Regardless of how you feel about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, one thing that’s generally agreed upon is the great casting decisions that fill the movies. Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans, for example, perfectly embody their respective roles as Iron Man and Captain America. But for every great casting choice in the superhero franchise, there are some that aren’t as well-received, or seem like a mistake. Here are some character castings that didn’t work out, in no particular order.
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10 Terrence Howard as James Rhodes
Paramount Pictures
2008’s Iron Man saw the debut of the title character, but also of Colonel James Rhodes. Terrence Howard plays Rhodes, a pilot who gets caught between his duties to the Air Force and his relationship with Tony. His performance is decent, reflecting the tension between his job and his friendship. Howard was set to return in the sequel, but, according to ScreenRant, declined the return when he was offered less money than his contract stated. Don Cheadle took the role for the sequel, and has been a constant franchise presence since.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
9 Christopher Eccleston as Malekith
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Thor: The Dark World is often considered one of the worst MCU movies. The 2013 sequel sees Thor back on Asgard, where he is forced to team up with his trickster brother Loki to defeat the Dark Elves. The Elves are led by Malekith, played by Christopher Eccleston. Malekith admittedly has a weak villain backstory, but Eccleston also doesn’t do anything to elevate it. He doesn’t feel truly evil or threatening, and the performance further cements the movie as one of the weaker MCU offerings.
8 Mads Mikkelsen as Kaecilius
2016’s Doctor Strange is a strong origin movie for the mystical title character, with stunning visuals. One weaker aspect of the movie, however, is Mads Mikkelsen’s villain, Kaecilius. Mikkelsen is well-known for his villainous performances, but fails to stand out here. He’s a sorcerer who betrays the Ancient One in his quest for immortality and support of Dormammu, but he never feels like a well-defined or threatening villain; and with the movie’s finale focusing on Dormammu, he goes further forgotten.
7 Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One
Also appearing in Doctor Strange is the Ancient One, a mythical being who teaches the sorcerers at Kamar-Taj. Tilda Swinton brings a mysterious energy to the character, though many were disappointed that this version of the character wasn’t accurate to the comics, where the Ancient One is a Tibetan man. According to E News, director Scott Derrickson spoke about the character, saying that casting was a hard decision; he didn’t want to fulfill Tibetan mystic stereotypes, but in doing something different, he gave an Asian role to a white actor. Swinton does a good job in the role, though the casting is now considered one that didn’t work out well.
6 Mickey Rourke as Ivan Vanko/Whiplash
As the villain Ivan Vanko in 2010’s Iron Man 2, Mickey Rourke gives an over-the-top performance that’s fun, but overall detrimental. With his accent and many bits of humor, Rourke is memorable as the character himself, but not as a villain. Like the other MCU villains on this list, he doesn’t feel truly menacing or dangerous, especially as the movie progresses. Even his backstory about his family fades in favor of more humorous moments. His performance is almost too much, and it makes him a weak villain.
5 Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts
Debuting in Iron Man, Gwyneth Paltrow plays Pepper Potts, Tony’s assistant who becomes his love interest and eventual wife. She’s not horrible in the role, but she also doesn’t make Pepper great or stand out, especially against Downey’s performance. She seems like a generic assistant without much personality, just there to be a love interest. Though her appearance in Avengers: Endgame gave her an emotional moment with Tony, there are hardly any such moments in her previous appearances.
4 Natalie Portman as Jane Foster
Similar to Paltrow, Natalie Portman debuted as Jane Foster, the scientist-turned-love-interest of Thor in 2011’s Thor. Portman is an Oscar-winning actress, but her performance as Jane is a bit flat; she doesn’t elevate it or make Jane a memorable character, and this holds true in the sequel. Love and Thunder brings an emotional end to her story, but her absence in Ragnarok shows that the character isn’t fully necessary to the Thor franchise, or the other characters.
3 Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver
Aaron Taylor-Johnson makes his full debut as the speedster Quicksilver in 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron. With his twin sister Wanda, he first mistrusts the Avengers, but joins their side to defeat Ultron. His unmemorable performance simply doesn’t add much to the movie; even his death to save Hawkeye doesn’t feel as emotional as it could, and is overshadowed by Wanda’s reaction and desire for revenge. Finally, his performance is also compared to the Quicksilver played by Evan Peters in the X-Men films. With Peters’ fun performance, Taylor-Johnson’s version fades even more.
2 Finn Jones as Danny Rand/Iron Fist
Netflix Streaming Services
Iron Fist ran on Netflix from 2017 to 2018, and was later added to the official MCU catalog. The show follows Finn Jones as Danny Rand, a billionaire orphan who masters martial arts and becomes Iron Fist, balancing his past with his search for identity. The show got mostly negative reviews, with Jones’ performance unable to help much. He doesn’t bring the charm necessary to make Danny a lovable or compelling character. Instead, he feels more like a boring rich kid than a deep, enjoyable hero.
1 Edward Norton as Bruce Banner/Hulk
Universal Pictures
2008’s The Incredible Hulk stars Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, a scientist who is exposed to gamma radiation and can become the Hulk. The movie itself wasn’t well-received and had a low box office gross, while Norton’s attempt at a serious approach also got mixed reviews and didn’t help the movie. He wasn’t able to capture the spirit of the hero, especially in the lead role. When it came time to assemble the team for 2012’s The Avengers, Mark Ruffalo was recast as the character, with a performance that mixed humor and darkness.
