We're all used to it by now: the cycle of anger, denial, fear and finally acceptance. No, we're not talking about what happens when we lose our favorite team loses a game... we're talking about fan reactions to controversial superhero movie castings. Perhaps it speaks to the passion that fans have for their beloved comic book characters that it's in our nature to be apprehensive, mistrustful or outright incensed when castings are announced that defy their preconceptions. An entire arm of content on many geeky blogs is devoted to fan castings. These are invariably based on a simple (yet fundamentally flawed conceit), who looks the most like the character on the page. Pundits argue over height, weight, hair color (and, yes, skin color) when it comes to debating who the perfect stars are to bring their favorite characters to life on the big screen.
But actors are not just cardboard cutouts -- they have the capacity to surprise us with nuances, characteristics, informed choices and a genuine love for the characters that mirrors our own. The trend of actors surprising fans with their capable and complex performances is almost as old as the superhero movie genre itself. Of course, for every pleasantly surprising or even game changing turn there's a performance that was just... never a good idea. Here, we'll pay tribute to some of superhero cinema's most questionable castings which were doomed to failure from the moment the dotted line was signed, as well as those which accomplished the impossible and won the hearts of formerly furious fans.
20 QUESTIONABLE: JESSICA ALBA AS SUE STORM
Very often fan complaints about actors' castings are fairly superficial. They revolve around the actor not quite looking like their comic book role (despite the fact that virtually no human being alive has those perfect comic book proportions). Usually, fans eat their words as the performance more than makes up for the visual disparity. Usually.
Not only does Jessica Alba look nothing, literally nothing like Sue Storm in Tim Story's Fantastic Four, the efforts made to make her look the part are glaring and distracting. While Alba is doing her best, the performance is drowned by the bad wig and obvious contact lenses. Moreover, the young actress simply lacked the maturity and strength that are so necessary for Marvel's most beloved matriarch.
19 SURPRISE: MICHAEL KEATON AS BATMAN
If there had been an internet in 1989, the casting of Michael Keaton as Batman would have broken it. The controversial casting flooded the Warner Bros. offices with angry letters from fans who feared for what the casting might mean for the film. Some fans felt that the actor wasn't tall or muscular enough to play the 6'2" 210-pound hero. Others worried that Keaton's primarily comic career meant that the film would become a campy comedy.
Few fans were prepared for the nuanced and psychologically complex characterization that redefined the Batman character for an entire generation. This was a dark and scarred Bruce Wayne who was a far cry from the campy and self conscious Adam West version that fans feared would be rehashed.
18 QUESTIONABLE: RYAN REYNOLDS AS GREEN LANTERN
Back in 2011 the sense of excitement surrounding the Green Lantern movie was palpable. Finally, Warner Bros. and DC were going to take a chance on a character that wasn't Superman or Batman. Finally, we might see the studio show a little faith in the lesser known characters in the DC pantheon. But the film's initial trailer quenched rather than fueled the flames of fan hype.
The trailer showed fans not the space opera they were expecting but a showcase for Ryan Reynolds' comic japery. Remember, the world wasn't quite as in love in Vancouver's favorite son as it is today. Fans feared that Reynolds was miscast and the sincerity and strength that made Hal Jordan so beloved were nowhere to be seen.
17 SURPRISE: HEATH LEDGER AS THE JOKER
It's hard to believe now that fans were lukewarm when Australian hunk Heath Ledger was cast as DC's Clown Prince of Crime. Fresh off of the success of Brokeback Mountain, fans saw little in Ledger's great performance in that film that would make him a good fit to play DC's best (sorry Lex) villain. When questioned about the choice, director Chris Nolan replied, "because he's fearless".
It took only a few minutes (and one magic trick) for Ledger's performance to win over even the most dubious of fans. Even 10 years later, Ledger's Joker is regarded as the gold standard for superhero movie performances and the only performance in a comic book movie to date to earn an Academy Award.
16 QUESTIONABLE: BRANDON ROUTH AS SUPERMAN
It's not that we don't like Brandon Routh. We like Brandon Routh a lot. It's not even that we think he did a bad job as Superman. But when the Iowa native was first cast in Bryan Singer's Superman Returns the conversation seemed perpetually to revolve around around how much he looked like the late great Christopher Reeve. The actor seemed chosen not for his unassuming Midwestern charm but for his resemblance to the dearly departed icon.
Looking back at the film, it feels frustrating as the actor clearly should have had the chance to make the role his own, yet seemed to have been encouraged to do his very best Christopher Reeve impersonation.
15 SURPRISE: EZRA MILLER AS THE FLASH
By the time Zack Snyder's Justice League began pre-production it already had its scarlet speedster in place. Ezra Miller, who had a brief but memorable cameo in Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice would go on to reprise his role in the Worlds Of DC's team up film as well as in his own solo movie which will (hopefully) begin production early next year.
Many fans of The Flash's exploits on TV were not impressed, having already been won over by Grant Gustin's charming portrayal of Barry Allen on the small screen. Nonetheless, Miller's quirky, earnest performance brought a levity to the film which resonated with a lot of viewers who cited Miller as one of the film's high point.
14 QUESTIONABLE: EDWARD NORTON AS BRUCE BANNER
Looking back, it's hard to imagine anyone other than Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/The Incredible Hulk. It's also hard to imagine a time when Marvel Studios weren't supremely confident that their shared universe experiment would pay off. Nonetheless, in their collaboration with Universal The Incredible Hulk, Marvel secured celebrated actor Edward Norton as Bruce Banner.
While Norton was great in the role, his casting was somewhat questionable. The actor is notoriously difficult to work with: a consummate perfectionist known for exerting rigorous control over his projects. We'll never know the exact incident that prompted the studio to part ways with Norton but the official line is that he wasn't imbued with the collaborative spirit necessary for The Avengers... what did they expect?!?
13 SURPRISE: HUGH JACKMAN AS WOLVERINE
We all know that Bryan Singer's X-Men is widely regarded as the progenitor of the rise of the modern superhero movie. Sure, 1998's Blade preceded it, but that movie was more of an action horror hybrid than a bona fide superhero movie. Fans of Marvel's uncanny mutant menagerie awaited the movie with understandable trepidation. Could this film usher in the renaissance that Marvel movies needed?
When the unknown Australian actor was announced as replacing Scottish actor Dougray Scott as fan favorite Wolverine, fans were unsure of how this unknown commodity would fare as the iconic mutant. Needless to say, fan apprehension was short lived once the movie hit theaters. Today, his seminal performance as Logan is one of the most revered in superhero movie history.
12 QUESTIONABLE: ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER AS MISTER FREEZE
The internet was still fairly nascent when pre-production began for the sequel to 1995's Batman Forever began. When it was announced that Mister Freeze would be the main protagonists, fans began sharing their dream castings online with Star Trek The Next Generation's Patrick Stewart oft-cited as a worthy choice to play the villain.
Instead we got... Arnold Schwarzenegger. Here's the thing, Arnie could have made a great Victor Fries! Who better than the Terminator to play a man with a heart of ice? Unfortunately, the movie had no interest in exploring the depth and complexity of this tortured villain. The movie thought it would be far more entertaining for him to spout ice puns in his thick Austrian accent.
11 SURPRISE: CHRIS PRATT AS STAR-LORD
Riding high on the success of The Avengers, Marvel Studios decided it was time to bring some lesser known properties to the big screen for its second phase. Fans of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning's popular run on Guardians of the Galaxy were delighted to see Star-Lord and his band of cosmic misfits brought to the big screen.
But when Chris Pratt, who was then best known for playing the chubby and slovenly Andy Dwyer in Parks and Recreation, was announced as playing Star-Lord it seemed an ill fit. Fortunately, not only did Pratt get into spectacular shape for the role, his roguish charm was abundant in the movie, quickly winning over skeptical fans.
10 QUESTIONABLE: NICOLAS CAGE AS GHOST RIDER
Say what you will about Nic Cage, the man loves, loves comic books. He changed his surname in honor of Harlem's hero and names his son Kal El. He was famously cast as The Man Of Steel himself in Tim Burton's aborted Superman Lives and even got to reprise the role in this year's Teen Titans Go! To The Movies.
By the time the original Ghost Rider was released in 2007, Cage was already getting a little long in the tooth to play the 20-something stuntman turned Spirit of Vengeance Johnny Blaze. Cage's characteristic intensity in the film and its 2011 sequel was never far from entertaining but fell short of giving the supernatural character the gravitas he deserved.
9 SURPRISE: TOBEY MAGUIRE AS SPIDER-MAN
Although X-Men opened the door for the modern incarnation of the comic book movie, Sam Raimi's Spider-Man kicked it off its hinges. The 2002 movie commanded a level of hype that hadn't been seen since Batmania gripped the world in 1989. But while everyone was looking forward to the film, a lot of people weren't too sure about Tobey Maguire.
Some were dubious that the 26-year old could play a believable high school aged Peter Parker. In the DVD special features even the producers admitted that they thought Tobey would make a great Peter Parker, but wouldn't be a believable Spider-Man. But with a combination of weight training, gymnastics, martial arts and yoga, the actor got into character and made the role his own.
8 QUESTIONABLE: MALIN ACKERMAN AS SILK SPECTRE
Alan Moore's seminal graphic novel Watchmen is known for its complex and intriguing characters. Laurel Juspeczyk is most certainly one of them. A woman whose mother was a superhero who wants nothing more than a normal life and happens to be in love with a God. The role is a gift for any actress.
Unfortunately, it was a gift that actress model and singer Malin Ackerman didn't quite seem ready to receive. While she certainly looks like one of Dave Gibbons' drawings come to life, her flat performance lacked the nuance and gravitas necessary for the character. Her performance is by no means unforgivable, but she never quite manages to hold her own with co-stars like Carla Gugino, Billy Crudup and Patrick Wilson.
7 SURPRISE: CHRIS EVANS AS CAPTAIN AMERICA
Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man may have been the MVP of Marvel's cinematic universe in its early years, but when it was announced that Captain America would finally be getting his own movie, one truth was abundantly clear... if this character didn't work on-screen, the whole MCU would come apart at the seams. When Chris Evans was announced as The First Avenger, many fans were dubious.
While the actor did well enough as Johnny Storm in Tim Story's Fantastic Four movies, did he really have the acting chops necessary to bring such an icon as Steve Rogers to life? Even Evans' most stalwart cheerleaders, however, could not have anticipated just how completely and sincerely perfect Evans would be for the role.
6 QUESTIONABLE: SETH ROGEN AS THE GREEN HORNET
To his credit, there are many things that Seth Rogen does well... but action heroism is not one of them. In all fairness, neither Rogen nor director Michel Gondry were a particularly plausible choice of talent to take a fairly obscure pulp hero comic and turn it into a bombastic superhero action franchise.
Rogen has been very candid and forthright about how, despite a lot of passion going into it, the film was a disaster. In an interview with Marc Maron, he called the production a "nightmare". The edgy sensibilities of the creative talent did not mesh with the risk averse sensibilities of the studio, resulting in a frustrating mess of a film that satisfied nobody.
5 SURPRISE: ANNE HATHAWAY AS CATWOMAN
Over the course of her career, Anne Hathaway has shown that there's very little that she can't do. Nonetheless, when she was initially cast as Selina Kyle (she is never referred to in the film as Catwoman) in The Dark Knight Rises, some fans were apprehensive. This was the sequel to The Dark Knight after all, and expectations were understandably high.
Those who knew Ms. Hathaway only from The Princess Diaries and a handful of rom coms worried that she wouldn't be able to bring Selina Kyle's many dimensions to the screen. Nonetheless, her capable and compelling performance won accolades from fans who should have learned from the Heath Ledger incident to put their trust in Christopher Nolan.
4 QUESTIONABLE: JENNIFER GARNER AS ELEKTRA
The former Mrs. Batman is a very good actress. Anyone who caught Alias back in the day knows that even at the start of her career she not only had an eminently watchable screen presence but real dramatic range. Nonetheless, her performance as the violent antihero Elektra Natchios in 2003's Daredevil and subsequent spin off Elektra failed to ring true for many.
It's not that Garner did anything wrong, she was simply miscast. There's something fundamentally wholesome about Jennifer Garner's screen presence that's at odds with the edgy nature of the character. Still, the critical failure of both Marvel films has done little to impede her successful and eclectic acting career.
3 SURPRISE: GAL GADOT AS WONDER WOMAN
While Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice was a divisive film, there have been few films in recent years that were subject to quite so much hype. Yet, when it was announced that Wonder Woman herself would make her screen debut in the film, it gave some fans pause. surely, she deserved to debut in a movie of her very own.
When it was announced that Israeli model and actress Gal Gadot was cast in the role, some fans became nervous. Was the most important woman in comics really going to be portrayed by such an unknown commodity? Fortunately, those who weren't won over by her earnest and playful performance in the movie were certainly sold when Wonder Woman was released the following year.
2 QUESTIONABLE: MILES TELLER AS REED RICHARDS
There are very few people who have much praise to heap upon Fant4stic. Ordinarily we'd say it should be lauded for its ambition, although it failed on just about every way in execution. However, we're not convinced that forcing Marvel's First Family into a hard sci fi flick with elements of Cronenbergian body horror was that great a concept to begin with.
While the film boasted a cast of phenomenal actors, literally nobody was a good fit for their role. Ironically, the best fit was the one that had caused the most controversy, Michael B Jordan as Johnny Storm. Though Miles Teller is a darned fine actor and a consummate professional, his presence came across as too callow to play as Marvel's premier patriarch.
1 SURPRISE: BEN AFFLECK AS BATMAN
When it was announced that the sequel to 2013's Man Of Steel would feature Batman as its primary antagonist, the internet was ablaze with fan speculation as to who might play this older, more grizzled version of The Dark Knight. When it was announced that Ben Affleck would don the cowl, the internet virtually exploded into an eruption of fan vitriol.
Some cited that he'd already "messed up" Daredevil, while others were quicker to point to his failures of yesteryear than his recent successes. While the end product was divisive, most regarded Affleck's Batman as one of the film's highlights. Now that rumors are abound that Affleck may be leaving the role, the very same fan community seems to be clamoring for him to remain!