Some Great Chuck Norris Movies That Were Planned But Cancelled

While browsing the web, I stumbled across a series of Chuck Norris movie posters. One link led me to a site showcasing films that were supposedly planned but never actually made. Naturally, I felt compelled to write about them. I selected a handful of the posters and decided to share a few thoughts and titbits about what I’ve discovered. To kick things off, we have…

The Wildforce (1984)

This was meant to be a Renny Harlin film, with Chuck Norris lined up for the lead role. Harlin even sent Norris a few hundred thousand dollars, and for a moment it looked as though the project was genuinely moving forward. He managed to put out some early promotional material, but eventually the whole thing collapsed and the film was abandoned. A real shame, because the poster looks absolutely badass — like a cross between Die Hard 2 and Cliffhanger

The Delta Force: (1986)

From what I’ve been able to gather, the film was originally intended to star Charles Bronson and Chuck Norris rather than Lee Marvin. At the time, it would have been an ideal project for Cannon, as both actors were essentially the studio’s bread and butter. If I had to guess, Bronson probably wouldn’t have wanted second billing to Norris — and vice versa. On top of that, Bronson was still fronting the Death Wish franchise, which likely meant he would have expected a much larger role, at least equal to Norris’s.

Delta Force 2: America’s Red Army (1988)

This film would have centred on a Middle Eastern crisis, bringing together The Delta Force and the Spetsnaz to take down a major terrorist threat. No additional casting was ever announced, but imagine how brilliant it would have been to see Dolph Lundgren leading the Spetsnaz squad. That would have been inspired casting.

Delta Force 2: Spitfire (1988)

As this poster suggests, both Lee Marvin and Chuck Norris may have been uncertain about returning for a second outing in The Delta Force, so they were replaced by Michael Dudikoff and Steve James. Off the back of American Ninja 1 and 2, these two would absolutely have been able to carry the film — they were Cannon’s rising action duo at the time. It would have been fascinating to see how the franchise might have developed with them in the lead, perhaps even paving the way for a team‑up with Chuck’s character in a later sequel.

There was also a makeshift poster circulating that featured Chuck and Lee Marvin, although it was essentially just the original film’s artwork with a hastily added “2” slapped on top.

Night Hunter (1986)

This film was intended to be a sequel to Invasion U.S.A., but the plans eventually fell through. A year later, a follow‑up did appear — Avenging Force, starring Michael Dudikoff — with Dudikoff taking over the role of Matt Hunter, originally played by Norris. I’ve always felt the Matt Hunter character had real potential to continue across multiple films. Dudikoff has mentioned that he’d like to revive the character, but so far there’s been no word on a new film.

American Ninja ( 1985)

Originally titled American Warrior, Cannon had hoped this would be another Chuck Norris vehicle. However, Norris declined the role because he didn’t want his face covered. As he put it: “If I’m going to be in a film, I don’t want my face hidden. I’m going to be me.” With Norris out, the studio had to look elsewhere.

The role ultimately went to Michael Dudikoff, which proved to be his big break into the action genre. His casting reshaped the project entirely and set the stage for what would become American Ninja (1985).

Death Match (1989)

This film was set to star Chuck Norris and Michael Dudikoff, focusing on two brothers and tackling every major conflict within the world of martial arts. Norris reportedly hoped this would be the film to finally dethrone Enter the Dragon as the greatest martial arts movie ever made.

Fifty/Fifty (1990)

Chuck Norris was originally set to star in this action film as a mercenary attempting to overthrow a dictator and restore power to the rightful president on the fictional island of Tengara. The film did eventually get made, but with Peter Weller in the lead role instead of Norris.

Ivory (1993)

This Chuck Norris project was set to follow a former big‑game hunter who uncovers an elephant‑poaching ring, putting him in serious danger. The premise has a definite Steven Seagal flavour to it — the sort of story that could be a bit preachy but still deliver some cracking action, much like Seagal’s On Deadly Ground or Fire Down Below.

As it was scheduled for 1993, it’s likely that the success of Walker, Texas Ranger pulled Norris’s attention elsewhere. With the series taking off at that time, he seems to have focused all his energy on it, leaving this film to fade into obscurity.

The Peacemaker (1996)

This project would have seen Chuck Norris starring as a mercenary tasked with rescuing the kidnapped daughter of an American senator. It sounds like it could have been an absolute blast — very much Norris channelling his inner Commando and going full one‑man‑army mode.

Ticker (1999)

Chuck Norris was originally set to star in this Albert Pyun film, which shared almost the exact same plot as the later Steven Seagal movie — though the casting would have been very different. This version was to feature Chuck Norris, Charlie Sheen, and Ice‑T, making for a surprisingly eclectic line‑up.

Here’s the link to the website if you’d like to explore all the cancelled projects in full.

http://www.geocities.jp/legendofchucknorris/canceled.html