22 Iconic Movie Roles That Were Horribly Miscast, According To Fans

    "The entire Twilight movie felt uncomfortable because Robert Pattinson played Edward as really awkward and miserable. I don't think replacing him would have fixed the movie, but it certainly would have helped with the overall tone."

    Kristen Harris
    by Kristen Harris

    BuzzFeed Staff

    So many great movies can be brought down when one actor just seems out of place. While they may have plenty of talent, they're just not the right fit for the role.

    Recently, redditor u/LuckyLaceyKS asked, "What iconic movie role was miscast?"

    Here are 22 of the top answers:

    1. Tom Holland as Nathan Drake in Uncharted.

    Tom as Nathan in the air
    Sony Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

    "That role was and always will be Nathan Fillion's role to play. It's such a shame Hollywood never called. He wanted the role. He even financed his own YouTube short film showing what an Uncharted film starring him would be like. 

    "Instead, we got Tom Holland. I love the guy, but he's not Nathan Drake."

    —u/TwitterClitter90

    2. Jared Leto as the Joker in Suicide Squad and Zack Snyder's Justice League.

    Jared as the Joker
    Clay Enos / © Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection

    "Absolute waste."

    —u/Wazula23

    "Heath Ledger's iconic performance as the Joker was beloved by fans, and his tragic death only further cemented his legacy. Someone had to take the hit in playing Joker again, and I, for one, am glad it was Jared Leto, who is already so easy to dislike. Leto's sacrifice enabled the Joker movie and allowed fans to enjoy Joaquin Phoenix's interpretation of the character."

    —u/Nooob-Noob

    3. Tom Hanks as Col. Tom Parker in Elvis.

    Tom sitting with Austin Butler as Elvis
    Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection

    —u/bisho

    "They should have cast John Goodman for that role."

    —u/Solid_College_9145

    4. Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon in The Da Vinci Code.

    Close-up of Tom as Robert with his arms folded
    Sony Pictures Entertainment / Via youtube.com

    "The role should have been played by Sam Neill."

    —u/CharlesTGutierez

    "I pictured more of a George Clooney type reading the books. As much as I love Tom Hanks, it did not suit him at all."

    —u/hoginlly

    5. Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's.

    Audrey as Holly holding a glass
    Paramount Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

    "The character is a poor escort who came from nothing and gets caught up in dealings with the Mafia. So who did they cast? One of the most refined, sophisticated European stars.

    "The story is stellar, as is the iconic dress, but even [Truman Capote, the author of the book it's based on,] thought she was miscast. Holly should have been played by a young woman who was already world-weary, with a New Yorker's mouth, so the redemption arc in the story would work. For a film like this, it would have been fair to get an actor with Sophia Loren's looks but a Lauren Bacall kind of snappiness underneath it."

    —u/Clever_Mercury

    6. Emma Watson as Belle in Beauty and the Beast (2017).

    Emma as Belle dancing in a flowing gown
    Laurie Sparham / © Walt Disney Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

    "She's got the looks down, but her singing is meh, to the point where they had to auto-tune it, and it sounds weird. Her acting is also stiff and fretful, and she doesn't have any chemistry with any of the other actors, let alone Beast. There were better choices for the role."

    —u/Allfunandgaymes

    7. John Wayne as Genghis Khan in The Conqueror.

    John as Genghis
    RKO Radio Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

    —u/TrailerParkPrepper

    8. Susie Shinner as young Lily Potter in the Harry Potter franchise.

    Close-up of Susie as Lily outdoors
    Warner Bros. Pictures / Via youtube.com

    "She's in like four brief, blurry flashbacks. Can't you find a redhead with blue eyes? 

    "I know they're green in the books, but they needed to match Daniel Radcliffe's, with all the 'your mother's eyes' comments."

    —u/froggyforrest

    9. Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen in The Twilight Saga.

    Robert as Edward looking glum
    Summit Entertainment / Via youtube.com

    "People hate on the movies for a lot of valid reasons, but I constantly hear, 'Kristen Stewart was so awkward,' and nothing about how awful Robert Pattinson was. Bella is supposed to be awkward. Edward is supposed to be smooth as fuck. The entire movie felt uncomfortable because Robert played Edward as really awkward and miserable. I don't think replacing him would have fixed the movie, but it certainly would have helped with the overall tone."

    —u/Blessed_tenrecs

    10. Cara Delevingne as Laureline in Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.

    Cara as Laureline with her hand raised and looking up
    Vikram Gounassegarin / © STX Entertainment / Courtesy Everett Collection

    "Not incredibly iconic from an American perspective (perhaps more so in Europe), but Cara Delevingne was so over-the-top awful that it just destroyed the movie. 

    "The dude who played Valerian, Dane DeHaan, was a bit better, but not much. I wanted them both to just. Stop. Talking."

    —u/sadwer

    11. Michael Biehn as Kyle Reese in The Terminator.

    Michael as Kyle holding a weapon
    Orion / Courtesy Everett Collection

    "Michael Biehn took inspiration from Polish resistance fighters in preparing for the role, and he was playing a shell-shocked, somewhat emaciated veteran.

    "Never mind that. Let's hire some beefed-up guy who could be on the cover of Men's Health and would honestly be better cast as a Terminator."

    —u/square3481

    12. Zoe Saldaña as Nina Simone in Nina.

    Close-up of Zoe with long earrings, a head wrap, and darkened skin
    RLJ Entertainment / Via youtube.com

    "That movie was painful. Please, for all that is good and pure, just watch What Happened, Miss Simone? instead and bask in its greatness. That's one of the best documentaries ever."

    —u/knight_ofdoriath

    "She actually apologized for playing that role!"

    —u/city_posts

    13. Cameron Diaz as Jenny Everdeane in Gangs of New York.

    Cameron as Jenny with her hair up and in a high-collared outfit
    Miramax Films / Via youtube.com

    "Everyone else nailed it, especially Daniel Day-Lewis, but she stuck out like a sore thumb."

    —u/Soul_Taco79

    14. Keanu Reeves as Jonathan Harker in Bram Stoker's Dracula.

    Keanu as Jonathan in a vest and shirt with rolled-up sleeves
    Columbia Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

    "I love Keanu Reeves, but he was terrible in that role. People even made montages about how bad it was."

    —u/-eDgAR-

    15. Topher Grace as Eddie Brock/Venom in Spider-Man 3.

    Topher as Eddie in a leather jacket and sweater
    Sony Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

    —u/destro23

    "The entire time watching that, all I could think was, Man, Topher Grace would have made an awesome Peter Parker."

    —u/powerlesshero111

    16. Chloë Grace Moretz as Carrie White in Carrie (2013).

    Chloë as Carrie putting on a prom dress and corsage as her mother looks at her in the doorway
    Michael Gibson / © Sony Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

    —u/HamilWhoTangled

    17. Idris Elba as Roland Deschain and Matthew McConaughey as Randall Flagg in The Dark Tower.

    Idris as Roland and Matthew as Randall looking at each other
    Ilze Kitshoff / Columbia Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

    "Idris Elba is one of my favorite actors, and he was faaaar from the main problem with The Dark Tower, but swapping him and Matthew McConaughey would have made a lot of sense to me. I feel like they'd have been a lot better in each other's role. McConaughey is an easier sell as a cowboy, and I have seen enough to know that Elba knocks any bad guy character out of the park."

    —u/GotThoseJukes

    18. Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League.

    Jesse as Lex with long hair and a smirk
    Warner Bros. Pictures / Via youtube.com

    —u/Rowanx3

    "I don't hate the idea of it. Updating Luthor into a Silicon Valley tech bro asshole is an idea I can get behind, and Jesse Eisenberg embodied that role already in The Social Network.

    "But the execution of it was terrible."

    —u/The_Vampire_Barlow

    19. Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan/Green Lantern in Green Lantern.

    Ryan as Green Lantern
    Francois Duhamel / Warner Bros. Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

    "As much as I love Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, I think another Canadian should have played the Green Lantern in the live-action adaptation: Nathan Fillion."

    —u/BluestNovember

    20. Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher in the Jack Reacher series.

    Tom as Jack gesturing
    David James / Paramount / Courtesy Everett Collection

    —u/RoutineResort8802

    21. Will Smith as the Genie in Aladdin (2019).

    Will pointing as the Genie
    Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

    "Jack Black should have been the Genie in the live-action Aladdin, and I will die on this hill."

    —u/tway_010

    22. And finally, Kevin Costner as Robin Hood in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.

    Kevin as Robin Hood with a bow
    Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection

    "Obvious but necessary mention. I'd say most of the starring roles were miscast, but none were as offensively bad as 'Kevin Costner plays....Kevin Costner.'"

    —u/BlackLetterLies

    Note: Some of these responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.

    Which one of these miscastings do you agree with most? Are there any you think were 100% wrong? What about iconic movie miscastings we missed? Share your answers in the comments!