Mary Poppins Returns: Julie Andrews 'considered for THIS role' in sequel, report claims

Andrews played the title role in the original 1964 classic, but she does not pop up in the new film – in which Emily Blunt takes over. Andrews has made no secret of the fact that she wanted to let Blunt make the role her own without any distractions, but a report in a leading US publication claims that bosses had considered asking her to play one of the smaller roles in the film – as a nod to the original.

According to Variety, a source with knowledge of the production claimed that producers had considered Andrews for the role of the Balloon Lady.

This is the part played by another Disney icon, Dame Angela Lansbury – who has ties to live-action Disney classics herself, having appeared in Bedknobs and Broomsticks.

But Rob Marshall has maintained that his writers never pitched Andrews, 83, with any specific role.

And Blunt told the same magazine: “There was discussion about, you know, that maybe she would come and do a bit in the movie and she was so generous actually.

“She said to Rob, ‘Do you know what this is? This is Emily’s version of her and I don’t want it to be that she’s playing Mary Poppins the whole way through but then I come in and there’s like oh, ‘but there’s the real Mary Poppins’, you know?”

And producer Marc Platt insisted there was never a part put aside specifically for her.

“She wasn’t supposed to be in it at all. But she’s a friend of Rob’s and a friend of ours and a big fan of Emily Blunt and has been lovely since day one about how this is Emily’s turn and how happy she is for her,” he said.

Mary Poppins Returns is out this week on a sea of warm reviews.

Alongside Blunt in the cast are Ben Whishaw and Emily Mortimer as the grown-up Banks children.

Lin-Manuel Miranda is also on board, alongside Dick Van Dyke – who played opposite Andrews in the 1964 tale.

Colin Firth and Meryl Streep play supporting roles.

Mary Poppins Returns is out now.