There are so many interesting characters in Marvel movies, and with so many films including those in the MCU and outside of it, all fans have their favorite characters and ones they can’t stand.
However, overall, there are some casting choices that fans generally agree were just perfect as well as others that really missed the mark.
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Here are 5+ casting decisions that saved Marvel movies and 5+ that hurt them.
Saved: Chris Evans as Captain America
Most people agree that Evans’ portrayal of Steve Roger is spot on. He did a good job of making a character who could feel one-dimensional feel well-rounded and compelling.
Plus, the fact that he’s very earnest in the role and that he’s good-looking doesn’t hurt.
Hurt: Edward Norton as Hulk
While this movie is sort of part of the MCU, no one really considers it that way.
The movie was an overall flop, and Edward Norton didn’t bring anything memorable to the role. It was definitely the right choice to recast him going forward.
Saved: Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/Hulk
While Hulk has never had a solo movie, Bruce Banner’s portrayal has been a strong addition to the Avengers cast.
He brings a vulnerability to the part and made fans care about Bruce Banner as a person. The only problem is that Marvel has tried to get rid of Bruce Banner’s identity in favor of the Hulk, and this just isn’t as interesting.
Hurt: Tilda Swinton as The Ancient one
The MCU could have saved itself a lot of controversy by not casting a white woman in the role of a Tibetan character.
Of course, even the original character can be rightly criticized for being problematic, but casting Tilda Swinton just made things even worse.
Saved: Tom Holland as Spider-Man
Nothing against previous actors who played Spider-Man, but Holland definitely made the character extremely endearing and relatable.
He really brings the youthfulness to the role that makes Peter Parker seem like a real teenager. Many fans definitely responded positively to him and love the character.
Hurt: Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye
The choices the MCU made regarding Hawkeye are pretty baffling as the character is nothing like the comics.
Instead of a sarcastic, pizza-loving character, they made him a boring family man.
But, the biggest issue with this casting is that Hawkeye in the comics is deaf, and they erased this chance for representation by casting Renner.
Saved: Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man
Whether you like the character of Tony Stark or not, there’s no denying that RDJ seems to have been made for this role.
He makes Iron Man likable and infuriating, and the casting choice was foundational to the MCU.
Hurt: Topher Grace as Venom
There have now been a couple of different versions of Venom in Marvel films, and the most current version is much better.
Topher Grace was mostly just hilarious and underwhelming in this role, and the script didn’t help matters much either.
Saved: Hugh Jackman as Wolverine
It’s not that every movie featuring Wolverine has been great, but this casting choice was still right.
Jackman’s performance as Wolverine was able to bring some weight to even the more ridiculous X-Men films, and his acting in Logan was superb.
Hurt: Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange
While Benedict Cumberbatch does have acting talent, he seems to be typecast into roles like these as of late, so it didn’t feel particularly interesting.
Plus, this was another missed opportunity to cast someone in a lead role who wasn’t white.
Saved: Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie
Compared to the Iron Man and Captain America trilogies, Thor’s standalone movies seemed to flounder a bit.
However, Thor: Ragnarok really changed all that. The movie was great, and part of this was because of great casting choices such as Tessa Thompson. She is one of the best newer characters in the MCU.
Hurt: Terrence Howard as Colonel James Rhodes
This entire situation was a bit of a disaster, but whether Howard was treated fairly or not, Don Cheadle is better in the role.
The only downside is that Cheadle who is a great actor has never really gotten a chance to shine in the MCU.
Saved: Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa/Black Panther
This casting choice was absolutely perfect, and it’s a tragedy on many levels that we won’t get to see him in the role again because of his passing.
But, fans can mostly agree that Boseman brought compassion, strength, and reality to the King of Wakanda.
Hurt: Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts
Potts is a rather underrated character, and she could have been really engaging and interesting.
However, Paltrow’s portrayal just wasn’t that compelling. Her Pepper Potts was rather distant and lacking in personality which is really a shame.
Paltrow has major acting skills in some roles, but she never seemed quite committed to this one.
Saved: Patrick Stewart as Professor X
While James McAvoy was cast as a younger Charles, Patrick Stewartwas perfect for the older version of the character.
You can’t really go wrong casting him as a wise, gentle but complicated man with special powers. He was just right.
