The Martian is one of those random successes thatâs hard to see playing out in any other method than it did back in 2015. Matt Damonâs Mark Watney anchored an ensemble cast with his central character, who was full of wit, scientific knowhow and a creative handle on the English language, swears and all. And yet, if 20th Century Fox had its way, Matt Damon would have missed out on the Oscar-nominated role, because the studio s first choice was Channing Tatum.
Itâs strange to think about that alternate casting, but itâs exactly what would have happened had Matt Damon himself not lobbied for the role. I learned this surprising fact when speaking with author Andy Weir, the man who wrote the novel