Casting for superhero movies is often a tough job. In addition to potential conflicts with studio executives and producers, pushback from opinionated fans of the comic books from which most superhero projects are adapted is very common. What could be even more risky and unpredictable is recasting roles, especially when the previous actor was beloved.
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But there are several instances where the replacements work out for the best of their movies and those watching, perhaps even outshining their predecessors. Conversely, some could not reach the bare minimum of what came before, delivering widely reviled turns as iconic characters of the superhero/comic book sphere.
Worked: Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk
Edward Nortonis a great actor. His take on Dr. Bruce Banner, theHulk, in the technicallyMCU-canonical filmThe Incredible Hulk(2008)tends to get egregiously overlooked,along with the movie itself. Regardless, after failed negotiations between Norton andMarvelprevented him from carrying on the part inThe Avengers,Mark Ruffalowas passed the torch and proved himself an ideal and steadfast member of theMarvel Cinematic Universefamily.
Nicely contrasting with Norton’s more serious portrayal, Ruffalo’s iteration embraced the playfulness of Banner’s dual personalities without diminishing the dramatic potential, painting the tortured scientist as an approachable and unassuming man holding back a tidal wave of rage that would bleed out at opportune moments to disquiet viewers.
Didn’t: George Clooney as Batman
The funny thing is that, in any other circumstance, castingGeorge Clooneyas the Caped Crusader of Gotham City would have been a decent idea. The man possesses the charisma and ability to pull it off. Unfortunately, he got stuck with being theBatmanof the laugh riot that isBatman & Robin.
Clooney did not even have a high bar to overcome after being chosen to take over forVal Kilmer, aformer Batman actorconsidered by audiences to be just alright. Some scenes inBatman & Robinindicate that Clooney was at least trying, but it is evident through most of the movie that his heart was just not in it, resulting in a flat performance, not that many could blame him, given what he had to work with.
Worked: James McAvoy as Professor X
When filmmakers already have an actor-character match-up as perfect asPatrick Stewartin the role of Professor Charles Xavier hanging over their heads as precedent, recasting for a soft reboot/prequel should be a daunting challenge. ButJames McAvoywas more than up to the task.
Instead of attempting to replicate what Stewart did, McAvoy worked backwards, portraying Xavier as so much of what Stewart’s interpretation was not while also showing how he would grow into precisely that, as befitting a younger depiction ofProfessor X. Throughout McAvoy’s tenure on theX-Menfilms, his Xavier was raw and unrefined, but still profoundly empathetic, entirely its own thing yet respectful to the past.
Didn’t: Halle Berry as Catwoman
With her maniacal and sexually charged performance inBatman Returns,Michelle Pfeifferset the gold standard for screen portrayals of Batman’s anti-heroineCatwoman. She became so popular that a spin-off was discussed. But the movieCatwoman(2004), the result of a languished development about an entirely new version of the character, was most definitely not what people wanted. At least Academy Award winnerHalle Berrywas starring, though, right? Well…
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Securing an Oscar did not stop Berry from making a few questionable choices in the following years, of whichCatwomanwas the crowning glory. Much of her unpopular performance is due to the awful direction and writing. Still, Berry was not so talented that she could ever make mimicking cat noises, eating obscene amounts of tuna fish, and getting way too friendly with a lump of catnip compelling or dignified.
Worked: Karl Urban as Judge Dredd
Let it be stated thatSylvester Stalloneis a true legend of cinema, but one with many black marks on his long and illustrious filmography, not the least of which includesJudge Dredd. The movie showed promise yet wasted it and failed to honor its central protagonist, whom even Stallone could not save. Thankfully,Dreddand its lead,Karl Urban, would go above and beyond to rectify their forebears' mistakes down the line.
Urban’s dedication to the role alone was commendable. He buffed and gruffed himself up to embody the mega-cop Dredd and, perhaps most impressively, managed perfectly well withhis face coveredthe whole time, thus winning over fans and garnering continued support for his involvement in any future projects.
Didn’t: Jesse Eisenberg As Lex Luthor
We now live in a world where we are forced to accept that, by all accounts,Kevin Spaceywas not the best human being. It is only a shame because he was an otherwise outstanding talent, and asLex LuthorinSuperman Returns, he brought welcome camp and menace to a dull film. The same could not be said for his successor,Jesse Eisenberg, inBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
It seemed like the filmmakers wanted to present Luthor as a kind of eccentric young genius by casting Eisenberg. Still, he ultimately came off as just awkward with his odd acting choices and embarrassing attempts at being a threatening villain.
Worked: Stefan Kapicic as Colossus
It is probably unfair to blameDaniel Cudmorefor how poorly X-Men member Colossus was represented in the originalX-Menmovies. At the same time,Stefan Kapicicmay not deserve sole credit for breathing proper life into him in theDeadpoolfilms, considering he was primarily a voice for a CGI character.
However, while Cudmore could not leave any impression no matter what attention he was given, Kapicic captured everyone’s hearts almost immediately by fully realizing Colossus' gentle giant nature, even if just in voiceover. Yes, others were needed to actualize his physical presence and movement, but Kapicic was the undisputed soul of the performance.
Didn’t: Jared Leto as The Joker
AfterHeath Ledger’s tragic death, it was inevitable that the role of theJokerwould pass to another. He was too iconic of a character not to continue showing up in the film. Hot off an Oscar victory to celebrate his return to acting,Jared Letolooked as reasonable an inheritor as any. Then again…
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Putting aside his limited screen time as Joker and conflicting reports about his behavior during the filming ofSuicide Squad(2016), Leto’s rendition did not sit right with many. His mannerisms, speech, and overall appearance were off-putting in ways fans could not reconcile with the already chaotic essence of Joker. Still, reception to Leto was more divisive than overwhelmingly negative, leaving room to see how well (or poorly) his take will age.
Worked: Tom Holland as ‘Spider-Man’
Honestly,Tom Hollandis worthy of all our respect for following up not one but two cherished turns asSpider-Man, a.k.a. Peter Parker, byTobey MaguireandAndrew Garfieldwith a more than a satisfactory portrayal of his own.
Out of theSpider-Man actors, Holland has arguably been the most balanced. His performance throughout his MCU appearances conveyed Spidey’s youth, maturation, humanity, sense of humor, and physicality in capable measures. Though he may have started more as a Spider-Boy than Spider-Man, he earned his title.
Didn’t: The Cast of ‘Fant4stic’ (2015)
Ok,Reg E. Cathy’s performance as the titular superhero team’s mentor and father figure was pretty solid, but the rest of theFantastic Fourreboot cast were little more than wooden puppets compelled to play-act a wreck of a production.
When the stars were first announced, fans were quick to point out how miscast they seemed, and maybe that was a rare instance where the filmmakers should have listened, though with how supposedly mishandled the project was, it likely would not have made much difference. While the previousFantastic Fourfilms were imperfect, at least the main actors were (mostly) believable in their parts. The reboot crew, tried as they could, were doomed to crash and burn.
