The 2012 movie that ruined Oscar Isaac’s leading man dreams: “It’s not going to go your way”

Oscar Isaac was reportedly close to landing the lead role in 2012's *The Bourne Legacy* before an injury derailed his chances, a setback that inadvertently cleared the way for the role that truly launched his career: the Coen brothers' *Inside Llewyn Davis*. Director Tony Gilroy had been impressed with Isaac's audition for the Jason Bourne spin-off and reportedly told him he was set to get the part, but a lengthy screen test scheduled shortly after Isaac sprained his foot skateboarding appears to have cost him the role, which ultimately went to Jeremy Renner.

Isaac had been shortlisted alongside actors including Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal and Joel Edgerton for the $125million production, but Gilroy later told him the studio was unwilling to risk an unproven lead. Missing out meant Isaac was free to star in *Inside Llewyn Davis* the following year, earning him a Golden Globe nomination and setting him on the path to major roles in *Dune* and *Star Wars*. He also went on to take a supporting part in *The Bourne Legacy* itself, which performed reasonably well financially despite mixed reviews.