12 Casting Choices Where Filmmakers and Fans Didn’t See Eye to Eye

Good casting is a guarantee of a movie’s success. But when selecting candidates, casting managers oftentimes make mistakes. It’s pretty hard to avoid criticizing reviews and sharp comments when roles go to the actors who the fans feel don’t fit them.

We at Bright Side studied the opinions of professional critics and everyday viewers and selected the movies where filmmakers definitely miscast the actors.

Black Widow — Scarlett Johansson

When the casting of Iron Man 2 was announced, it started a storm of resentment among fans. Many of them didn’t like that Johansson was going to play a Russian super spy. People on thematic forums even proposed more suitable options like Hilary Swank, Emily Blunt, and even Uma Thurman. After the release of the movie, viewers said that the appearance of the actress on screen made them yawn.

Jay Gatsby — Leonardo DiCaprio

Some critics believe that, despite the fact that DiCaprio is a versatile and talented actor, he failed to get into the character of Gatsby. Jay Gatsby was supposed to be a dashing man with a hint of danger. And DiCaprio is not as handsome as he used to be in his youth. Another criticism of him is that he depicted Gatsby like a caricature, which made his character look like a clown.

Ginny Weasley — Bonnie Wright

Everyone who read the books about Harry Potter remembers that the grown-up Ginny was beautiful and bold. But Bonnie Wright almost blended seamlessly into the background. It was hard to see her as the fierce hex-casting, energetic sporty girl, that many of the students had a crush on. “As a Ginny fan, I cringe when I watch the films and see what they’ve done to one of my favorite characters,” said a Quora user who shared her opinion.

Balian of Ibelin — Orlando Bloom

Fans adored Orlando Bloom in the roles of Legolas and Will Turner. But they regretfully admit that the main role in the Kingdom of Heaven turned out to be an unreachable task for him, “I don’t think Bloom can go there. From what I have seen of him, he doesn’t have the gravitas or charisma required for such a part.”

Belle — Emma Watson

The cinema version of the Disney fairytale about the beauty and the beast gained varied reviews. Some people not only didn’t like the slightly modernized scenario, but they also didn’t like Watson’s acting, “I think the makers of this film unnecessarily inserted feminist narratives into the film, to the extent that you see feminist Emma Watson on screen, and not Belle. At no point in time during the film does Emma transform into the character — she remains herself.” Also some reviews said that Watson was “wooden” and failed to show empathy, sorrow, and patience, which are actually Belle’s main features.

Éowyn — Miranda Otto

In The Lord of the Rings novel, J.R.R. Tolkien describes Rohan’s noblewoman in the following way, “Grave and thoughtful was her glance, as she looked on the king with cool pity in her eyes. Very fair was her face, and her long hair was like a river of gold. Slender and tall she was in her white robe girt with silver, but strong she seemed and stern as steel, a daughter of kings.”

According to the opinion of one Quora user, instead of a thoughtful character, we were shown “emotional, smiling, laughing Middle Earth Barbie.” The actress played a too soft and feminine character, which Éowyn has never been.

Achilles — Brad Pitt

Troy is definitely not the most successful screen version of Homer’s poem. The filmmakers ended up creating an entertaining movie that lacks any strong dramatic scenes. Brad Pitt’s acting got some attention from critics as well. He was supposed to get into the role of the greatest warrior in Greece, but he failed to do so, “Pitt is a good actor and a handsome man, and he worked out for 6 months to get buff for the role, but Achilles is not a character he inhabits comfortably.” The mythical warrior played by Brad Pitt turned out to be too modernized.

Queen Olympias — Angelina Jolie

For this role, Jolie was nominated for the Golden Raspberry Awards in the Worst Actress category. The critics didn’t like Angelina’s strange and caricature accent, which resembled a Russian accent a lot. Moreover, her fans (despite all their love for the actress) admit that she played Olympias terribly.

Jane Foster — Natalie Portman

After the release of the second part of the Thor movie, Natalie Portman never re-appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe again. Fans of the talented actress were disappointed by her superficial and boring acting. Some viewers got the impression that Portman didn’t make any effort to liven up the character, saying, “her performance feels very unemotional and any time she does try to show emotion it’s delivered very awkwardly and she sounds uninvested.”

Robin Hood — Kevin Costner

Viewers didn’t like the new outlook on Robin Hood. In their opinion, Costner turned this young hothead, who gets in trouble, into a war-weary old man who finds redemption in aiding the common people. In one of the reviews, he was even compared with a tree, “Costner somehow made Robin Hood passionless, vanilla, and offish like one of the trees in Sherwood Forest.” Critics also were not delighted by his acting and called it cartoon-like.

Storm — Halle Berry

According to the opinions from fans of the original comics, Halle Berry failed to play a strong and regal character. The actress couldn’t convey the character of the African mutant princess. Berry looked too meek and almost cautious, though she was supposed to create the impression of a confident and powerful woman.

Jonathan Harker — Keanu Reeves

It was in 1992 when another screen version of Bram Stoker’s Dracula was released. Critics called Reeves’ acting one of the main disadvantages of the movie — “It’s one thing to cast Keanu Reeves as an esteemed British lawyer, but it’s quite another to ask him to act alongside Gary Oldman and Anthony Hopkins.” It was noticeable that Keanu Reeves was “out of his depth.” Viewers also were not delighted by Keanu’s attempts to play a British person, “It’s the accent, more than anything else, that lets down his performance. It’s painful to listen to — and I’m not even English.”

Which actors do you think would do better in these roles?

Angelina Jolie’s remarkable bond with her adopted son Maddox, rooted in shared experiences and cultural understanding, reflects her commitment to providing a loving and inclusive family environment.