8 Controversial Comic Book Movie Castings That Worked Out For The Best

Superhero fans are notoriously difficult to please when it comes to movie adaptations – it’s fair enough really, as they just love their favourite characters so much that they don’t want to see them messed up. As such, every time a major hero or villain is cast, the actor is subject to significant scrutiny over whether they really are the best person for the job. Hardly any big superhero film has been free of this sort of criticism; from Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice to The Avengers, fans have complained about apparently awful casting decisions that allegedly "would ruin the movie." However, a lot of the time fans can be really jumping the gun on these occasions. Often it turns out that the studios and the filmmakers know exactly what they are doing and their left-field choice really is perfectly suited for the part. Here, then, are eight examples of controversial casting decisions in comic book movies that actually worked out for the best. If you think we missed any, be sure to let us know by dropping a comment below! 8) Ben Affleck The most recent example of a controversial comic book movie casting is, of course, Ben Affleck being hired as Bruce Wayne for Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. When it was announced that Affleck would play The Dark Knight, you might remember that the internet exploded with fury. How could the guy from Good Will Hunting ever pull it off as an intimidating action star? As it turns out, BvS was the source of a ton of controversy on its own when it was released, due to the muddled storyline and gloomy tone. However, most were in agreement that Affleck gave one of the film’s best performances, embodying the grizzled over-the-hill playboy of Bruce Wayne and the no-holds-barred ferocity of this version of Batman. The presentation of Batman in the film might have ruffled some feathers, but Affleck’s turn was enough to get people excited to see him lead his own solo film. 7) Michael Clarke Duncan Speaking of Ben Affleck, remember the 2003 Daredevil movie that he starred in? Yeah, it wasn’t up to much and Affleck himself might actually have been miscast in that one. However, his nemesis in the movie - the Kingpin - was played by the late, great Michael Clarke Duncan and was probably one of the highlights of the film. However, his casting was hugely controversial at the time. The simple crux of the matter was that Duncan was of a different skin colour to the character in the comics. More recently, Michael B. Jordan received a similar level of backlash when he was cast as Johnny Storm/Human Torch in Fantastic Four. In other areas, the broad and beefy Duncan was a perfect fit for Wilson Fisk. His performance might have been eclipsed by Vincent D’Onofrio in the Daredevil TV show in recent years, but fans should still feel bad for giving him a hard time. 6) Idris Elba Like Michael Clarke Duncan, Idris Elba’s appointment as Heimdall, the guardian of the Bifrost on Asgard in the Thor films, was initially met with criticism due to his visual difference from the character in the comics. The controversy here stems from the fact that, as with all of those from Thor’s world, Heimdall is based on a mythological character of Nordic descent, not African as Elba is. For anyone worried about that, the actor himself had a brilliant comeback that pointed out the ridiculousness of the backlash: “Thor has a hammer that flies to him when he clicks his fingers. That's OK, but the colour of my skin is wrong?” In retrospect, people really should have had faith in the actor to lift a minor role such as Heimdall with a great performance. So successful was Elba’s turn that Heimdall’s role was increased in Thor: The Dark World and he even had a cameo in Avengers: Age of Ultron. 5) Mark Ruffalo It was third time’s a charm for Marvel when they finally found an actor who nailed the part of Bruce Banner/The Hulk in The Avengers. After two so-so interpretations courtesy of Eric Bana and Edward Norton in Hulk and The Incredible Hulk, Mark Ruffalo perfectly pitched Dr. Banner’s nervous energy that masks a great anger. Fans have taken Ruffalo to heart so much that now it seems a distant memory that many people were at first sceptical at the actor’s casting. The reason for this was that the actor had never made such a huge blockbuster movie before and he certainly hadn’t played a comic book hero, as he was mostly known for his parts in indie films like The Kids Are All Right and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Ruffalo knocked it out the park, though. In fact, the positive reaction to his take on the character has probably left the likes of Bana and Norton green with envy. 4) Michael Keaton In 1989, Batman was still largely seen by the general populace as the campy figure of fun played by Adam West in the 60s TV show. For the upcoming Tim Burton movie, they wanted a Batman who was a fierce dramatic presence, someone you could really take seriously. Understandably, then, many were enraged when it was announced that Michael Keaton – a man known for his wacky comedy roles – had been cast. Warner Bros. received no less than 50,000 letters of complaint (letters, mind you, this was before emails) over the casting – even Batman creator Bob Kane disliked the decision. However, all of those fans quietened down when the film arrived and Keaton played The Dark Knight completely against type: he cut a silent, brooding figure rather than the zany, fast-talking performance he gave in, say, Beetlejuice. Nearly three decades later and Keaton still has many ardent fans who claim he remains the greatest on-screen Batman. 3) Hugh Jackman Is there any other superhero who is as synonymous with one actor as Wolverine? The lean, mean slicing machine simply is Hugh Jackman, just as – though he is a very versatile actor – Hugh Jackman will always be Wolverine. However, rewind sixteen years to before X-Men came out and Jackman’s casting as the most popular X-Man was hugely controversial. For one, Wolverine is typically depicted as short and stocky in the comics – as deadly as he is compact. On the other hand, the then unknown actor, only familiar in his native Australia for his roles in musicals, was over six feet. The production team weren’t blind to Jackman’s seeming incompatibility with the role, though, as Scottish actor Dougray Scott was initially cast in the role before fate intervened and Scott departed the movie – leaving Jackman to fill his shoes. Thankfully, they knew what they saw in the actor, stuck to their guns and a cinema icon was made. 2) Robert Downey Jr. Actually, scratch what we were just saying about Wolverine being the superhero most associated with one actor. If you ask someone ‘who is Iron Man?’ they will most likely answer ‘Robert Downey Jr.' instead of ‘Tony Stark.’ However, Downey Jr. was largely seen as a wildcard casting choice before he blasted onto the screen for the first time in 2008’s Iron Man. The actor had famously had his ups and downs and people weren’t sure if RDJ, who had never before been box office gold, would be able to carry a superhero franchise on his shoulders. Nowadays the story is reversed and RDJ is the most reliable player in the MCU, having starred in half a dozen hugely successful films as Iron Man. There is surely no one left in the world who thinks the actor is a poor fit for Tony Stark. Like with Jackman, the franchise will have a hard time replacing him when he eventually bows out. 1) Heath Ledger The ultimate controversial comic book movie casting that turned out great, however, has got to be Heath Ledger. When it was announced that the Brokeback Mountain actor – who had generally played likeable characters – would take on the role of perhaps the most iconic villain of all time, fans were not pleased. Yet when The Dark Knight arrived – shortly after Ledger’s untimely death – his unique portrayal of the Clown Prince of Crime blew everyone away, and cast a very high bar for other cinematic villain performances to try and match for years to come. In short, Ledger’s turn as the Joker is one of the most acclaimed performances in a comic book movie. As of 2016, he is in fact the only actor to win an Academy Award for a role in a superhero film. That's how impressive his work was. The message here, kids, is next time you’re not sure about a piece of casting, just hold your opinion until the movie comes out – you might just be surprised.