Casting a movie is no small task—you’re choosing actors who’ll bring the story to life and, in some cases, become the face of an entire multi-billion dollar franchise. This process is full of thorough auditions, interviews, and tough decisions, and yet, even with all that effort, audiences don’t always agree with the choices.
Here are ten iconic film roles that were horribly miscast, according to the fans.
1. Johnny Depp — The Lone Ranger
Johnny Depp has been cast in quite a few great movies, but they can’t all be winners. In The Lone Ranger, Depp portrayed Tonto, the ranger’s Native American sidekick, which, as you can guess, didn’t sit well with the fans of the comics or regular moviegoers. In an attempt to defend the controversial casting choice, Depp has Native American blood in him and considers his portrayal to be a positive rather than a negative. Regardless of what the actor believes in, it’s clear that Depp was never right for the role.
2. Ryan Reynolds — Green Lantern
Everyone loves Ryan Reynolds. That’s just an obvious fact. Even his romcoms are considered to be some of the best out there, and that’s not to even mention his accomplishments as an action star. But it all looks bleak whenever the Green Lantern movie enters the conversation. Fans actually think that another Canadian should have played the Green Lantern in the live-action adaptation, and no, it’s not Ryan Gosling. We’re talking about the Broawncoat captain himself —Nathan Fillion.
3. Hayden Christensen — Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
Picking on Star Wars prequels is a low-hanging fruit but it tastes oh so good! Hayden Christensen’s performance is also one of those easy pickings. Who could have done it better? Probably any other semi-decent actor, but what’s done is done. At least Christensen was brought back as Anakin in Ahsoka. It’s still funny to think that this whiny guy with no aura grew up to be Darth Vader.
4. Tom Cruise — Jack Reacher
Tom Cruise is a man who likes to wear many hats: sometimes he’s an eccentric weirdo; other times—an adrenaline junkie, a father, a husband, and of course, a great movie star. But there’s one thing about Cruise that not everyone knows—he is pretty short. So imagine what the Jack Reacher fans went through when they found out their favorite badass hero, who should look more like Chris Hemsworth, was going to be played by the short king himself.
