It can be a difficult thing to find the right actor to bring an iconic superhero to life. Some actors have perfectly embodied the role, such as Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, and others have redefined the character, such as Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man. Of course, there are also some casting choices that simply didn't work for fans.
Despite the talents of the actors, fans found that these were instances of some serious miscasting. With specific ideas of how these characters should be in a movie, fans could not get behind these attempts to bring some of their favorite superheroes to life.
Jennifer Lawrence As Mystique – X-Men: First Class (2011)
The prequel movie X-Men: First Class had the daunting task of recasting famous X-Men characters, including Jennifer Lawrence as the shape-shifting Mystique. The new take on the character made her a more prominent part of the franchise, especially as Lawrence became a star.
But while Lawrence is a terrific and Oscar-winning actor, some felt she was not a good fit for the deadly and badass mutant. One Redditor was particularly turned off by her casting, calling it "atrociously bad."
Matthew Goode as Adrian Veidt - Watchmen (2009)
Alan Moore's Watchmen is a ground-breaking graphic novel and there was a lot of anticipation in bringing it to the big screen. One of the most complex characters is the brilliant superhero Adrian Veidt aka Ozymandias who was played by Matthew Goode in Zack Snyder's adaptation of the story.
The revelation that Veidt was the villain of the story is a terrific moment from the novel, but some felt Goode's take on the character made his villainy too apparent. Redditor Griffdude13 complained that it "took something shocking from the book and made it laughably obvious."
Gemma Chan As Sersi - Eternals (2021)
There have been a lot of new MCU characters introduced in Phase 4 with most of them coming from Eternals. Though it is a large ensemble, Sersi, played by Gemma Chan, emerges as the main character of the story.
Chan is a talented actor with a terrific career ahead of her, but perhaps due to the large cast of Eternals, some felt her role was a bad fit. Redditor pintobakedbeans suggested that they "don't think she was the right actor to lead the movie."
Edward Norton As Hulk - The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Though there have been several instances of recasting in the MCU, the most noticeable one was with Hulk. Though Edward Norton originated the role of Bruce Banner aka Hulk in The Incredible Hulk, Mark Ruffalo took over the part in The Avengers.
Norton is often regarded as one of the best actors of his generation, but some fans felt he wasn't right for the superhero role. Redditor Joshawott27 was happy with the eventual change, stating that they "think Mark Ruffalo does a better job at capturing Bruce Banner, and clearly so did the order of the universe."
Brie Larson As Captain Marvel - Captain Marvel (2019)
Captain Marvel has proven to be one of the most powerful MCU heroes and Oscar-winner Brie Larson could become a leading figure in the cinematic universe going forward. But there are some who felt this take on the character wasn't right for Larson.
Interestingly, it is Larson's talent as an actor that some find to be the issue. The character of Carol Danvers was written as a somewhat emotionless and cold warrior in Captain Marvel but Redditor ProjectDarkInfinity argued that "Larson’s biggest strength is emotional depth and range" which are wasted in such a role.
Tom Hardy as Venom - Venom (2018)
Venom is not only one of Spider-Man's greatest villains but also one of the most popular Marvel comics characters of all time. Fans were very excited to see the character get his own solo movie with Tom Hardy stepping into the role of Eddie Brock.
There are some fans who feel that Hardy's performance was the saving grace of the Venom movies while others were not won over. Redditor p-rezident admitted to being a "huge Tom Hardy fan" but felt it was a case of miscasting.
Val Kilmer As Batman - Batman Forever (1995)
Following Michael Keaton's beloved turn as Bruce Wayne aka Batman in Tim Burton's Batman movies, the next actor who took on the role of the Caped Crusader was going to have some big shoes to fill. As it turns out, Val Kilmer took the part in Batman Forever.
Kilmer didn't seem to enjoy the role as it remains his only movie as Batman. But while his take on the character certainly has its fans, Redditor troy609 said Kilmer was "In my opinion the worst Batman."
Halle Berry As Storm - X-Men (2000)
Shortly before winning an Oscar for Monster's Ball, Halle Berry stepped into the superhero world by playing one of the most powerful X-Men, Storm. Despite her prominence in the comics, Storm was made a very secondary character in X-Men.
Berry doesn't have much to do in the first movie and her unconvincing accent was quickly dropped in the sequels. Though she seemed to settle into the role in later movies, Redditor ParanoidAgnostic admitted Berry's performance was "the only thing I really dislike about the first X-Men movie."
Ben Affleck As Daredevil - Daredevil (2003)
Though he was initially met with a lot of backlash, Ben Affleck won over many fans with his performance as Batman in the DCEU. However, his first attempt at a superhero movie did not get as warm of a reaction.
Affleck starred as Matt Murdock in Daredevil, bringing the iconic Marvel hero to the big screen but failed to convince most of the fans. Redditor dsk admitted the "script wasn't great, but he did nothing for it."
Ryan Reynolds As Green Lantern - Green Lantern (2011)
Ryan Reynolds is another actor who found great acclaim in one superhero role only after a disastrous first attempt at the genre. Long before Deadpool, Reynolds played Hal Jordan aka Green Lantern in the critical and financial bomb.
As much as Reynolds feels like the ideal fit for Deadpool, many felt he was terribly miscast in this hero role. Redditor batmandarling admitted "Reynolds is the real-life version of Hal Jordan when it comes to looks" but his actual performance did not fit the character at all.