15 Times Hollywood’s Casting Choices Left Viewers Wondering ‘Why?’

Sometimes, even talented actors are cast in roles that just don’t suit them. Whether it’s due to their appearance, acting style, or simply not fitting the character, these casting choices can leave audiences confused. 

Here, we’ll look at actors who were chosen for roles that didn’t quite match, and what critics have to say about it. 

1. Ghost in the Shell (2017) – Scarlett Johansson as Major Motoko Kusanagi

When Scarlett Johansson was chosen to play the main character in the live-action version of the Japanese manga “Ghost in the Shell,” many people were upset because the character is originally Japanese.

Fans thought the casting was disrespectful, even though the story involves a Japanese woman’s mind being put into a white woman’s body. (ref)

Director Rupert Sanders said they picked Johansson because she was a popular actress, (ref) but the negative reactions and the way the original story was handled caused the movie to fail at the box office.

2. The Great Wall (2016) – Matt Damon as William

Even though famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou made “The Great Wall,” the movie got criticism for casting white actor Matt Damon as the main character in a story set in China’s Song dynasty. (ref) 

Damon and the director explained that the movie is fantasy, not based on real history, and Damon’s character is just one of five heroes, with the others being Chinese. (ref) Still, many people saw this as another example of whitewashing.

3. Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014) – Mark Wahlberg as Cade Yeager

Mark Wahlberg’s role as Cade Yeager in Transformers: Age of Extinction was criticized because the character was seen as just a generic action hero. Critics felt the story and character development were shallow, and Wahlberg’s performance didn’t improve the material. (ref)

Compared to previous characters in the franchise, his role felt like a step down and “not the guy you cast to play an expert in robotics.” (ref) This contributed to the film’s negative reviews, with many calling it boring and too long.

4. Nina (2016) – Zoe Saldaña as Nina Simone

Actress Zoe Saldaña faced criticism for playing the famous singer Nina Simone in a movie about her life. The issue was that Saldaña, who is a lighter-skinned Afro-Latina, was cast to play Simone, who was a darker-skinned African American. (ref) 

To look more like Simone, Saldaña had her skin darkened and wore a fake nose, which many people found disrespectful to Simone’s legacy. (ref)

5. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) – Mickey Rooney as Mr. Yunioshi

In the classic film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” Mickey Rooney played Mr. Yunioshi, Holly Golightly’s Japanese neighbor, with big buckteeth and thick glasses. 

Rooney’s performance used heavy makeup and a fake accent, which today is seen as a disrespectful example of yellowface and a harmful stereotype of an Asian character. (ref)

6.  Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) – Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor

Jesse Eisenberg’s performance as Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice faced criticism for being too different from the traditional character.

Fans expected Lex to be calm, older, and calculating, but Eisenberg played him with a youthful, erratic energy, which some felt was more like the Joker. (ref) 

Critics said his portrayal lacked authenticity, and Eisenberg admitted he wasn’t a comic book fan, which raised doubts about his understanding of the role. (ref)

7. How Do You Know (2010) – Reese Witherspoon as Lisa

Reese Witherspoon’s casting as Lisa in How Do You Know was criticized for being a poor fit. Critics felt her performance didn’t match the character’s emotional depth, making Lisa’s struggles hard to believe. (ref)

The film itself didn’t do well, and Witherspoon’s miscasting was seen as one of the reasons it failed to connect with audiences. (ref)

8. The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005-2012) – Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman

Although Christian Bale’s portrayal of Batman is now iconic, there was doubt when he was first cast. Fans and critics weren’t sure if Bale, known for smaller drama roles, could handle a big superhero movie.

Bale mentioned that people laughed when he talked about doing a serious Batman movie, showing how casting choices can face skepticism. (ref) He turned down a fourth Dark Knight film to stick to a “trilogy.” (ref)

9. Elvis (2022) – Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker

Tom Hanks’ role as Colonel Tom Parker in Elvis was controversial because of the character’s unethical and manipulative behavior. Critics thought Hanks, known for playing likable characters, was a strange choice for such a morally complex role. (ref) 

The film tried to show Parker’s exploitative relationship with Elvis Presley, which felt surprising to some fans given Hanks’ usual image.

This casting choice was seen as different from Hanks’ typical roles, leading to mixed reactions about his performance and how the film handled Parker’s controversial history. (ref)

10. The Last Airbender (2010) – Various Casting Choices

M. Night Shyamalan’s movie The Last Airbender was heavily criticized for its casting choices. The film cast mostly white actors in lead roles, even though the original story was set in a diverse, Asian-inspired world. (ref)

Noah Ringer, Nicola Peltz, and Jackson Rathbone played the main characters Aang, Katara, and Sokka, respectively. 

This led to accusations of whitewashing and claims that the film didn’t honor its cultural origins. The backlash was so strong that it became a major topic in conversations about representation in Hollywood. (ref)

11. Ghostbusters (2016) – All-Female Cast

The 2016 Ghostbusters reboot, with an all-female cast including Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones, faced strong backlash even before it came out.

Critics and fans were unhappy with the casting choice and often made sexist and racist comments. (ref) 

The negative reactions overshadowed the performances of the talented actresses. The harsh threats and obvious racist attacks were clearly from the worst side of the so-called “fandom” of Ghostbusters. (ref)

12. A Mighty Heart (2007) – Angelina Jolie as Mariane Pearl

Although the studio said they didn’t use makeup to darken Angelina Jolie’s skin, there were still accusations of blackface because Jolie played the part-Afro-Cuban journalist Mariane Pearl. (ref) Jolie’s skin appeared more tanned to match Pearl’s light-brown skin. 

Despite the criticism of the casting choice, Pearl defended Jolie in a 2007 Time interview, saying she personally asked Jolie to play her role. Pearl praised Jolie’s dedication and felt they had an important story to tell together. (ref)

13. Pan (2015) – Rooney Mara as Tiger Lily

In J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, written in the early 20th century, the Indigenous characters were never portrayed in a respectful way, and Disney’s 1953 animated version made them look even worse. 

Tiger Lily is supposed to be a Native woman, so when white actress Rooney Mara was cast to play her in Joe Wright’s Pan, there was a lot of backlash, even leading to a petition on social media.

While Wright defended the casting, (ref) Mara later said she regretted taking the role. (ref)

14. Music (2021) – Maddie Ziegler as Music Gamble

In 2021, pop star Sia faced backlash for casting Maddie Ziegler, who is not autistic, to play an autistic girl in her film Music. Many felt the character was an offensive stereotype, sparking debate about whether neurotypical actors should play neurodivergent roles. (ref)

Sia initially defended the casting and responded angrily on Twitter but later apologized because of mental distress. (ref) A few years later, Sia shared that she is on the autism spectrum. (ref) 

15. The Conqueror (1956) – John Wayne as Genghis Khan

In 1956, few people objected to John Wayne playing Genghis Khan in The Conqueror, but looking back, the decision to have Wayne in yellowface hasn’t aged well. The movie also caused controversy for other reasons: it flopped so badly that it bankrupted RKO Pictures. (ref) 

Furthermore, it was filmed near a nuclear testing site, and many believe this contributed to several cast and crew members later dying from cancer. (ref)

In the end, casting can make or break a movie. These examples show that the best actors can struggle when cast in the wrong part.