9. Matt Damon - The Bourne Identity
Much like Daniel Craig, Matt Damon got tons of flak for taking on Jason Bourne.
"He's too young, "he's too nice", "he's not a trained assassin". Apparently, fans of the book had a hard time in wrapping their heads around the fact that actors, y'know,
act for a living. Just like they failed to credit casting agents and directors and producers with screen testing to ensure the star they have in mind to carry their $150m movie actually has the chops to pull it off. They also had a struggle wrapping their brains around the obvious concept that a successful, deadly black ops agent will not look like a successful, deadly black ops agent. In fact, he'll look rather anonymous and blend in, otherwise the bad guys will easily spot his attempts at surveillance and subterfuge and shout:
"over there! The 6 foot four guy with bulging muscles, combat paint, a Glock, Beretta, AK-47 and hunting knife, performing high velocity roundhouse kicks and with a stare that can cut through steel - he's the agent that's been sent to infiltrate us!" And now we're three movies in, cannot imagine anyone else playing the role, and wishing we didn't have to suffer the woeful Jeremy Renner in The Bourne Legacy.