Casting is one of the most important aspects of cinema in terms of the delivery of the story and the accessibility of the characters. Great casting can lead to instantly iconic heroes and villains that audiences immediately feel a connection to. On the other hand,bad casting calls often result in jarring realizations of key characters that can feel jumbled and misguided, and can even make for a distracting sideshow to the film’s core focuses.
While the 2010s was typically an exhibition of incredible casting decisions in everything from action blockbusters to television epics, there were still plenty of missteps throughout the decade. Be they superhero slip-ups, musical muddles, or blockbuster blunders, these 10 casting decisions will live on in infamy for years to come.
10Scarlett Johansson
‘Ghost in the Shell’ (2017)
The theory behind castingScarlett Johanssonin the live-action adaptation ofGhost in the Shellactually makes a lot of sense considering her action heroine chops were well proven and her box office appeal was at its peak. In practice, however, the decision was to the movie’s detriment as it saw the marketing campaign engulfed in controversy as claims of whitewashing dominated the air around the looming release ofthe remake of the classic anime.
In addition to the divisive press around the film, it alsolacks the depth and insight required to make chasing an actress of Johansson’s talents a worthwhile venture. While she does show glimpses of an underlying intrigue to the film, the spectacle as a whole is overwhelmed by its impressive yet invasive visual display. The end result is a misguided action picture that lacks true gravitas and ends up wasting its impressive assembly of moving pieces.
Ghost in the Shell
9Ryan Reynolds
‘Green Lantern’ (2011)
Ryan Reynoldshas etched himself into the annals of comic book cinema history with his faultless portrayal of Deadpool, a project that he himself had to fight for to get out of production hell. However, the actor’s efforts in superhero films haven’t always been quite so glorious, a fact that Reynolds has mocked as relentlessly as anyone. That lampooning has, of course, been directed atthe critical disaster that was 2011’sGreen Lantern.
The film has no shortage of flaws, from the clunky plot progression and jarring characters to the heavy-handed production value, but chief among them is the casting of the titular hero. Reynolds does what he can to liven up a weak script, andhis performance is far from terrible, but he simply isn’t most fans’ idea of Hal Jordanand the film never gave Reynolds much of a chance to let his natural charisma take center stage.
Green Lantern
8Will Smith
‘Aladdin’ (2019)
Disney’s newfound obsession with remaking their past animated classics as live-action cash grabs has seen plenty of poor narrative decisions made in a rather unbecoming pursuit of box office gains and public appeal. Among the most infamous and high profile of these was the casting ofWill Smithas Genie in 2019’sAladdin. Despite grossing over$1 billion, the musical fantasy film has been instantly forgotten save for the abysmal casting decision.
WhileRobin Williamsimbued the mischievous magical characterwith a comedic zest and a certain warmth, Smith oscillates between flamboyant charisma and a pseudo-self-conscious vulnerability. Additionally, while his singing is passable in a performative sense, one can’t help but feel there is a vast array of actors at hand—be they established stars or emerging talents—who could have occupied the part with a greater fervor. In the end,Smith’s presence proves to be more distracting than supportive.
7Tilda Swinton
‘Doctor Strange’ (2016)
The origin filmDoctor Strangeintroduced not onlyBenedict Cumberbatch’s fan-favorite sorcerer to the fold of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but a pantheon of the sorcerer’s best side characters from the comic books as well. Such excitement complemented the spellbinding visual presentation of the Marvel movie in fine fashion, but the film still found several faults along the way. One of the more controversial of them was thecasting ofTilda Swintonas Strange’s mentor, the Ancient One.
While Swinton imbued the role with an intrigue and gravitas,she is quite different to her counterpart in the comic books, that being a goatee-touting old man from a secluded region of the Himalayas. The MCU faced some backlash for the casting decision, with many questioning the studio’s strenuous moralistic efforts to promote inclusivity and diversity only to effectively whitewash what would have been the first prominent Asian character in the franchise. The casting remains one of the most contentious chapters in the MCU to date.
Doctor Strange
6Dane DeHaan
‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ (2014)
In 2014,Dane DeHaanwas an impressive rising star with a proven ability to imbue his characters with a depth and even a disturbing darkness that saw him shine in complex roles in such films asThe Place Beyond the PinesandKill Your Darlings. While this talent for intriguing darkness is on full display inThe Amazing Spider-Man 2,DeHaan’s twisted performance feels out of place in the wider picture.
This is more of an indictment on the film’s over-bloated script and sprawling narrative focuses more so than on DeHaan’s performance. In fact, many are of the opinion that his depiction of Harry Osborn is perfectly fine. However, at the time of the movie’s release, he lacked the presence required to make the brief appearance of the Green Goblin anything more than a fleeting and unthreatening sideshow. DeHaan has since had greater opportunity to showcase his talents, such as withhis underrated performance inOppenheimer.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
5Johnny Depp
‘The Lone Ranger’ (2013)
WhileJohnny Deppis lauded as a genius for what he did with Captain Jack Sparrow in thePirates of the Caribbeanmovies and forhis many collaborations withTim Burton, the actor is no stranger to the odd casting blowout either.The Lone Rangerstands as the prime example of this, with Depp playing the part of Tonto, the Native American ally to the titular Lone Ranger (Armie Hammer).
Given Depp’s previous and unsubstantiated claims of having American Indian heritage had drawn backlash from the Native American community, it is no surprise that his casting inThe Lone Rangerraised a few eyebrows. While it didn’t explode into a pile-on media story, it still contributed to the film becoming a box office bomb. Even putting aside the contentious racial element of the casting decision,Depp’s mannerisms and eccentricity in the role come off as more weird than wonderfulon this occasion.
The Lone Ranger
4Russell Crowe
‘Les Misérables’ (2012)
A divisive historical musical epic based on the work ofVictor Hugoand the stage musical adaptation that the famous novel spawned in 1980,Les Misérablessees its story of freedom, responsibility, and justice transpire against the backdrop of the French Revolution. Among the film’s most polarizing elements isRussell Crowe’s performance as Javert, the ruthless police officer who dedicates his life to imprisoning Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) after he is released from prison and breaks the conditions of his parole.
In an interview with Time Magazine, directorTom Hooperstated that he cast Crowe because he felt he was a formidable actor who could get the better of a part played by Hugh Jackman. Unfortunately, the idea didn’t translate to the screen, withCrowe being lambasted by critics and fans alike for his performance and even more so for his singing.
Les Misérables
3Cara Delevingne
‘Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets’ (2017)
With a production budget of around $180 million,Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planetsis the most expensive independent film ever made, a fact that makesits status as a box office bomball the more awkward. While there are a lot of factors that went into its poor performance and its negative reception, one of the core faults laid in its casting, with the aforementioned Dane DeHaan andCara Delevingneboth awful choices for the two leads.
Both stars are far too young for the world-weary characters they portray.Delevingne particularly struggles to imbue her character with any intrigue, and takes to scowling at the camera in a bid to provide depth or gravitas to the part. Couple that with an emotionless script and a heavy-handed priority on special effects and sci-fi spectacle, andValerian and the City of a Thousand Planetsis understandably maligned for its lack of resonance among other things.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
Watch on Amazon
2Jesse Eisenberg
‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ (2016)
Jesse Eisenbergas Lex Luthor is perhaps the perfect example of an actor being miscast in a role. The reason for this is that Eisenberg’s performanceas Superman’s greatest adversaryis far from terrible, with the actor playfully making his Lex a mad genius who uses Kal-El’s (Henry Cavill) personal connections to bring the all-powerful hero to his knees. Despite the strength of his performance, however, Eisenberg remains a poor choice for the role.
While he showcases that he could have made for a phenomenal Riddler or even an interesting spin on the Joker,Eisenberg’s take on Lex Luthor is compelling but ultimately distracting. It would be hyperbolic to call the casting decision the most significant flaw ofBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but it is certainly one of the more glaring ones of the 2010s as a whole.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
1Jared Leto
With the rampant popularity of superhero movies in the 2010s—and studios’ eagerness to capitalize on such popularity with the biggest stars in the industry—there are plenty of examples of comic book adaptations faltering with their major casting decisions, but this one takes the cake. WhileSuicide Squadhas no shortage of damning pitfalls, thecasting ofJared Letoas the Jokeris among the biggest missteps in blockbuster history.
With the actor’s typical intensity leading to negative press through a number of stories about his ridiculous conduct as a method actor, the casting decision harmed the movie before it was even released. Even with this audience apprehension, however,Leto underwhelmed in the part, ramping up the craziness of the manic character without ever making him interesting. The end result is the most grating and annoying villain in superhero cinema, and one of the most infamous casting decisions of all time.
