One famous director once said that 90% of any successful film is casting the right actor. Seems like Hollywood directors would know this truth by now, yet year after year we get incredibly stupid, and outright offensive casting announcements that can and will definitely ruin the movie they’ll be in.
Without further ado, here are the top 8 major Hollywood casting mistakes of the past 5 years.
1. Ashton Kutcher – Jobs
Such a lovable and goofy actor as Kutcher should not have been cast as our beloved tech visionary Steve Jobs. It’s not that he did a bad job, no, on the contrary, he gave one of his best performances there, but… it’s that funny guy from “Where’s My Car, Dude” and “2 and a Half Men”! We know him from the funny roles and not as a serious kick-butt guy like Jobs.
2. Emila Clarke – Solo: A Star Wars Story
Okay, Emila Clarke is amazing in Game of Thrones, no doubt, but what happened to her in Solo? She portrays Qi’ra, the lady who smashed Han Solo’s heart into smithereens, and who basically made him the outlaw smuggler we all know and love. Maybe it’s the script’s fault but I feel like she doesn’t exactly scream “love material” to me.
https://youtu.be/nFLEHssGsdg
3. Tom Cruise – Mummy
Aside from being an enormous cash-grab The Mummy was … yeah, okay, it was pretty bad. Even Tom Cruise didn’t save that sinking ship. In the movie he plays a “young archaeologist”. Yeah right, the dude’s over 50! Anyway, the movie was filled with bad dialogues, stacks of clichés, and mediocre acting. Why would they cast Tom Cruise, though? Were they hoping for him to carry this disaster all on his own? Well, that didn’t work and minimized his stature from his many past successes.
4. Jessie Eisenberg – Superman Vs. Batman: Dawn Of Justice
*sigh* … Do I even need to say anything? You’ve seen the movie, and Jessie’s “performance”, sure, let’s call it that. You hate him too. But, sadly, it appears we’re stuck with this Joker, I mean Lex Luthor.
https://youtu.be/e8Fj1vybz9s
5. Jared Leto – Suicide Squad
Speaking of the Joker, how did you like Jared Leto’s take on one of the most iconic DC villains? And he’s getting a solo film too? THAT Joker? The world has gone really crazy.
6. Finn Jones – Iron Fist
While we’re on the superhero trope, how about Finn Jones as the Iron Fist? First of all, I did enjoy like 60% of season 1, but even I think that Marvel’s most skillful martial artist was horribly miscast. I know the reasons, and the circumstances surrounding the casting process, but even that doesn’t help. I just don’t believe that there were no actual martial artists in the casting process. Oh and to people who think that a white guy shouldn’t teach an Asian girl kung fu because it’s “cultural appropriation” – you’re the reason aliens have not contacted us.
7. Matt Damon – The Great Wall
A movie made in China that also looks like a Hollywood blockbuster? Hell yeah! Although, there’s a small, itsy-bitsy problem with it… they cast Matt Damon as the main protagonist. I’ve seen the movie twice, and Damon never does anything to highlight the ridiculous premise he got caught up in. His performance is just dry and barely noticeable, IMHO. He mailed it in and didn’t put too much effort into this not-to-be blockbuster. Maybe if it were Tom Cruise…
8. Johnny Depp in a lot of stuff
The man’s definitely a genius when it comes to acting, but going from being an AAA-lister to wherever he is now must have been a nightmarish ride. That one time he played Tonto in The Lone Ranger was enough to blow Depp back to the bottom, considering how insulting his performance was. Even his Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them sort of has a funny smell about it. Let’s wish him luck, though, he’s a nice dude! Maybe he can climb out of the hole he’s dug and turn in some stellar performances in the future.
