There's a certain shade of regret that doesn't fade—even when you're rich, beloved, and still somehow starring in blockbusters. It's the kind that lingers every time someone mentions “Inception” or “The Matrix” and your name echoes, not as a star, but as a ghost. Will Smith: the man who said no.
Don't believe me? The receipts keep showing up—stubbornly, embarrassingly, year after year.
A Hall of Regret (Population: Will Smith)
Let's kill the suspense. Yes, it's true. Smith finally copped to it: Christopher Nolan handed him “Inception” first. This isn't a recycled headline or a fanboy Reddit theory. Smith spelled it out himself—quietly, like an apology, in an interview flagged by Big Rakoon. “I don't think I've ever said it publicly before, and I'm going to say it now […] Chris Nolan brought me ‘Inception' first, and I didn't get [the movie].”
Didn't get it. Those are the words. And—get this—he tied it straight back to “The Matrix.” That's two now-iconic mind-benders, two history-defining films, and Smith walked away from both. If Hollywood has a Museum of Self-Sabotage, his wax figure's already queued up.
“Inception” released on July 16, 2010. Nolan's puzzle-box epic raked in $836 million globally, won four Oscars (no slouchy ones, either: cinematography, sound mixing, sound editing, and visual effects), and coronated Leo as Hollywood's most serious frowner. Meanwhile, Smith—America's last bankable goofball—spent those years anchoring “Seven Pounds” (2008) and “Suicide Squad” (2016). One of those was supposed to make us cry. The other? Well, you remember the memes.
The Matrix Miss, The Wild Wild Flop
You'd think getting burned once would teach the man something. But no—he doubled down. “The Matrix” was (as he's already joked with painful frequency) a hot mess in the pitch room: lots of hand gestures, vague philosophy talk, a vibe that didn't translate. So Smith, sensibly, walked straight into “Wild Wild West” (1999)—which, if you squint, was basically “The Matrix” with less leather and more mechanical spiders.
Do I sound harsh? Maybe. But show me another A-lister whose taste in scripts is so legendarily flawed it's become a meme. (And not the kind he'll want played at his lifetime achievement reel.)
Django: The Role That Wasn't
You hungry for more? Quentin Tarantino sketches up “Django Unchained” (US release: December 25, 2012), already envisioning Smith as the vengeful freedman. This is not clickbait—Smith said, “not for me.” Officially, discomfort over violence and the sense Django wasn't the true lead killed the deal (source). Unofficially, let's call it another whiff.
Anyone else would kill for even one of these scripts, let alone three. Smith? He's standing there like, “Next!”
Taste—Or Teflon?
Let's be real… Not every script reads as canon. But when you punt on “Inception,” “The Matrix,” and “Django Unchained,” in favor of “Wild Wild West,” “Seven Pounds,” and, god help us, “After Earth” (June 2013—do NOT rewatch), you've got to ask: Is this radar broken, or is it tuned to a totally different frequency?
There's something almost beautiful in Smith's dedication to—what? Self-preservation? Boredom? Hard to say. Only thing rarer than that missed opportunity streak is seeing someone double—no, triple down on it.
And yet, isn't there something weirdly relatable about swerving away from greatness because the pitch just sounded…off? Smith isn't an idiot. He's just the rest of us, with more money and funkier ties.
But as the years roll on, those passing “nahs” hit a little harder. Especially when you see the pop culture galaxy shining a bit brighter—and realize, yeah, Will Smith really was almost the star at the center.
And then… silence. No more what-ifs. Just awkward, hungry regret.
Important Dates & Details
- “Inception” world premiere: July 8, 2010 (UK)
- US release: July 16, 2010
- “The Matrix” release: March 31, 1999
- “Django Unchained” US release: December 25, 2012
