10 Seemingly Awful Movie Castings That Ultimately Paid Off

Not a single soul walking the earth today would question whether the all-round acting powerhouse that is Adam Driver has the chops to carry the big bad burden in a legendary franchise.

However, 2014 was a very different time indeed. And back then, despite still boasting a number of appearances in critically acclaimed dramas such as Lincoln and Inside Llewyn Davis, Driver was mostly known for his work on HBO's Girls dramedy series.

So, news of the star who was yet to really breakout as a leading man suddenly being drafted in as the next generation of Star Wars' newest villainous face was enough to leave many scratching their heads. Some outlets even went as far as to wonder why an actor with more "gravitas" like Michael Fassbender or Hugo Weaving wasn't brought in for such a meaty and vital role.

But J.J. Abrams knew exactly what he was doing, delivering yet another piece of simply inspired casting by the time Driver's Kylo Ren thrashed onto the scene in 2015's The Force Awakens. Easily taking the prize of most compelling presence throughout the often divisive Sequel Trilogy with his deeply conflicted Ben Solo, Driver would only go from strength to strength in the years that followed his once controversial walk on the Dark Side.