Casting major roles in blockbuster films, book adaptations, and comic book movies aren't easy to do, and many times those decisions spark a great deal of controversy amongst the source materials' fans. Sometimes those issues fans have with the casting decisions end up being spot on, but not always.And even though many - and really, many - controversial casting decisions turned out alright in the end, not many people apologized for being wrong about the decisions in the first place. We've gathered some of those examples below.This Page: Lots of DC... and James Bond

10. Heath Ledger - Joker

Heath Ledger as the Joker in The Dark Knight

The guy from Brokeback Mountain is going to play the Joker... seriously? That about sums up the general reaction to Heath Ledger's casting as the Clown Prince of Crime in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight. The fact is, many comic book fans and fans of Jack Nicholson's original portrayal of the Joker were irate over Ledger's casting. Some people even said they wouldn't see the movie because they would only be imagining Joker having sex with Batman.

Well, that didn't happen. And instead, The Dark Knight became the highest-rated movie of the year, one of the best comic book movies of all-time, and it garnered Ledger an Oscar win for Best Supporting Actor. It seems Nolan made the right call with Ledger.

9. Gal Gadot - Wonder Woman

Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman crossing No Man's Land in the 2017 solo movie

If Batman appearing alongside Superman for the first time on the big screen wasn't enough, Warner Bros. and Zack Snyder decided to include Wonder Woman as well, who was eventually played by Fast & Furious star Gal Gadot - probably not the first person that would come to mind for a role like that; Patty Jenkins admitted as much when she signed on to direct the character's solo movie.

Some people criticized Gadot for her acting and her body (but mostly her body) as reasons she wasn't capable of bringing Wonder Woman to life. That tone changed after Gadot made her debut as the Amazon superhero in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and then again in Wonder Woman. Now, she's considered the embodiment of Wonder Woman and arguably the DCEU's biggest star to date. Clearly, a lot can change in just a few years.

8. Daniel Craig - James Bond

Daniel Craig Bond Gun

A number of actors have played James Bond over the years, and each Bond fan has their favorite one. For many, that happens to be Daniel Craig (the most recent actor to play the MI6 spy), but before he first appeared in Martin Campbell's Casino Royale, not many people were actually on board with his casting. In fact, several campaigns were launched to boycott the film because of Craig's height (5'10") and since he had blond hair, which didn't befit the traditional tall, dark-haired James Bond from previous films. It got so bad that each previous Bond had to come to Craig's defense at various points.

Considering that Casino Royale frequently ranks among the better Bond films and that Skyfall is still the highest-grossing Bond film to date, it's fair to say that people's adverse reactions to Craig's casting were baseless. We'll just have to wait and see what the reactions will be like if EON actually decides to cast a woman or person of color as the next 007.

7. Ben Affleck - Batman

Gal Gadot's casting as Wonder Woman drew a lot of ire, but so did Ben Affleck's casting as Batman. In fact, pretty much every major casting in the DCEU so far has been criticized at length by a vocal minority - or, in some cases, a majority. Affleck falls into the latter category. Some fans pointed to Affleck's portrayal as Daredevil as a reason he shouldn't be cast as Batman, while others criticized his Boston accent as being unfit for the character.

Overall, a great many people were displeased with WB's decision, but it seems to have turned out well in the end... sort of. A lot of Affleck's detractors are now on board with the actor's brutal portrayal of the iconic superhero, but it's unclear how long his tenure as the Dark Knight will continue to last.

6. Michael Keaton - Batman

Michael Keaton in Batman

Tim Burton's original Batman film is among the most influential comic book movies ever to release on the big screen, and it helped propel Michael Keaton's acting career. He's still referred to as Batman almost 30 years later. But there was a time when Keaton's casting as the Caped Crusader drew scorn from comic book fans. After all, Keaton was an actor known primarily for his comedy roles in films such as Beetlejuice and now he was about to play the Dark Knight in the character's first live-action movie.

Well, Burton's Batman is now well-regarded for its darkness and seriousness compared to other superhero movies, and much of that is owed to Keaton's portrayal as Bruce Wayne, aka Batman. Moreover, Keaton is one of many comedy actors who've proven themselves in dramatic roles; perhaps fans will remember that and give Kristen Wiig a chance at playing Cheetah in Wonder Woman 2?

Robert Downey Jr as Sherlock Holmes

5. Robert Downey Jr. - Sherlock Holmes

While many superheroes are American in the comics, perhaps the two most world-famous fictional British characters out there are James Bond and Sherlock Holmes. So, it was understandable that some fans took issue with Robert Downey Jr. playing Sherlock Holmes in a blockbuster film, especially since every other major character (save for Rachel McAdams' Irene Adler, who's from New Jersey) was played by British actors and actresses. Even the director himself was British.

But hey, Superman is currently being played by an English actor, so let's call it even? The thing is, fans are now clamoring for another Sherlock Holmes movie with Downey Jr. at the helm, which has continued to lag in development hell for almost seven years. But, the actor is hopeful that Sherlock Holmes 3 is still going to happen.

4. Hugh Jackman - Wolverine

It's difficult to imagine someone other than Hugh Jackman playing Wolverine, but there was a time when people were outraged at the sheer notion of the Australian actor portraying one of the most iconic Marvel superheroes on the big screen. Among the many concerns comic book fans had with Jackman, one of the biggest issues was that he was simply too tall for the role. Wolverine is short and stocky, whereas Jackman was tall and lean.

Jackman eventually turned the role into his own and became a force to be reckoned with. And his final movie as Wolvie, Logan, is regarded by many as the best X-Men film to date, hence why it was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay at the Academy Awards. It's rare for someone to make such a mark on a character and a genre that will last for many years to come. But no one knew that would happen way back in the 1990s.

3. Idris Elba - Heimdall

Heimdall wields his weapon in Thor Ragnarok

An ongoing controversy when it comes to comic books and comic book movies is gender-swapping and race-swapping characters. And that controversy plagued Kenneth Branagh's Thor when it was announced that Idris Elba had been cast as the Asgardian sentry guard Heimdall, who was typically depicted as being a white male in the comics. A vocal minority took his casting decision too far and said it was impossible for a black man to play a Nordic god.

Elba responded by saying he was baffled by the reactions. He pointed out that it was strange he was appearing in a movie that features flying hammer-wielding god, yet him being black was an issue (via THR). Well, Elba has appeared in four MCU movies since then, and it seems the controversy has subsided.

2. Chris Evans - Captain America

Casting Captain America was one of the most difficult things Marvel had to do. It didn't make it any easier when fans questioned how Chris Evans, the guy who played the Human Torch in two bad Fantastic Four movies, could land the role of Captain America - one of Marvel's most iconic heroes - in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But, it happened, and it all worked out in the end.

Out of a whopping 18 movies, both Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War are rated among the best installments in the MCU thus far. Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige even considers Evans' portrayal of Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, to be on the same level, culturally, as Christopher Reeves' Superman. And, in all honesty, he might not be far off. At least for now, Chris Evans is Captain America.

1. Jennifer Lawrence - Katniss Everdeen

Young adult movie series were all the rage in the 2000s and early 2010s thanks in large part to the overwhelming success of Twilight and Harry Potter. Lionsgate ended up getting in on the trend with an adaptation of The Hunger Games trilogy, which was successful enough to catapult Lionsgate into becoming a mini-major studio and turn Jennifer Lawrence into a global star. But Lawrence's casting as the titular hero, Katniss Everdeen, sparked a controversy when she landed the leading role.

Lawrence was older than the character's depiction in the books, which concerned some fans of the book, and the fact that Lionsgate cast a white female in the role when the character was described as having olive skin and grey eyes also irked some fans. Other people cited Lawrence's acting skills as a reason for her not to be cast as Katniss, despite the actress having been nominated for Best Actress at the Academy Awards. Well, it seems it all worked out in the end.

More: The Most Controversial Castings In Popular Movies