It's weird to think how different things would have been had De Niro accepted the role.

Cowboy surely would have been the most prominent Warrior and taken over from Cleon instead of Swan. De Niro would've been the oldest actor playing a Warrior, I think he was about 35 when it was shot, he's a full ten years older than James Remar. As a method actor he probably would have joined a real gang six months prior to shooting for research.
'All the animals come out at night - Turnballs, Furies, Punks, Rogues, sick, venal. Someday a real rain will come.....'
Sorry, I couldn't resist.
