2. Idris Elba - Alex Cross
Have you seen TV's Luther? Have you read Alex Cross? Both properties centre on maverick detectives with huge brains who happen to be black - the first is a BBC series starring the always great Idris Elba, the second is a series of books written by the once good author James Patterson. And though the recent Alex Cross movie, which was titled "Alex Cross," was a relative failure, there's no arguing the fact that Idris Elba would have been perfect for the role. Or maybe he would have been perfect for the role in another, separate Alex Cross movie. Unfortunately, Tyler Perry stepped into Cross' boots after Idris Elba had already signed on, and reportedly forced him out of the role when the producers realised they might be able to bring in Perry's dedicated audience. Perry sucked, and so did the film, so maybe it was a blessing in disguise; but it also means that Alex Cross was wasted on a non-actor, when Elba would've killed it.