Grey's Anatomy's Giacomo Gianniotti turned down major role in Marvel's Avengers game

Meanwhile, in superhero land, Gianniotti is finally taking centre stage in Marvel's Avengers, lending his voice to Clint Barton (aka Hawkeye) in the game's post-launch Future Imperfect DLC which launches on 18th March.

It was during an interview about this Hawkeye DLC that Gianniotti spilled the beans, telling us that he came very close to playing a large role in last year's main campaign for the Avengers game.

"I actually auditioned for a different character," Gianniotti said, "which I actually got offered. But my schedule was too demanding for Grey's Anatomy, and we just couldn't make it work."

Gianniotti added, "They liked me as an actor and wanted to see if there was a way that we could work together. But I just said, unfortunately, with my schedule, it will just have to be, you know, a character that is more of a supporting role. Because, you know, the demand for the main cast of the [game] was very rigorous. And I just couldn't balance it both with with my Grey's Anatomy schedule."

If you're wondering which role Gianniotti turned down, it's worth remembering that the starring male roles in the game were Tony Stark (who was played in the finished game by Nolan North), Steve Rogers (who was voiced by Jeff Schine), Thor Odinson (who was voiced by Travis Willingham) and Bruce Banner (who was voiced by Troy Baker). We don't know which role Gianniotti was offered, but it may well have been one of those.

Read more: How to watch Marvel movies in order

After the game launched in August 2020, it sounds like the developers at Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics kept Gianniotti in mind, especially when plans for DLC chapters began to emerge.

As Gianniotti tells it, "As they had kind of started to complete the game, and we're looking ahead to DLC, they were like, 'Hey, we just came across Hawkeye. He's gonna be one of our one of our first [DLC] releases. And he's such a beloved character, and we think you'd be a great fit. Would you be interested in playing Hawkeye?' And I was like, 'Yes. I love Hawkeye. What a great character. And I think I could offer a lot to him'. So then we started talking, and we got in the booth, and we got to doing it.

Read More: Marvel's Avengers game "throws curveball" with story

Gianniotti went on to explain what he loves about Hawkeye/Clint Barton as a character: "He's going against these incredible foes, alongside people who are real superheroes that have incredible powers of invincibility and flying and lasers coming out of their hands and all different kinds of things, and he's just this super athletic guy who is like the best shot with a bow in the whole world. So I just think he's such a badass for that, you know what I mean? He has the most to lose, and is risking the most in every battle. So that's why I think he so so interesting as a character."

You can hear more from Gianniotti in our full interview with the actor.

Marvel’s Avengers: Operation Hawkeye – Future Imperfect launches on 18th March.

Check out our video game release schedule for all upcoming games on consoles. Visit our hubs for more Gaming and Technology news. And if you're a Marvel fan, don't miss our round-up of Marvel gifts.

Looking for something to watch? Check out our TV Guide.