Casting movies and running auditions is an incredibly responsible job. You essentially have to find talented individuals whom you can see bringing the characters and the script to life in the best way possible. Not only that but casting the lead means picking someone who can be the face of the entire franchise. That can mean going through countless rounds of auditions and interviews while you evaluate hundreds, if not thousands, of potential actors .
We got in touch with the author of the viral thread, u/LuckyLaceyKS , for a chat about miscast roles. Meanwhile, Bored Panda also reached out to entertainment, pop culture, and lifestyle expert Mike Sington for his thoughts about the challenges that casting directors run into. Read on for both of our interviews!
John Wayne as Genghis Khan.
TrailerParkPrepper , RKO Radio Pictures Report
Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher.
RoutineResort8802 , Paramount Pictures Report
Jared Leto as Joker. Absolute waste.
Wazula23 , Warner Bros. Pictures Report
Jack black should have been the genie in the live action Aladdin and I will die on this hill.
tway_010 Report
Kristen Stewart in Snow White and the Huntsman.
Apprehensive_Try8663 Report
Jessie eisnburg as lex luthor.
Rowanx3 , Warner Bros. Pictures Report
This one is more Tim Burton’s fault, but Johnny Depp made an awful Wonka.
bbwildfire , Warner Bros. Pictures Report
I always felt Gwenyth Paltrow as Pepper Potts didn’t fit. I don’t know what Pepper was like in the comics, but she seemed to have very little chemistry with RDJ in my opinion. Maybe I just hate her for all the voodoo she tries to sell tho.
justophicles Report
Emma Watson as Belle in Beauty and the Beast. She’s got the looks down, but her singing is meh to the point they had to autotune it and it sounds weird. Her acting is also stiff and fretful and she doesn’t have any chemistry with any of the other actors, let alone Beast. There were better choices for the role.
Allfunandgaymes , Walt Disney Studios Report
Obvious, but necessary mention of Kevin Costner is Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. I’d say most of the starring roles were miscast, but none as offensively bad as “Kevin Costner plays….Kevin Costner”.
BlackLetterLies , Warner Bros Report
How has no one said jake gyllenhall in prince of P E R S I A.
im_alliterate , Walt Disney Pictures Report
George Clooney in Batman & Robin (1997). Only slightly worse than Val Kilmer in Batman Forever (1995). I don’t know what it was about the 90’s that every big name was signing up to do a one-off as batman, but that was a bad decision.
BackInTheRealWorld , Warner Bros Report
Nathan Drake. That role was and always will be Nathan Fillion’s role to play. It’s such a shame Hollywood never called. He wanted the role. He even financed his own YouTube short film showing what an Uncharted film starring him would be like. Instead we got Tom Holland. I love the guy, but he’s not Nathan Drake. And Mark Wahlburg as Sully?! FUUUUUUCCCCKKKK NOOOOOOO.
anon , Columbia Pictures Report
Not that iconic but that girl who played Ginny Weasley in the Harry Potter movies. One of my fave female characters diminished to a dumbed down wallflower. Zero chemistry with Radcliffe.
Rh1nestone_Eyes , Warner Bros. Pictures Report
Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique. Maybe because I liked Rebecca Romijn’s portrayal, but JL didn’t seem right in that role.
human_suitcase , 20th Century Fox Report
Not exactly an iconic role but Cameron Diaz in Gangs of New York. Every else nailed it (especially Day Lewis) but she stuck out like a sore thumb.
Soul_Taco79 , Miramax Films Report
Adam Driver as Kylo Ren. No way he’s a child of Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher!
amrowe , Walt Disney Studios Report
Keanu Reeves in Bram Stoker’s Dracula I love Keanu, but he was terrible in that role.
-eDgAR- , Columbia Pictures Report
Topher Grace as Venom.
destro23 , Columbia Pictures Report
froggyforrest , Warner Bros. Pictures Report
Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen. People hate on the movies for a lot of valid reasons, but I constantly hear “Kristin was so awkward” and nothing about how awful Rob did. Bella is supposed to be awkward. Edward is supposed to be smooth as f**k. The entire movie felt uncomfortable because Robert played Edward really awkward and miserable. I don’t think replacing him would have fixed the movie, but it certainly would have helped with the overall tone.
Blessed_tenrecs , Temple Hill Entertainment Report
Ben Affleck as an older, bitter, more violent Batman in Batman V Superman. Should have been Karl Urban.
Spire-hawk , Warner Bros. Pictures Report
Titanic in my opinion just because kate looked like a grown adult next to leo who looked like a teen.
No-Doughnut7411 Report
Not incredibly iconic from an American perspective (perhaps moreso in Europe), but Cara Delvigne was so over the top awful in Valerian and City of a Thousand Planets that it just destroyed the movie. The dude who played Valerian was a bit better, but not much. I wanted them both to just. stop. talking.
sadwer , EuropaCorp Report
Kyle Reese in Terminator: Genesys. Michael Biehn took inspiration from Polish resistance fighters in preparing for the role, and he was a shell-shocked, somewhat emaciated veteran. Nevermind that. Let’s hire some beefed-up lughead who would be on the cover of Men’s Health, and would honestly be better cast as a Terminator.
square3481 , Paramount Pictures Report
I don’t care if it isn’t out yet, i’ve seen all the trailers and chris pratt as mario is just wrong. some actors just aren’t meant to be good voice actors and chris pratt is one of them. he doesn’t sound like mario, he just sounds like chris pratt.
veinybones , Universal Pictures Report
Idris Elba is one of my favorite actors, and was faaaar from the main problem with The Dark Tower, but swapping him and McConaughey would have made a lot of sense to me. I feel like they’d have been a lot better in one another’s roles. McConaughey is an easier sell as a cowboy and I have seen enough to know that Elba will knock any bad guy character out of the park.
GotThoseJukes , Columbia Pictures Report
Robert Langdon in The DaVinci code was awfully miscast. He should have been played by Sam Neill.
CharlesTGutierez , Columbia Pictures Report
Jamie, what’s his face as Christian grey. Wrong guy. Ian somerholder would have been better.
irishpg86 , Universal Pictures Report
My go to for this question is Samuel L Jackson as Mace Windu. I love the guy, but ‘wise calm monk’ is perhaps the worst role he could ever be cast for. It runs exactly counter to his skills as an actor.
osunightfall Report
Zoe Saldana as Nina Simone. My god that movie was painful. Please for all that is good and pure just watch “Whatever Happened to Miss Simone” and bask in its greatness. One of the best documentaries ever.
knight_ofdoriath , Ealing Studios Report
Chloe Grace Moretz as Carrie in the 2013 remake comes to mind.
HamilWhoTangled , Sony Pictures Releasing Report
Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby. I know people love his performance, but the fact that LEO played him kind of detracts and distract from the elusive mysterious nature the character puts off. Should have cast an unknown in the role, and put Leo in as Nick.
naynaythewonderhorse Report
As much as I love Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, I think another Canadian should have played the Green Lantern in the live-action adaptation: Nathan Fillion.
BluestNovember Report
Tom Hanks as Col. Tom Parker in the recent Elvis movie.
bisho Report
Russell Crowe in Les Miserables, Robert Redford in Barefoot in the Park and I will say it, Barbara Streisand in Yentil.
irvingstark , Universal Pictures Report
Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Don’t get me wrong: she was astonishing in the role, like she was in every role she played. But I agree that it should’ve been Marilyn Monroe in the part.
anon , Paramount Pictures Report
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