Mark Wahlberg dropped the name of a popular late ’90s action movie when he was asked last week about roles he could have had, but ultimately didn’t get.
But instead of regret, the actor sounded relieved.
“You know I dodged a couple of bullets,” Wahlberg revealed while speaking with Entertainment Weekly on Thursday. “I did a couple ones that weren’t so good. We don’t need to mention those.”
When pressed to name something, the star of “Boogie Nights” and “Ted” responded, “That wouldn’t be nice.”
And while Wahlberg didn’t cite any films he regretted doing, he did say that he was “in talks” to play the superhero Robin in the 1997 film “Batman & Robin.”
Mark Wahlberg at the Amazon MGM Studios’ “Play Dirty” world premiere held at SVA Theatre on Sept. 24, 2025 in New York, New York. Kristina Bumphrey via Getty Images
“I did not get an official offer, but I was meeting with Joel Schumacher about ‘Batman & Robin,’ he said.
The role eventually went to Chris O’Donnell, which was perfectly fine with Wahlberg because he “wasn’t interested in that type of project.”
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The topic was sparked after Leonardo DiCaprio shared that he’s still kicking himself for turning down the lead role in the 1997 film “Boogie Nights,” a role that ultimately went to Wahlberg.
“My biggest regret is not doing ‘Boogie Nights’,” DiCaprio said. “It was a profound movie of my generation. I can’t imagine anyone but Mark [Wahlberg] in it. When I finally got to see that movie, I just thought it was a masterpiece.”
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