Casting is arguably the most important aspect of a film.
It’s extremely pertinent to find the right actors for each role, and in the age of social
media, everyone thinks they have what it takes to be a casting director.
When the actual filmmakers go the other way and pick a choice out of left field, they
can draw the ire of fans before even a frame of footage is shown.
Here are Screen Rant’s 10 Most Controversial Casting Decisions in Popular Movies.
The Dark Knight
Batman fans could not believe that Heath Ledger was cast as the Joker, who was known primarily
for roles in 10 Things I Hate About You and Brokeback Mountain.
Nobody could see how he could play one of the most intimidating villains in comics,
but Christopher Nolan knew best.
Ledger’s performance was a genre-defining moment, raising the bar for film antagonists
and earning the actor a posthumous Oscar.
Many fans now retroactively will say they were always for the casting, but a look back
at the Internet archives say otherwise.
The odds were against Ledger, but he proved all the doubters wrong.
Fantastic Four
Josh Trank’s reboot was doomed from the start, as fans expressed supreme displeasure
with the director’s casting choices.
Some fans could not stand the idea of Michael B. Jordan playing Johnny Storm, a traditionally
Caucasian character.
The controversy seemed silly and had some ugly undertones, since race is not an important
element of getting the Human Torch right.
Once the film was released, any furor over Jordan’s casting became an afterthought,
with many happy that the talented actor would not have to appear in any sequels to the bomb.
Luckily, Jordan won fans over in Creed and seems to have a franchise there.
Batman
Even before the days of the Internet, comic book fans found ways to protest castings for
adaptations.
Many bemoaned the idea of Michael Keaton as Batman, especially since he was known mostly
as a comedic actor and did not have the appearance of a superhero.
But Keaton established himself as Bruce Wayne for an entire generation of moviegoers, wowing
them with his portrayal of Gotham’s Dark Knight.
The actor has said he’s proud of the work he and director Tim Burton did, and it’s
easy to see why.
For some, there will be no topping Keaton, which is a statement few would have believed
before 1989.
Casino Royale
When fans think of the cinematic James Bond, a suave, dark-haired gentleman comes to mind.
So when the producers went with the blue-eyed blonde Daniel Craig for reboot Casino Royale,
there was enormous outrage.
The website craigisnotbond.com was started and some petitioned for Pierce Brosnan to
return.
Craig took it all in stride and redefined the character, giving the franchise the shot
in the arm it needed.
After four films as 007, Craig is seen as one of the better incarnations and all the
controversy surrounding his casting makes little sense in retrospect.
It’ll be hard to replace him when he steps down.
Aloha
A rom-com pairing Bradley Cooper with Emma Stone seems like a charming winner, but Cameron
Crowe learned the hard way that wasn’t the case.
There was much uproar over the director’s decision to cast Stone as Allison Ng, a character
who is of Hawaiian and Chinese descent.
Though the defense was that Ng wasn’t supposed to overtly resemble a person of her background,
many took issue with Stone’s involvement and saw it as the latest example of Hollywood
whitewashing.
The film could not bounce back from the negative publicity and succumbed to poor reviews, killing
its chances of being a box office hit.
The Hunger Games
Having Jennifer Lawrence star in your movie seems like a no-brainer, but some Hunger Games
fans did not approve of the actress playing Katniss Everdeen when she was first announced.
For starters, a primary complaint was that Lawrence did not look like someone from an
impoverished place such as District 12.
In addition, the novel describes Katniss as an olive-skinned, dark-haired tomboy – an
appearance Lawrence did not have.
But she changed her hair color for the role and was a big reason why the films were massively
successful.
She won people over and became an action heroine to look up to.
Spider-Man 3
Spider-Man fans couldn’t wait to see villain Venom on the big screen in Spider-Man 3, but
the enthusiasm died quickly when they found out who Sam Raimi cast.
Topher Grace of That ‘70s Show was hardly the living embodiment of one of Spidey’s
greatest foes.
Grace did not have the physical frame of Eddie Brock, a character known for being extremely
large and muscular.
Grace didn’t seem threatening, even when he was wearing the suit, making the character’s
cinematic debut a major fail.
Fingers crossed that Marvel Studios gives Venom another shot in the new reboot and do
the fan-favorite justice.
Interview With A Vampire
No actor was a better box office bet than Tom Cruise in the 1990s, a main reason why
he was cast as Lestat in Interview With A Vampire.
But the move upset many, including author Anne Rice, who penned the source material.
There were questions concerning the short actor’s ability to portray a character known
for being an imposing figure.
Cruise ended up turning in a great performance, breaking type and playing a compelling villain.
Even Rice was swayed by the star’s commitment to the role, learning that sometimes you should
wait to see the final product.
The Lone Ranger
Johnny Depp has become a global superstar playing oddball characters like Jack Sparrow
and the Mad Hatter, but not every such role is a proper fit for the actor.
In Disney’s reboot of The Lone Ranger, Depp was cast as the Indian Tonto, which angered
many.
Depp is not a Native American actor, though he says he is partially of Native descent.
In addition, the film’s depiction of Tonto was criticized for relying heavily on stereotypes
instead of doing something interesting with the Lone Ranger’s famous companion.
Few were impressed by what they saw, and any franchise hopes were quickly dashed.
Star Trek
Replacing the incomparable William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk is a daunting task,
and when J.J.
Abrams cast Chris Pine for the role in his Star Trek reboot, few were happy with the
decision.
At the time, Pine had only appeared in a couple of mediocre rom-coms and had not proven himself
as an action lead just yet.
Some fans wanted Paramount to go with Matt Damon, but Pine quickly silenced the critics.
His charisma and charm perfectly capture the spirit of Captain Kirk, and he helped reinvigorate
the classic sci-fi property.
Pine’s now on-board for at least a couple more movies, cementing his place in Trek lore.
Those are our picks for the most controversial casting decisions in films.
Are there any we missed?
Which ones get your blood boiling?
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