10 Biggest Casting Mistakes In MCU History

They don't always get it right, you know...

Heimdall Thor
Marvel Studios

When Marvel set out to expand their universe by interconnecting the stories of the heroes available to them and thus paying those narratives off in the ensemble hero blockbusters of the decade, even they couldn't imagine how so much could go so right.

That paints a picture of a studio that can do no wrong and have seen every vessel they come into contact with turn to gold - when in reality it couldn't be further from the truth.

Failure is an unavoidable part of filmmaking and when you're spinning a bundle of intricate storylines and characters at the same time, a few of your choices are bound to fizzle instead of popping.

This is why casting decisions are often cited as the most important part of a movie's genesis from script to screen.

Get it right and you gift yourself a marketable sensation both in their vision of the character and in their public persona - a la Robert Downey Jr. Get it wrong and you end up with either a naff depiction of a comic book character or a disgruntled actor who shouldn't of been anywhere near your project to begin with.

Marvel doesn't always get it right and this bunch prove it...

10. Edward Norton (The Incredible Hulk)

Heimdall Thor
Universal Studios

Edward Norton isn't known for being the easiest actor in Hollywood to work with. His talent is undeniable but if your plan is to forge a fledgling cinematic universe, you may want a bit more of a team player to be the face of one of your most iconic characters.

The stories of Norton's on-set behaviour in The Incredible Hulk production have become infamous at this point - with him fundamentally disagreeing with the studio's vision of the character/script/film as a whole.

Norton was replaced in the role for the eventual Avengers team up and that definitely attracted the kind of media attention that Marvel wanted to avoid. The former Big Green Guy's agent even went as far as to stress that Norton had been offered the chance to reprise the role, only for Marvel to back out and offer Mark Ruffalo the part due to suspected financial restraints and a more harmonious set.

It all looked ugly and could've been avoided if the casting process had taken 'playing well with others' into account.

In this post: 
MCU
 
First Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

Lifts rubber and metal. Watches people flip in spandex and pretends to be other individuals from time to time...