50 Huge Movie Characters That Were Completely Miscast

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has for a long time had something of a villain problem, where too many antagonists have felt like underdeveloped afterthoughts. Of course, there have been exceptions, but the likes of Ronan, Malekith, and Dar-Benn (Lee Pace, Christopher Ecclestone, and Zawe Ashton) have been particularly forgettable.

With Black Widow, the MCU had the chance to bring to life a stronger-than-average villain in Dreykov. His past with Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) had already been alluded to in The Avengers, and with the foundation already laid, their story could have hit the ground running, allowing more time to properly develop the character.

None of that happened, and even if it did, Dreykov would have been let down by a simply mystifying casting decision. At what point did anybody think that Ray Winston should be playing someone with a Russian accent? You could hear the Cockney come through almost every sentence, and it ruined any tension the character could have boasted before.

Winston has played great antagonists in the past, but someone like Dreykov, who needed that little bit more nuanced intimidation, that grudge against Natasha, and of course, a convincing accent, needed a better performance. The actor gave about what you might expect, which is arguably the most disappointing thing about it.