Comic book moviessometimes waste perfectly good casting choices on mediocre films, leaving genuinely great performances locked in otherwise poor entries in the genre. Thebest superhero movie castingshold up the entirety of what makes the genre fun, with iconic roles like Hugh Jackman as Wolverine or Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man influencing their franchises to be better. But every now and then, a great casting choice is ruined by the entire rest of the film its trapped in.
It’s sometimes easy to see how certain actors in the casts of certain superhero movies can be lost in the shuffle over time. Some are widely appreciated despite struggling in a film, whether due to a simple lack of overall quality or tonal dissonance between the narrative and the performance. Even theworst comic book movies of all timeusually have at least some redeeming quality in the form of a solid casting choice.
10Aaron Taylor-Johnson As Kraven
Kraven The Hunter
The most recent and final release of the Sony Spider-Man spin-off cinematic universe,Kraven The Hunterhas reviewed terribly ever since it released, marking a pitiful end to the long-struggle of Sony’s theatrical project. That being said, few critics have found terrible fault in the actual performance of Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the titular man hunter. Snarling, feral, but surprisingly tender when he needs to be, Taylor-Johnson put in some incredible effort in an attempt to make Kraven work.
Having already played both the titular vigilante inKick-Assand Quicksilver inAvengers: Age of Ultron,Aaron Taylor-Johnson is no stranger to the superhero circuit. The jaw-droppingly impressive physique he was able to create for the film is proof enough of his dedication, not to mention his actual skill in making the Spider-Man villain as interesting as he can holding down a solo film. But in all honesty, Taylor-Johnson’s Kraven would’ve been far stronger as an antagonist or a supporting character than the subject of his own dedicated project.
9James Marsden As Cyclops
X-Men
If there’s one member of the X-Men that got unfairly represented in theFoxX-Menmovies, it’s none other than the team’s field leader, Scott Summers, a.k.a. Cyclops. With a square jaw and a cool, level head, James Marsden does quite well as a picture of the iconic mutant pulled straight out of the comics. Though he deserved to be a leading man in his own right, theX-Menfilms never quite knew what to do with Cyclops, constantly having him be undermined by Wolverine or losing his mind in the Jean Grey love triangle.
X-Men fans will recognize Cyclops as a powerful and capable character, and recent depictions like the animated seriesX-Men ‘97have done a lot to undo the reputation of the character following the films. Sadly, James Marsden was beholden to the writing of the Fox movies, never being given a true chance to shine as the lead he should’ve been. It’s interesting to imagine what wasted potential Fox left on the table for a solo Cyclops movie, which Marsden would’ve been more than capable of carrying.
8Ryan Reynolds As Deadpool
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
The FoxX-Menmovies sometimes did get the chance to actually capitalize on this kind of missed opportunity with their smart casting choices. Today, there’s little doubt in anyone’s mind that Deadpool was the role Ryan Reynolds was born to play, his public persona suiting the character as snugly as his signature red suit. But Reynolds very first showing as the Merc with a Mouth left a lot to be desired in the much-malignedX-Men Origins: Wolverine.
Here, Wade Wilson is reduced to a cocky mercenary with no healing factor who shows up for a single cool action scene at the beginning of the film, with only a lame red vest to vaguely evoke his comic book identity. Even worse, when Wilson does eventually return, his most defining feature is removed, as the character is resurrected as a Frankenstein mutant with his mouth sewn shut. Still, even here there are flashes of Reynolds’ future brilliance as Deadpool which were eventually paid off in his eponymous debut solo film.
7Liev Schreiber As Sabretooth
Ryan Reynolds' Wade Wilson wasn’t the only piece of missed potential among the cast ofX-Men Origins: Wolverine.Here,Tyler Mane’s Sabretooth was re-castin favor of Liev Schreiber, with Schrieber’s closer resemblance to Hugh Jackman cited as the reasoning. While Schreiber did indeed look closer to a genuine half-brother of Wolverine as he appears in the Fox movies, his performance as the vengeful character was, in all honesty, far better than Tyler Mane’s.
Schreiber adds a true sense of human cruelty to the simple feral mind of Mane’s version of the character, shown off in the excellent opening credits sequence of Sabretooth and Wolverine fighting in various battles throughout the ages. If only Schreiber was invited to return in a better-written film that featured him more, perhaps more focused on his tortuous relationship with his rival. It’s a shame Mane was recruited to return as Sabretooth inDeadpool & Wolverinerather than Schreiber.
6Anya Taylor-Joy As Magik
The New Mutants
The last gasp of the dying FoxX-Mentimeline,TheNew Mutantsmight just be the most obscure film in the entire cinematic canon of the franchise. Marketed as a superhero horror movie, the film told the story of several never-before-seen mutants living through spooky conditions while being “treated” for their powers at a strange facility. Amidst the cast is Anya Taylor-Joy as Magik, a young mutant with the ability to channel portals to a strange magical dimension.
For how strange and complicated a character Magik is, the film is able to adapt the character surprisingly faithfully, not shying away from the stranger parts of her lore. Anya Taylor-Joy is as incredible as ever, with a believable Russian intonation and a respectful take on sensitive topics like sexual abuse. It’s a shame this strong character is lost in an otherwise forgettable coterie of mutants trapped in a strange, awkward movie that few even remember exists.
5Ben Affleck As Batman
Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice
After the critical flop that wasDaredevil,fans were rightfully weary of Ben Affleck playing an even more beloved cowl-wearing vigilante as Batman in the DCEU. Debuting the character inBatman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Affleck’s Batman was met surprisingly favorably, and for good reason. The older Affleck put in a unique, excellent take on a grizzled, veteranThe Dark Knight Returns-esque Batman who has already become quite jaded and cynical in his job.
Sadly, the movies of the DCEU aren’t known for their quality, and the cracks were quite visible as early as Batman’s first movie appearance in the franchise, which forced him to contend for screentime with multiple other heroes. Follow-up films likeJustice Leaguemade his unique performance as the character somewhat toothless, turning him into a simple Joss-Whedon-dialogue-spouting jokester. With enough time to settle, Ben Affleck is certainly considered one of the betterlive-action Batman actors.
4Henry Cavill As Superman
Man of Steel
As if fumbling a great Batman actor wasn’t enough, the DCEU also misused their strongest asset, Henry Cavill as Superman. With a chiseled jawline and an impressive musculature, Henry Cavill more than looked the part of the Man of Steel throughout his appearances in the series. His performance was often just as great as his looks, but he constantly had to fight the dour tone ofMan of Steel.
Fundamentally misunderstanding Superman’s character, Zack Snyder sought to portray him as an all-powerful alien god struggling to relate to humanity, becoming an almost Christ-like savior figure. In truth, Superman should be far brighter, more optimistic, and down-to-Earth, something that Henry Cavill clearly wants to do (and excels at) in the brief flashes of time he’s actually allowed to be heroic. It’s a shame Henry Cavill’s Superman performance never got the chance to be in more capable hands.
3Andrew Garfield As Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Of all the live-action Spider-Man performers, few got as raw a deal as Andrew Garfield. InThe Amazing Spider-Man,Garfield was able to show off a different side of Peter Parker that hadn’t yet been touched on by Tobey Maguire - An actually somewhat cool, edgier teen coming into his own as the friendly neighborhood superhero. Sadly,The Amazing Spider-Man 2was bad enough to nix Garfield’s chances of ever leading a trilogy.
Though the idea of a skateboarding, classically handsome Peter Parker took some getting used to, Andrew Garfield is still hailed by some as the most comic-accurate live-action Spider-Man to-date. It’s easy to see why, with his natural quipping in the suit and emotional range carrying the highest points of his ill-fated duology. At leastGarfield’s Spider-Man redeemed himselfinSpider-Man: No Way Home,giving some closure to the only movie Spider-Man to not get a trilogy.
2Viola Davis as Amanda Waller
Suicide Squad
An underrated throughline of the DCEU was the premiere of Viola Davis as Amanda Waller. Davis' casting gave the original 2016Suicide Squadsome air of legitimacy, adding fuel to the burning public curiosity going into the film combined with Jared Leto’s infamous method acting antics. Unfortunately, the final edit ofSuicide Squadwas a mess of a film that still lives on in infamy as the worst film in an already lukewarm franchise.
Luckily, Viola Davis has gotten many more chances to play Waller, including the excellent DCU debutThe Suicide Squad,becoming something of DC’s theatrical answer to Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury - A shadowy government agent who directs much of the superhero action behind closed doors.Davis returns as Waller again inCreature Commandos,proving she’s capable of operating Task Force X (or Task Force M) even with her voice alone. Still, it’s infuriating that one of her best showings in the role remains trapped in a painfully bad team-up movie.
1Lana Condor as Jubilee
X-Men: Apocalypse
Ever since the 90s cartoonX-Men: The Animated Series,Jubilee has become a fan-favorite mutant in the X-Men continuity, known for her audacious fashion sense and firework-launching superpowers. A period film in the Fox prequel continuity likeX-Men: Apocalypseshould’ve been a perfect choice to introduce Jubilee as something of a new perspective character, a role she somewhat serves in the animated series. Lana Condor is a dead-ringer for the character, and seemed competent enough as the sparkly X-man.
Much to their audiences' chagrin, Lana Condor barely gets a total cumulative minute of screentime in the busy film, being far overshadowed by the original mutants and Apocalypse himself. Jubilee’s inclusion may as well be a cameo here, despite Lana Condor inhabiting the teased 80s hair of the hero quite naturally. Condor’s casting represents one of the biggest missed opportunities of anycomic book movie.
