

Matthew McConaughey as the Man in Black in The Dark Tower.

McConaughey would have starred as the villain in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, though there's no word on exactly which character he would have played.

The actor then went on to praise The Dark Tower's "well written" script, which won't be a straight adaptation of the source material, as well as director Nikolaj Arcel. "I like the director and his take on it, and 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 said.

McConaughey also spoke to his role as the Man in Black, saying, "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."

He noted that while it's "a fantastic thriller that takes place in another realm, an alternate universe," it's also "very much grounded," highlighting the fact that the Gunslinger (Idris Elba) wields a pistol rather than a fictional weapon like a lightsaber.

The actor reaffirmed the first movie, which began filming back in April, is done. That said, the release date for The Dark Tower was recently moved from February to July 28, 2017, so that more time can be spent on completing the film's visual effects.

Alex Osborn is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

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