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.
10 Scarlett Johansson
'Ghost in the Shell' (2017)
Image via Paramount Pictures
The theory behind casting Scarlett Johansson in the live-action adaptation of Ghost 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 of the remake of the classic anime.
In addition to the divisive press around the film, it also lacks 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.
Release Date March 29, 2017
Runtime 100 minutes
9 Ryan Reynolds
'Green Lantern' (2011)
Image via Warner Bros.
Ryan Reynolds has 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 at the critical disaster that was 2011’s Green 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, and his performance is far from terrible, but he simply isn’t most fans’ idea of Hal Jordan and the film never gave Reynolds much of a chance to let his natural charisma take center stage.
Release Date June 17, 2011
Runtime 114 minutes
8 Will Smith
'Aladdin' (2019)
Image via Disney
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 of Will Smith as Genie in 2019’s Aladdin. Despite grossing over $1 billion, the musical fantasy film has been instantly forgotten save for the abysmal casting decision.
While Robin Williams imbued the mischievous magical character with 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.
Release Date May 24, 2019
Runtime 128 Minutes
7 Tilda Swinton
'Doctor Strange' (2016)
Image via Marvel Studios
The origin film Doctor Strangeintroduced not only Benedict 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 the casting of Tilda Swinton as 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.
Release Date October 25, 2016
Director Scott Derrickson
Runtime 126 minutes
6 Dane DeHaan
'The Amazing Spider-Man 2' (2014)
Image via Sony
In 2014, Dane DeHaan was 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 as The Place Beyond the Pinesand Kill Your Darlings. While this talent for intriguing darkness is on full display in The 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 with his underrated performance in Oppenheimer.
Release Date April 16, 2014
Runtime 142
5 Johnny Depp
'The Lone Ranger' (2013)
Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
While Johnny Depp is lauded as a genius for what he did with Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbeanmovies and for his many collaborations with Tim 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 in The Lone Ranger raised 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 wonderful on this occasion.
Release Date July 3, 2013
Runtime 149
4 Russell Crowe
'Les Misérables' (2012)
Image via Universal Pictures
A divisive historical musical epic based on the work of Victor Hugo and 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 is Russell 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, director Tom Hooper stated 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, with Crowe being lambasted by critics and fans alike for his performance and even more so for his singing.
Release Date December 25, 2012
Runtime 158 minutes
3 Cara Delevingne
'Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets' (2017)
Image via STXfilms
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 makes its status as a box office bomb all 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 and Cara Delevingne both 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, and Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is understandably maligned for its lack of resonance among other things.
Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor is perhaps the perfect example of an actor being miscast in a role. The reason for this is that Eisenberg’s performance as Superman’s greatest adversary is 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 of Batman 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
Release Date March 24, 2016
Director Zack Snyder
Runtime 152 minutes
1 Jared Leto
'Suicide Squad' (2015)
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
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. While Suicide Squadhas no shortage of damning pitfalls, the casting of Jared Leto as the Joker is 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.
Image by Federico Napoli
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