Comic book movies are undeniably some of the biggest titles in modern cinema, and often boast significant pop culture significance simply because of their popular source material. The comic book movie genre has grown into one of the most successful, as evidenced by the considerable box office takes of the movies of the MCU and the consistent interest in the latest DC adaptations. This brings a level of persistent interest to the latest comic book movies, including the developments of those not yet released. With that level of scrutiny comes pressure to get characters just right, and one way that this has often been achieved is through recasting roles.
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Sometimes, getting the perfect comic book movie casting takes more than one attempt, as the first actor doesn’t quite deliver for whatever reason. This has led to many comic book movie roles being recast, with new actors stepping in to take over as comic book characters in sequels, reboots, and prequels. Unfortunately, not all of these recasting choices work out, as they can fall flat for a number of reasons. Whether due to behind-the-scenes dramas, a poor script, or just a questionable choice of actor, sometimes, recasting comic book movie characters just doesn’t work.
5) Dane DeHaan as Harry Osborn
Considered by some to be one of the worst comic book movie sequels, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was not able to live up to expectations. That isn’t to say it’s a terrible movie, but there were significant issues with its script and some of the creative choices that went into the 2014 sequel. One of these issues was with its version of Harry Osborn, who had previously been played by James Franco. For The Amazing Spider-Man 2, rising star Dane DeHaan was cast in the role.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2‘s version of Harry Osborn was a step down from the iteration in Sam Raimi’s trilogy. His villain arc was incredibly rushed, and DeHaan’s cold performance failed to hit the appropriate sympathetic notes. While the vision of the recasting was clear, the execution was lacking, and it just didn’t work out.
4) Edward Norton as Bruce Banner
2003’s Hulk was not a particularly successful movie, and Eric Bana’s version of Bruce Banner failed to capture audiences’ imaginations. For the 2008 MCU movie The Incredible Hulk, the role was recast with the highly respected Edward Norton taking over. It seemed a perfect fit, as Norton had experience playing characters with destructive alter-egos, but unfortunately, it didn’t work out as positively as expected.
Norton’s performance as Bruce Banner fell pretty flat, not helped by The Incredible Hulk‘s unremarkable script. A contract dispute then led to Norton being dropped, and the role recast again ahead of 2012’s The Avengers. Though placing blame on any specific reason is difficult, the simple truth is that Norton is a great actor that the MCU wasted, and recasting Hulk to bring him in just didn’t work out.
3) George Clooney as Batman
After Tim Burton’s Batman movies saw Michael Keaton’s version of the hero wow audiences, recasting the role for 1995’s Batman Forever was not as successful as it should have been. When Val Kilmer did not return for the 1997 sequel Batman & Robin, the role was recast again, this time with George Clooney donning the iconic cape and cowl. The plan was for Clooney’s star power to translate to greater popularity for the movie, but this turned out not to be the case.
Kilmer may not have been as good as Keaton, but Clooney’s Batman was by far the worst. He’s often considered the worst live-action Batman, not due to his performance but the movie’s script and tone, which let him down massively. While the recasting itself wasn’t entirely the issue, it’s safe to say that bringing in George Clooney to play Batman didn’t work out as it was intended to.
2) Jamie Bell as The Thing
After 2005’s Fantastic Four adapted the titular team into live-action, its 2007 sequel, subtitled Rise of the Silver Surfer, failed to impress. This ultimately led to a 2015, which saw the team completely recast. While technically any of the reboot’s cast members could be considered a downgrade on their predecessors, by far the worst casting choice was to replace Michael Chiklis as the Thing with Jamie Bell.
Jamie Bell is an incredibly talented actor with a great talent for drama. However, he isn’t at all imposing or particularly tragic, both of which are key traits for the Thing’s story. This led to the 2015 movie’s version of Ben Grimm falling remarkably short of the mark, as Bell was simply the wrong type of actor for the role on almost every level.
1) Halle Berry as Catwoman
After Tim Burton’s Batman movies delivered a version of Catwoman still considered one of the best Batman movie villains, interest in the character surged. Michelle Pfeiffer’s turn as Selina Kyle was brilliant, leading to the increased desire to see her in a solo movie. Pfeiffer didn’t return to the role, however, and it was instead recast, with Oscar-winning Halle Berry brought in to play Batman’s feline foe.
The resulting movie was one of the worst in the history of the genre. 2004’s Catwoman lives on in infamy, with Halle Berry’s poor performance often cited as one of the chief issues with the disappointing film. Considering the popularity of Pfeiffer’s version and the utter disdain most feel for Berry’s, it’s safe to say that the recasting didn’t work out as planned.
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