Leonardo DiCaprio passed on the starring role in The Man in the Iron Mask .
The Man in the Iron Mask is a 1998 American action drama film directed , produced , and written by Randall Wallace , and starring Leonardo DiCaprio in a dual role as the title character and villain , Jeremy Irons as Aramis , John Malkovich as Athos , Gerard Depardieu as Porthos , and Gabriel Byrne as D'Artagnan .