Summary
Throughout the history of Marvel movies in theMarvel Cinematic Universeand beyond, there have been many great actors fatally miscast in the wrong roles. Even before the earliest stages of theMCU’s movie timeline, Marvel adaptations have attracted a number of big-name actors. Award-winning performers and respected thespians have bolstered the ranks of Marvel movies across the studio’s history, with a number of excellent actors appearing in the franchise’s on-screen adaptations.
Themovies of the MCUin particular have featured a number of great actors, although not all of them have been used as effectively as possible. On many occasions, Marvel movies have wasted talented actors by casting them in the wrong roles, neglecting their individual skill sets or misunderstanding the nature of specific characters. Though Marvel has also made many great casting decisions, here are 10 times when they fatally miscast excellent actors in the wrong roles.
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Matt Smith might not be at the top of Hollywood’s A-List, but he has earned himself a respectable reputation as an actor in a diverse range of roles. After rising to prominence with a stint as the titular Time Lord onDoctor Who, Smith also appeared as Prince Philip inThe Crownandfeatured as Daemon Targaryen inHouse of the Dragon. A villainous role in Edgar Wright’sLast Night in Sohoalso bolstered Smith’s repertoire by demonstrating his ability in antagonistic roles.
Matt Smith being introduced into thecast ofMorbiuswas a waste of his talents, however. Smith played Milo, Michael Morbius’ adoptive brother who shares the same medical condition.Morbius’ underwhelming script underused Smith’s acting talentas a one-note villain emboldened by his newfound vampire abilities. Considering Smith’s ability to inject emotional depth and complexity into his roles, he was utterly wasted as Milo inMorbius.
By the time he was cast in the MCU, Edward Norton had already enjoyed a great deal of success. Roles inPrimal Fear,American History X, andFight Clubcatapulted Norton to the heights of stardom, with him becoming an incredibly well-respected actor known for his ability to play complex and incredibly varied roles across many genres. He was then cast inThe Incredible Hulkas Dr. Bruce Banner, although it turned out to be all wrong for his talents.
Norton failed to shine in the role, playing it altogether too straight in the early days of a franchise that quickly became known for its use of levity. Norton’s over-serious Banner was uninspired, andThe Incredible Hulk’s story lacked the emotional complexity that the actor typically thrives upon.When the role was recast, it became all too clear that Norton was the wrong choice to play Banner in the original movie.
Riz Ahmed first rose to prominence after a run of successful indie films such asFour LionsandThe Reluctant Fundamentalist, before making his mainstream breakthrough in 2014’sNightcrawler. He went on to win roles inJason BourneandRogue One: A Star Wars Story. 2018 saw Ahmed appear inVenomas the villain Carlton Drake, a biochemist and the CEO of the Life Foundation who becomes the host of the evil symbiote Riot.
Venommight have earned a reputation as one of Sony’s best Spider-Man universe movies, but Ahmed was miscast in the role. The actor has since acknowledged that he perhaps wasn’t prepared for such a large role in a blockbuster movie, butmuch of the dissonance simply comes down to the fact that Ahmed was not a good fit for the roleof an egocentric villain. Despite Riz Ahmed having proved both before and since that he’s an exceptional actor, he was the wrong actor for the role of Carlton Drake in thecast ofVenom.
Angelina Jolie is undeniably one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. With countless prominent roles over a decades-long career, Jolie has proved herself capable in practically every genre imaginable in a wide variety of movies. With specific experience in both action-heavy roles and emotional drama, her acting talents would seem a good fit for the sci-fi epicEternals, in which she was cast as Thena, a member of the cosmic group of Marvel characters.
Unfortunately, Jolie’s role in thecast ofEternalswas not as well-cast as it initially appeared. Thena proved to be one of the film’s more complex heroes, experiencing a psychological condition identified as Mahd Wy’ry, and Jolie should have proved perfect for the part. However,Thena was not given the appropriate time or attention within the movie to properly explore the character’s story, wasting Jolie in what was essentially a minor supporting role.
Michael B. Jordan earned a reputation as one of Hollywood’s fastest-rising stars with roles inThe Wire,Friday Night Lights, andChronicle. 2015 appeared to be Jordan’s breakout year, with a starring role inRockyspin-offCreedand his appearance as the Human Torch inFantastic Four. Despite his previous superhero movie experience, Jordan was unable to shine inFantastic Four, appearing to be badly miscast in the role.
The problems with 2015’sFantastic Fourare many and well-documented, and few of them have anything to do with Jordan’s performance. Though the actor has many qualities and skills that uniquely qualify him to play Johnny Storm,the film’s basic misrepresentation of its core characters ultimately saw him wasted in the role.As such, it would appear that Michael B. Jordan was miscast simply because the film failed to capitalize on his potential.
There are few actors who have earned universally-revered status enjoyed by Stellan Skarsgård. The Swedish actor has appeared in countless successful movies both in his native country and in Hollywood, enjoying rare success in both indie circles and on the blockbuster circuit. Skarsgård’s credits have seen him play practically every type of role imaginable across multiple genres in a decades-spanning career.
Skarsgård made his MCU debut in 2011’sThoras physicist Erik Selvig. He went on to reprise the role inThe Avengersand multiple sequels, but playing Selvig ultimately proved a waste of his talents. The role lacked any considerable depth, and thereforeSkarsgård’s acting ability wasn’t utilized to his full potential.Though Selvig proved an important supporting character, casting such a respected actor in the role simply wasn’t necessary, making it seem as though he was completely miscast.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s career has seen him enjoy consistent success across genres, including in action-based roles and superhero movies. His big breakthrough came in 2009 when he was cast as John Lennon in biopicNowhere Boy, and he made his superhero debut as the titular hero in 2010’sKick-Ass. He was later cast as the MCU’s Quicksilver for 2015’sAvengers: Age of Ultron, although the role ultimately proved to be miscast.
Across his career, Taylor-Johnson has been at his best when able to blend comedy into his roles. The likes ofKick-AssandBullet Trainhave clearly proven this, butAge of Ultronsaw him play a decidedly more serious take on the character of Quicksilver.The lack of significant depth in the speedster’s character followed by his abrupt death made it clear that Marvel had miscast Taylor-Johnsonin the role.
3Miles Teller As Reed Richards
Fantastic Four (2015)
2014 saw Miles Teller break into the mainstream with roles in the action sci-fiDivergentand the critically acclaimedWhiplashopposite JK Simmons. Teller’s successful cinematic run was followed up by a starring role in 2015’sFantastic Fouras Reed Richards. However, Teller’s role as the leader of Marvel’s First Family in the cinematic reboot ultimately proved to be a waste of his talents.
Though Teller was cast to play Reed Richards, the character bore little resemblance to his comic book counterpart. What’s more, the intensity with which Teller had proved he could approach roles was not needed, asFantastic Fourproved to be decidedly more shallow fare than his previous award-winning credits.As a result, Teller was miscast in the role, if only because it wasted his acting potential.
2Bill Skarsgård As Kro
Eternals (2021)
Stellan Skarsgård isn’t the only Skarsgård to have been wasted in a Marvel movie, as son Bill was also underutilized in the MCU. The younger Skarsgård rose to prominence with roles in theDivergentfranchise and as Pennywise the Clown in the two-part reboot ofIt. Skarsgård’s uncanny knack for bringing a physical presence to a motion capture role uniquely qualified him to play the Deviant Kro in 2021’sEternals.
Unlike his comic book counterpart,Eternals’ Kro proved largely unnecessary within the film’s narrative. What’s more, Skarsgård was all but unrecognizable in the role, hidden behind layers of mo-cap technology and limited screentime. As such,Eternalsnot only failed to capitalize on Skarsgård’s talents, but also to even give him the billing or promotion he deserved, rendering him one of the MCU’s most obvious miscast actors.
Oscar Isaac’s rise to the top of Hollywood’s A-list proved meteoric, with supporting roles inDriveandRobin Hoodseeing him earn a starring role in biopicInside Llewyn Davis. He went on to star inA Most Violent Year, Ex MachinaandStar Wars: The Force Awakensbefore being cast as the villain in 2016’sX-Men: Apocalypse. Playing the powerful eponymous mutant could have proved a major role for Isaac, although he was ultimately miscast.
Isaac’s intensity and charisma failed to translate to Fox’s superhero movie, and his take on Apocalypse largely fell flat. Though Isaac’s performance itself wasn’t entirely the problem, the film’s underwhelming script failed to capture the essence of the character, thereby wasting Isaac in the role. As Isaac has since proved to be a far better leading man than a villain, it’s become apparent that his role was one of Marvel’s worst castings either inside or outside of theMarvel Cinematic Universe.
