When casting for a movie, filmmakers will regularly have to play a game of chance. While some actor choices may be the “safe” actors, other choices are the risky actors that sometimes pay off in a phenomenal way, but may also backfire horrendously, ruing the entire movie.
Not only can bad casting choices ruin movies, but they can also ruin franchises, such as Terminator and Indiana Jones. This is unfortunately not unheard of in the superhero genre, as many casting decisions are so awful that they end up ruining the entire movie.
Sometimes these actors ruin their respective superhero movies due to bad acting, and sometimes it’s just due to the fact that they really weren’t meant for the part.
Actors like Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Hemsworth may be perfect casting choices for the roles of Iron Man and Thor, but this perfect casting doesn’t apply for every superhero casting in the industry, or even every superhero casting in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
While there’s not much that can be done after the movie comes out to change a bad casting decision, at least on the part of the fans, we can still dream.
For every bad casting choice, there is almost always the perfect dream casting that never came to be.
With that said, here are the 13 Superhero Actors Who Don’t Fit Their Roles (And 13 Who Should Replace Them).
Doesn’t Fit: Jesse Eisenberg As Lex Luthor
Many people who saw Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice certainly had a lot of issues with the movie, but one of the biggest issues people had was with the villain Lex Luthor.
Many of the previous Superman films relied completely on Lex Luthor being a truly intimidating villain, yet the rebooted Luthor in Batman v Superman failed in this regard.
Eisenberg’s Luthor felt more manically evil like Joker than confidently evil like Lex Luthor is supposed to be, which was a serious issue for DC fans. While this type of villainy did manage to fit the already nonsensical plot of Batman v Superman, it was still a horrible interpretation of Superman’s arch nemesis.
While the awfulness that was Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor wasn’t entirely at the fault of Eisenberg, and more so at the fault of director Zack Snyder, there’s no question anymore.
Jesse Eisenberg really does not fit the role of Lex Luthor in the DCEU.
The post-credits scene of Justice League featured a significantly more confident Luthor , which was a glimmer of hope for DC fans who wanted to see the real Lex Luthor in the DCEU.
Unfortunately, it may be too late. It’s very unlikely that the majority of the audience will be able to look past Eisenberg’s off-the-walls performance from Batman v Superman.
Replacement: Ben Kingsley
Academy Award-winning actor Ben Kingsley certainly knows how to play a villain, and he most certainly would have brought a lot to the table had he been chosen instead of Eisenberg for the role of Lex Luthor.
Kingsley may have been out of the intended age range for Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman, but there is no denying that Kingsley’s sense of confidence would have undoubtedly improved the Luthor we saw on screen.
Kingsley has dabbled his hand at playing a comic-book villain in the past when he played the Mandarin in 2013’s Iron Man 3.
However, his character ended up being nothing more than a distraction for the movie’s true antagonist, resulting in Kingsley’s whole performance to be quite the disappointment for Marvel fans.
While this was not at the fault of Kingsley, as it was just a way to further develop the plot, it was still a waste of a great actor.
Having Kingsley play Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman would be a great way to redeem the British actor.
There’s no denying that Kingsley’s portrayal of Luthor could have been significantly more impressive and intimidating than Eisenberg’s portrayal, adding a sense of confidence and business professionalism to one of DC’s greatest villains.
Doesn’t Fit: Jennifer Lawrence As Mystique
When Jennifer Lawrence was first cast as the X-Men villain Mystique in 2011’s X-Men: First Class, it was seemingly the perfect casting choice. This was before The Hunger Games, when Lawrence was not a recognizable A-list star.
Lawrence mastered the portrayal of a young Mystique, showing her eventual turn to joining the other villains like Magneto. It set up her heroic origins that would later become an essential part of X-Men: Days of Future Past.
Unfortunately, by the time we got to X-Men: Apocalypse, Lawrence no longer really fit the antagonistic role.
Whether it was because of her acting or her writing, the Mystique we saw Lawrence play in Apocalypse was nothing like the Mystique from the comics. Instead, she felt almost exactly like Katniss from The Hunger Games, which really did not work at all for the character.
Lawrence may have been a great young Mystique, but there’s no secret anymore that she cannot play an adult Mystique. She really no longer fits the role, and fortunately it wouldn’t be too hard to recast her.
Mystique has already been recast in the past, and it was easy to explain considering that Mystique’s ability is literally to change her appearance at will.
Replacement: Emilia Clarke
Emilia Clarke is most notable for playing Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones, but she has also dabbed at playing in science fiction-type movies, showing that she is more than just a fantasy star.
She previously played a leading role in Terminator: Genisys, and will also play a major role in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Joining the X-Men franchise may end up being a great career choice for Clarke to follow, particularly after the end of Game of Thrones next year.
Mystique would be a great role for Clarke to take, considering that she is essentially an evil version of Daenerys.
Clarke’s acting style would hypothetically be perfect for the evil blue mutant, and even if she may not end up being the perfect choice for the role, she would still undoubtedly be a better option that Jennifer Lawrence.
Additionally, Clarke would be following the “tradition” of female Game of Thrones stars joining the X-Men franchise. Sophie Turner already joined the franchise as Jean Grey / Phoenix in X-Men: Apocalypse, and Maisie Williams will appear as Wolfsbane in New Mutants.
Going from Game of Thrones to X-Men seems to be a common move for Game of Thrones stars, so it’s very possible that switching to the Marvel franchise may already be on Emilia Clarke’s mind.
Doesn’t Fit: Marisa Tomei As Aunt May
Casting Marisa Tomei, an actress who is only in her early 50s but looks like she’s only in her 30s or 40s, as Spider-Man’s Aunt May was certainly a risky move for Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures, and unfortunately it hasn’t seemed to pay off.
While Tomei manages to pull of a believable aunt, she doesn’t pull off a believable Aunt May.
The numerous jokes about Aunt May being hot in Spider-Man: Homecoming are evidence enough that something is off.
In an interview with The New York Times, Tomei revealed that she was “horrified” to learn that she was cast as such an elderly character.
“I went through the whole negotiation without knowing,” said Tomei. “They just kept saying ‘an iconic character, an iconic character.’ It sounds kind of ridiculous, but it all happened very quickly… I was more focused on my deal, honestly. And then, the illustration was revealed to me.”
While Tomei was most likely cast as an investment, so that this Spider-Man franchise will last at least a decade without having to worry about recasting Aunt May due to her retiring or passing away of old age, Tomei really just doesn’t manage to pull off a believable Aunt May.
Maybe things may be different 10 years down the road, but should Spider-Man fans really have to wait that long?
Replacement: Helen Mirren
Academy Award-winning actress Helen Mirren would have been a much better choice for Aunt May.
The 82 year-old actress may have been on the older side for the role, but she still would’ve been able to provide the proper mentorship for Peter Parker during the years of his life he would have needed her most.
Giving Peter an actually elderly aunt in Spider-Man: Homecoming would have certainly improved the parts of the movie featuring Aunt May, and would have spared us from Tony Stark’s creepy comments about Peter Parker’s aunt.
Not only does Mirren have the proper age range, but she is practically the spitting image of Aunt May in the comics.
Mirren may have even been able to pull off a better Aunt May than Rosemary Harris herself, who played Aunt May in the original Spider-Man trilogy.
Helen Mirren is such a perfect choice for Aunt May that it becomes sad to think about the fact that we will ultimately never see her in the role.
By the time we get another Spider-Man reboot, featuring another full re-casting of the characters, it is unfortunately very likely that Helen Mirren will no longer be with us due to her old age.
Doesn’t Fit: Jason Momoa As Aquaman
Game of Thrones star Jason Momoa brought a touch of coolness to one of DC’s most picked-on heroes when we finally saw him in action in Justice League.
Fans are excited to see Momoa return to the role later this year in his own Aquaman solo movie, directed by James Wan. Momoa certainly redeemed the character Aquaman for fans, but was having Momoa play the character really the best way to go about it?
Those who actually read DC Comics know that Aquaman was already a cool hero. He is incredibly strong and has a deep character, despite people who knew nothing about the character constantly poking fun at him.
Rather than completely changing everything about the character except his name in Justice League, DC should have had some dignity and brought the Aquaman from the actual comics to the movies.
Justice League brought a lot of comic-book accuracy to its characters, but Aquaman was undoubtedly not one of these characters. He may have been a cool character that was fun to watch, but he was not the Aquaman DC fans know and love.
However, Momoa’s casting did work financially for DC, as it drew a number of Game of Thrones fans to the franchise, but the decision is still not justified.
Replacement: Jamie Dornan
Jamie Dornan would have been a much more suitable choice for Aquaman in Justice League.
Best known for playing Christian Grey in the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy, Dornan has made a name for himself and, despite the bad reputation surrounding the Fifty Shades movies, is actually a decent actor.
Casting Dornan as Aquaman would have been a great way to redeem both Dornan and Aquaman himself.
The thing that really stands out between Jason Momoa and Jamie Dornan is the fact that Dornan actually looks like Aquaman in the comics, almost to a tee.
He already has the necessary muscle to star in a superhero franchise, so all that would really need to change would be his hair color, which is already incredibly similar to Aquaman’s hair color in the comics.
With the right writers and choreographers, Jamie Dornan’s Aquaman could have still brought justice to Aquaman’s tainted name, showing how great of a character he is both in the comics and in the movies.
He wouldn’t need a big beard, a bunch of tattoos, or a growly voice to be cool. DC fans have already known for years that Aquaman is cool just the way he is, and Dornan would have been able to portray this phenomenally.
Doesn’t Fit: Tye Sheridan As Cyclops
X-Men: Apocalypse had some great casting choices in it, such as Sophie Turner as Jean Grey and Alexandra Shipp as Storm.
One casting decision that did not seem to work, however, was the casting of Tye Sheridan, now best known for his lead role in Ready Player One, as Cyclops.
Tye Sheridan is a great actor, and he may look like a young Scott Summers from the comics, but in action, Sheridan really didn’t seem to fit the part.
There is a case to be made that Sheridan feeling so off-putting in X-Men: Apocalypse was due to bad writing and bad direction. When the movie opened, Cyclops seemed to be the young protagonist of the film, receiving quite a bit of focus.
However, once Cyclops met Sophie Turner’s Jean Grey, he no longer received any attention or development. Instead, he became more of a sidekick who mindlessly followed Jean throughout the rest of the narrative.
If Tye Sheridan’s portrayal of Cyclops doesn’t manage to work in next year’s X-Men: Dark Phoenix, then it may come time to recast the young actor.
Sheridan may have been great in movies like Ready Player One, but it has become evident that Scott Summers is not the role for him.
Replacement: Dave Franco
Dave Franco has managed to become a well known actor in Hollywood, finally becoming known as more than just James Franco’s younger brother.
Movies like Now You See Me and Nerve showed more of the actor than we thought he had in him, proving that he can play a great protagonist with a heart of steel. Perhaps it is about time that Dave takes after his brother and goes for a role in a Marvel movie.
The Neighbors star would be seemingly perfect for Scott Summers / Cyclops in the X-Men franchise. He is the perfect age for the role, appearing young, but not too young like Tye Sheridan.
He’s got the hair, the wit, and the heart to finally pull off a decent on-screen Scott Summers that X-Men fans have been waiting so long to see, yet have been disappointed with time and time again.
Additionally, Dave Franco could be an investment casting choice, much like what FOX intended when casting Tye Sheridan.
Franco is still young enough of an actor that he will still be able to play a superhero on the “younger side” like Cyclops early in the comics, while still not appearing too young.
If Marvel Studios decide to reboot the entire X-Men line up when / if the FOX / Disney deal is approved, Dave Franco will hopefully be at the front of their minds.
Doesn’t Fit: Finn Jones As Iron Fist
There’s no secret that the Marvel Netflix series Iron Fist is one of the worst things to ever come out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, only second to last year’s attempt at an Inhumans series.
While The Defenders did a bit to justify the martial-arts-based series, Iron Fist still doesn’t hold up, nor does the star of the show Finn Jones.
When Jones was first cast as Danny Rand in Iron Fist, a number of Marvel fans were irritated by the decision, complaining that it was a white-washed casting.
While this was a bit confusing at first, considering that Danny Rand was white in the comics, it now starts to make sense why people thought it was a bad casting decision.
The Danny Rand we saw in Iron Fist didn’t seem innovative or original in the slightest, feeling more like a younger, snarkier, less fleshed-out Tony Stark than an actually interesting character we would want to see more of.
Jones’s acting certainly did not help in this regard. It seemed as though Jones only said what was on the script, rather than trying to adapt Danny Rand into his own unique character, making the entire Iron Fist series almost unbearable to watch for many people.
Replacement: John Cho
Star Trek actor John Cho, who plays the popular character Sulu in the science fiction movie series, would have been a much better choice to play as Danny Rand in Iron Fist.
Not only would Cho have brought a much-needed bit of diversity to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, becoming the series’ first Asian superhero, but Cho himself would surely have brought a phenomenal performance along with him.
With each Star Trek movie, we see more and more of what John Cho can do as an actor. His portrayal of Sulu is filled with confidence, determination, skill, and the undying need to do what’s right.
All of these elements that Cho can nail as an actor are essential parts of Danny Rand’s character in the comics, and frankly, this amount of determination was absent in Finn Jones’s portrayal of the character.
While an actor of John Cho’s caliber would have been a bit more expensive than Finn Jones, it ultimately would have been a worthwhile investment.
Cho is a phenomenal actor, and changing Danny Rand a bit to match John Cho’s acting style could have ultimately made Iron Fist one of Marvel’s best shows yet instead of one of its worst.
Doesn’t Fit: Miles Teller As Mister Fantastic
For years, Marvel fans have been desperate to see a Fantastic Four movie that is actually good. Hopes were clearly high for the 2015 reboot of Marvel’s first family, and as we all know now, those hopes were ultimately let down.
Fantastic 4 (or Fant4stic, as it is commonly referred to as) ended up becoming one of the worst superhero movies ever made. Almost everyone involved with the project pointed fingers at one another, no one wanting to take the blame of what went wrong.
Of all of the actors involved in this disappointing reboot, many of them were great choices.
Unfortunately, the movie’s star Miles Teller was not one of these great choices. While Teller himself is a great young actor, he did not capture the essence of Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic from the comics.
Fortunately, due to the poor reception to Fantastic 4, it is unlikely that Miles Teller will ever be returning to the role. Should another Fantastic Four movie grace the screen, hopefully under Marvel Studios, the entire cast will more than likely be tossed out in exchange for better options.
It’ll be sad to see phenomenal stars like Kate Mara and Michael B. Jordan go, but it would ultimately be worth it to make sure that the superhero family can start fresh.
Replacement: John Krasinski
The Office and A Quiet Place star John Krasinski would arguably be the best option to replace Miles Teller in the role of Reed Richards.
A Quiet Place proved that Krasinski can play the leadership role, and eventually a father role should a future Fantastic Four movie ever introduce Reed and Sue’s kids, who have become rather prominent in the comics.
The best part about this dream casting is that Krasinski has already shown interest in the role, especially if he got to star in it alongside his wife Emily Blunt, who would theoretically play Sue Storm / Invisible Woman.
The fact that Krasinski has publicly expressed interest in the franchise is surely a good thing, as it sends word to Marvel Studios not only that he would like to play the role, but also that millions of his fans would want to see it as well.
Krasinski was nearly cast as Captain America back in 2010, reportedly being the second choice after Chris Evans.
If a Fantastic Four reboot were to come about, it would be the perfect way for John Krasinski to redeem himself with Marvel fans, making his failure to land the role of Steve Rogers into an actual success.
Doesn’t Fit: Ray Fisher As Cyborg
In the comics, Cyborg is one of DC’s coolest characters. In the animated series Teen Titans, he was certainly one of the best characters, adding a bit of fun and, dare we say it, swagger to the already amazing series.
Unfortunately, when we finally got a live-action version of Cyborg in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League, it really did not seem worth the wait.
Ray Fisher may have had the technical gear on him, but he really didn’t feel like the Cyborg we’ve grown to love over the years. Instead, his character and acting style felt flat and unrelatable.
While he undoubtedly mastered the idea of playing a robot, that is not how Cyborg is supposed to act.
Ray Fisher’s portrayal of Cyborg wasn’t cool, and felt more like a robot in a half-human body rather than a human in a half-robot body.
This was certainly disappointing to fans, and it was even more disappointing when he finally uttered his iconic catchphrase “Booyah.”
Instead of the “Booyah” moment feeling great and amazing as it should have been, it felt forced and completely unnatural for him to say. This is because the Cyborg we saw on screen was not the Cyborg from the comics.
Replacement: John Boyega
Pacific Rim: Uprising may not have been the best of films, but it did tell us something: John Boyega is a crazy fun actor.
The Star Wars star was undoubtedly the highlight of the second Pacific Rim, adding even more fun to the giant monster versus giant robot fights. This element was what made the sequel stand out from the first Pacific Rim, which is ultimately what made it a better film.
If John Boyega were to bring this element of fun to Cyborg, should the character ever be recast, it would most likely end up being a much better portrayal of the beloved superhero.
Simply imagining John Boyega saying “Booyah” in his excited, Pacific Rim voice (with a different accent, of course) already feels so much better than Ray Fisher’s dull portrayal of the character, and would be enough to get DC fans actually excited for Cyborg’s supposed solo movie that is currently in development.
Unfortunately, the recasting of Cyborg is unlikely, considering the establishment given to Ray Fisher’s Cyborg in Justice League.
Unless the DCEU receives a full reboot in the near future, it is unlikely that we will ever see John Boyega play as the fan favorite Teen Titan.
Doesn’t Fit: Olivia Munn As Psylocke
As bad as it may be to hear, there was only really one reason why Olivia Munn was brought on for the role of Psylocke in X-Men: Apoclaypse: appeal.
The former model really did not have much acting experience in large roles before joining the X-Men franchise and, unfortunately, it showed, as a majority of Munn’s scenes felt forced and unnatural.
This isn’t to discredit the amount of work Munn actually put into Apocalypse. She went through months of fight choreography, acting training, and other attempts to improve her performance, but even after all of that, Munn really did not seem to fit the role.
Most X-Men fans agree with this point, which is why many of them were pleased to see the X-Force team assemble in Deadpool 2 without the inclusion of her character.
Most of Munn’s parts in X-Men: Apocalypse ended up feeling cringy and forced. Whether this was due to bad direction or bad acting, unfortunately this is one bump in the road that X-Men fans will have difficulty looking past.
There are rumors that Olivia Munn will return to the role of Psylocke in next year’s X-Men: Dark Phoenix, so she may have the chance to redeem herself, but unfortunately, X-Men fans are not always the most forgiving.
Replacement: Naya Rivera
Clearly, appeal was 20th Century FOXs’ major priority when casting Psylocke in X-Men: Apocalypse, when casting an actress that would have actually suited the character should have been a bit higher on the scale.
Fortunately, there is an option that hypothetically could have fit both of these requirements: Naya Rivera.
Rivera is best known for the role of Santana Lopez in the hit TV series Glee, another entity owned by FOX. Ironically, her character in the musical TV series was strikingly similar to the character Psylocke from the comics.
Though she may not be as well known as Olivia Munn, Naya Rivera would have been a much better option for the X-Force anti-hero.
Should Marvel Studios decide to recast her character, assuming the Disney / FOX deal comes into an effect, one can hope that Naya Rivera will be at the front of their minds. Unfortunately, she may not be their first choice, considering she is no longer a well known name in the industry.
sHowever, Marvel Studios have been known to make people into name actors in the past rather than just riding off of name actors, so this dream casting is certainly a possibility in the near future.
Doesn’t Fit: Jared Leto As Joker
Most people will admit that Suicide Squad was not good, so the fact that the DCEU is not only giving it a sequel, but also a number of character spin-offs comes as a huge shock.
Rather than hiding away the movie that a majority of fans hated and trying to make people forget about it, DC is instead putting a number of the movie’s characters into the spotlight.
One character who is said to get his time in the spotlight in the near future is Jared Leto’s Joker, who many people are willing to admit is the worst live-action Joker to ever grace the screen.
While a number of DC fans did enjoy Leto’s performance, there are arguably an even greater number of people who believe he did not live up to Heath Ledger’s performance of the Batman villain, let alone any of the other predecessors.
Recasting the Joker would be an incredibly smart move, unless DC can somehow find a way to redeem Jared Leto in the role, which is unlikely considering how unforgiving many fans can be.
Unfortunately, it may be some time before we see another actor don the Joker make-up on screen, outside of the supposed Joker origin movie that is in development.
Replacement: Mark Hamill
Should DC and Warner Bros. decide to recast Jared Leto with an older Joker to match the current, older Batman, Mark Hamill would be the perfect choice.
Hamill has become beloved by DC fans for voicing the villainous clown in a number of animated Batman movies and TV series. His vocal performances were so great that some people even think Hamill did a better job in the part than Heath Ledger himself.
Seeing Mark Hamill in the Joker make-up on screen would be a dream come true for millions of DC fans who loved him in the various animated series.
Considering Hamill’s recent return to popularity thanks to the Star Wars sequels, now would be the perfect time to introduce Mark Hamill’s Joker to the live action DC movies.
Hamill’s performance in Star Wars: The Last Jedi proved that he’s still got acting chops, and the actor has even admitted that he would be willing to return to the role of Joker in live-action.
While this is unfortunately a dream casting we may never see come to be, it would certainly be a genius move for Warner Bros. and DC, making one major change to their franchise to prove that they do care about what the fans want.
