As the title suggests, this article is a list of casting decisions that didn't make any sense at the time yet ultimately proved to be strokes of genius. Of course, such a list can only ever be subjective and one man's meat is another man's polonium-210, but I'm happy enough that the people who've made this list will be met with nods of approval from the vast majority of people (excluding the film nerd who'll rant and rave because someone from a little-known Polish/Iranian/Korean film didn't make the cut). The list is compiled in no particular order and the rules applied in its creation were simply that an actor could only appear once (Tom Cruise had multiple entries before that little ditty was invoked), the bafflement had to be on an international scale, and only feature films could be used. Ready? Let's do it!
10. Daniel Craig - James Bond
Arguably the most hotly contested casting decision of the century - Daniel Craig as Bond. Claims of being too ugly, too short -
too blonde - were lashed around. There was even a website - www.danielcraigisnotbond.com - set up by people with nothing of note in their lives. The world, it seemed, was doomed. Sod the Hadron Collider blowing through the earth's mantle and creating a black hole that would devour the entire planet, Daniel Craig playing Bond was the most terrible and terrifying that could ever happen! Errr, and then Casino Royale exploded onto our screens, knocked our socks off, and installed Craig as the best Bond ever. Cold, ruthless, determined - a spy that finally looked like he killed for a living. Built like a Tonka truck and looking like he can handle himself in a fight (without fear of his hairpiece coming loose), Craig burst into life, chasing a guy over a construction site obstacle course that would make even Peter Parker think twice. And those people at danielcraigisnotbond.com? They suddenly realised how stupid they'd been. All except a handful - but theyre probably members of the Flat Earth Society so.