As it is for any film, casting is especially important when it comes to making superhero films. While the majority of these adaptations have successfully cast actors who embody these characters, not every character in these films is cast successfully.
Some of these actors could have done better jobs had they taken on other roles that played to their strengths or had their character changed entirely to better suit the performance and the film they're in.
10 Ella Jay Basco Would Have Worked Better as Holly Robinson in Birds of Prey (2020)
Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)Â was not exactly the success that Warner Bros. hoped it would be. One big takeaway was its mistreatment of Cassandra Cain, a highly-trained martial artist that took on the identity of Batgirl, but for the film was made into a young pickpocket with very little in common with her namesake from the comics.
A better character to use for Basco to play would have been Holly Robinson, an ally of Catwoman. Had Birds of Prey instead functioned as more of a Gotham City Sirens film, Selina could have sent Holly to acquire the diamond for her before the young girl got entangled in a similar situation as the finished film that involves not just Harley and Black Mask, but Poison Ivy as well. Selina would then intervene and come up against Harley and Ivy before the four women unite to take out Black Mask later on.
9 Robert Swenson Had All the Right Characteristics of Solomon Grundy in Batman & Robin (1997)
The version of Bane that appeared in Batman & Robin was certainly not the intelligent and brutal character fans are familiar with, with him instead being a mindless savage who constantly repeated his name.
If that sounds like a better description of Solomon Grundy, then it's all the more reason that the film should have opted to go with that character instead. Swenson's muscular physique and monstrous, growling voice certainly would have worked better for Grundy.
8 Nicole Kidman Could Have Done Poison Ivy Justice Sooner in Batman Forever (1995)
Nicole Kidman did well as Dr. Chase Meridian in Batman Forever, but one can't help but notice that character's flirtatious demeanor and Kidman's red hair and wonder why the actress wasn't cast as Poison Ivy instead.
In fact, Ivy could have masqueraded as a therapist like Meridian who seduces Bruce Wayne and gets him to reveal his secrets to her, similar to her role in Batman: The Long Halloween. No offense to Uma Thurman, but Kidman would have knocked that deadlier incarnation of Poison Ivy out of the park.
7 George Clooney Would Have Made a Better Deadshot Than Batman
George Clooney is an extraordinarily talented actor, though he didn't quite fit the mold of Batman as a character. He has often gravitated towards playing characters that are as arrogant as they are charming and clever, all traits that fit Floyd Lawton/Deadshot perfectly.
Clooney's role as Seth Gecko in From Dusk till Dawn isn't too far removed from that of Deadshot, as both characters are suave assassins that have no qualms about committing crimes, yet have some level of decency to them. Clooney then could have brought those same aspects to Deadshot, whether in a solo film or as a villain in another film.
6 Ultimate Marvel's The Tinkerer Was Modeled After The Amazing Spider-Man 2's Paul Giamatti
Back in 2011, Paul Giamatti stated in an interview with Collider that he wanted to play The Rhino in a Spider-Man film. Giamatti played the role in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and looked to be having fun playing him, though he was clearly miscast. The Rhino is meant to be a large, muscular brute and Giamatti is certainly not muscular. But there was a different Spider-Man villain Giamatti would have been a better fit for, and the character was even designed to look like him.
The Tinkerer in the Ultimate Marvel comics was Elijah Stern, a disgruntled former Roxxon Corporation employee, and inventor who wanted revenge for being fired. Giamatti is no stranger to playing intelligent and bitter characters and easily could have made Stern an entertaining villain.
5 Pedro Pascal as Doctor Psycho Would Have Improved Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
Wonder Woman 1984 was not the success that many were expecting it to be. And while Maxwell Lord and Cheetah weren't bad choices for villains, the story the film went with was ill-fitting for both of them. Pedro Pascal did his best with what he was given, though he would have been a better fit for Edgar Cizko, better known as Doctor Psycho.
A ruthless misogynist, Cizko's views could have strengthened Wonder Woman 1984's social commentary. He could have served as Diana Prince's boss who secretly uses his mind control powers to influence the behavior of his male staff, making them harass the female employees for his entertainment. This could have given the film a darker tone yet would have stayed true to Wonder Woman being a role model as she uncovers Cizko's scheme before defeating him.
4 Kristen Wiig Should Have Been Veronica Cale in Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
Like Pascal, Kristen Wiig did what she could in spite of the failings of Wonder Woman 1984's script. One aspect of her character that had potential was her growing jealousy of how perfect Diana is compared to herself, though that trait would have worked better if her character was Veronica Cale instead.
Veronica could have started out as a friend and co-worker of Diana's who is subjected to harassment from Edgar Cizko and her male co-workers, pushing her to work harder. This soon causes tension between Veronica and Diana, with Veronica lashing out because of how easily Diana seems to overcome harassment versus how Veronica struggles with it. Upon finding out that Diana is Wonder Woman, Veronica is spurred into a lifelong goal of proving that she can be a better role model to others than Wonder Woman.
3 Corey Stoll Would Have Made a More Comic-Accurate Lex Luthor
Corey Stoll is always a pleasure to watch and his Darren Cross was definitely a highlight of the first Ant-Man film, bringing just the right amount of intensity, charisma, and arrogance to the character. All of those elements, combined with his naturally bald appearance, would have made him the perfect actor to play Lex Luthor in the DCEU, and Stoll truly could have made the character his own if given the chance to.
While Jesse Eisenberg could still be great with better writing, Stoll would have made it seem like Luthor had walked right off the comic page and into a film.
2 Michael Shannon Might Have Been a Better Fit for Black Mask
Despite the overall mixed reception Man of Steel got, Michael Shannon definitely stole the show with his domineering take on General Zod. That powerful anger Shannon brings to the role is a hallmark of his work, and it could have been taken to its extremes had the actor played Roman Sionis/Black Mask instead.
Black Mask is known for being a sadistic mob boss with a short fuse, which Ewan McGregor greatly embodied in Birds of Prey, but Shannon could have made Sionis truly unsettling to watch when he gets angry, in addition to capturing his power-hungry attitude in a way that more closely reflects the comics.
1 Jeffrey Dean Morgan Would Have Made the Perfect Lobo
Jeffrey Dean Morgan appeared as Thomas Wayne in Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice and it was believed that he would reprise the role in The Flash film. With Michael Keaton now signed on to reprise his incarnation of Batman, Thomas Wayne's role in the film or lack thereof is still unclear.
Morgan has expressed great interest in playing alien bounty hunter Lobo, and not only does Morgan have the right physicality for the part, but he would absolutely nail the Main Man's brash personality, as seen in his portrayals of somewhat similar characters like The Walking Dead's Negan, Watchmen's The Comedian, and Agent Harvey Russell in Rampage. Morgan recently stated that "something is cooking" in regards to him playing Lobo, so here's hoping this casting can still come to fruition.