The casting process is a big part of filmmaking. When casting an actor, the ability to perform isn't the only criteria, physical resemblance is one as well.
For example, if someone were to play a different race than their own, that would definitely cause some controversy, wouldn't it? While some actors have been clever enough to get away with it (such as Robert Downey Jr. getting away with playing a black man and wearing blackface), others haven't been so lucky. But race isn't the only problem, sometimes an actor is just too associated with nerdy dorky roles to play an intimidating villain.
From Topher Grace as Venom to
Emma Stone playing a Hawaiian Chinese pilot, here are some of the most controversial Hollywood casting choices.
#1 Emma Stone in Aloha
Source: Columbia
Emma Stone's character as part Hawaiian, part Chinese Captain Allison Ng in Cameron Crowe's romance comedy Aloha was poorly welcomed upon its debut in 2015, with many viewers upset by Stone's casting as an Asian-American.
#2 Anne Hathaway in The Dark Knight Rises
Source: Warner Bros. Pictures/DC Comics
Emma Stone's character as part Batman fans are prone to anger, and when they found out that Anne Hathaway would play Catwoman in the last installment of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, they reacted angrily. Some people threatened to boycott the film outright. Many fans and journalists found it difficult to imagine Hathaway, known for her cheery "girl next door" attitude, transforming into an agile and crafty figure. Thankfully, Hathaway had no trouble proving the naysayers and fans wrong, as she reinvented the Catwoman persona as a fresh and seductive makeover., part Chinese Captain Allison Ng in Cameron Crowe's romance comedy Aloha was poorly welcomed upon its debut in 2015, with many viewers upset by Stone's casting as an Asian-American.
#3 Daniel Craig as James Bond
Source: Columbia Pictures
After much speculation, Daniel Craig was revealed as the next James Bond in 2005. However, not all Bond fans were pleased with this choice, and many were unconvinced that Craig possessed the debonair and grit required to play the famous character. Fans were also disappointed to find that the next Bond would be blonde, enraged that after five brunette Bonds, the series could just change the hair color. The actor eventually rose to the occasion, proving to be an amazing James Bond and appearing in four of the franchise's films.
#4 Ben Affleck in Batman v. Superman
Source: DC Entertainment/Warner Bros.
It's no easy assignment to fill the shoes of Michael Keaton and Christian Bale, but Ben Affleck certainly wasn't expecting the vitriol he received when it was initially announced that he'd be donning the Dark Knight's famous black cape in DC's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016. Fans claimed that he didn't appear "intimidating" enough to play Bruce Wayne, while others pointed to his much-despised turn as Daredevil as justification to forbid Affleck from taking on any superhero mantle.
#5 Eddie Redmayne in The Danish Girl
Source: Working Title/Artemis Productions
When Hollywood decided to cast Eddie Redmayne in the role of a transgender woman in 2015, critics and LGBTQ+ advocates were outraged. The Danish Girl follows artist Einar Wegener as he prepares to undertake one of the first gender reassignment procedures, with the help and support of his wife. The casting of a cisgender guy to play a transgender woman was contentious, especially in light of increased trans-awareness, and people were quick to voice their concerns online. Perhaps it's time to start casting transgender people in transgender roles.
#6 Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra
Source: 20th Century Fox
Elizabeth Taylor was cast as the title heroine in Cleopatra in 1963. Given Cleopatra's origins and mixed ethnicity, many felt that having Taylor play the Egyptian queen herself was whitewashing and culturally insulting. Taylor's portrayal of Cleopatra is said to be historically accurate. People believed at the time—and still, believe today—that a woman of color should have played Cleopatra rather than Taylor.
#7 Johnny Depp in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
Source: Warner Bros.
Johnny Depp's reputation was ruined after allegations that he assaulted ex-wife Amber Heard surfaced in 2016. Fans of the Harry Potter series were outraged when author J.K. Rowling said that she had decided to maintain the actor in the role of major villain Gellert Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald rather than recast and reshoot in light of the Depp discoveries.
#8 Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight
Source: Warner Bros. Pictures/DC Comics
Heath Ledger played the Joker brilliantly in Christopher Nolan's 2008 blockbuster The Dark Knight. However, when Ledger was announced as the new Batman, many expressed their dismay and displeasure. Many worried that the brooding attractive boy actor from Brokeback Mountain and 10 Things I Hate About You wouldn't have the guts to play the dark, evil, and haunting persona of the Joker—but Ledger proved the comic world wrong from the first scene in the bank. His work earned him a posthumous Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 2008.
#9 Jared Leto in Dallas Buyers Club
Source: Truth Entertainment/Voltage Features
Despite winning the 2013 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Dallas Buyers Club, Jared Leto faced criticism for his casting. Leto plays Rayon, a transgender woman, in the film, but many people were upset that the character was allocated to a cisgender man. Critics and transgender activists slammed Leto's portrayal, claiming it contributed to the inflated and misinterpreted perceptions about trans women.
Source: Color Force
Fans of Suzanne Collins' novel series The Hunger Games were dismayed to learn that Jennifer Lawrence would play Katniss Everdeen. Fans were concerned that Lawrence lacked the physical characteristics required to represent the character authentically. Some people were concerned about Lawrence's size and hair color, thinking she would look out of place. The protests were immediately dismissed when the picture earned positive reviews and box office results.
#11 Renee Zellweger as Bridget Jones
Source: Little Bird/StudioCanal
Renee Zellweger was cast as the charming Bridget Jones, first developed by Helen Fiedlings in her book Bridget Jones' Diary, after a two-year search. Zellweger was supposed to play the title character in the 2001 film of the same name, but fans of the book were not pleased with the casting choice. Many people were offended because Zellweger was not British and hence lacked an authentic accent. Fans also criticized the actress for being too skinny for the role of Jones. Zellwegger stunned critics and fans alike by gaining 20 pounds, working with an accent coach, and living in the United Kingdom to prepare for the legendary part.
#12 Scarlett Johansson in Ghost in the Shell
Source: Paramount Pictures
Scarlett Johansson's appointment as Major Motoko in Hollywood's live-action Ghost in the Shell production in 2016 was met with immediate outrage – and accusations of whitewashing. Fans were outraged not only by Johansson's casting as the famous anime icon, but also by the obvious erasure of the Major's Japanese nationality, which prompted fans to petition for the part to be re-cast with an actual Japanese actress.
#13 Tilda Swinton in Doctor Strange
Source: Marvel
When it was first reported that Tilda Swinton will play The Ancient One—originally an Asian man—in 2016's Doctor Strange,
Marvel fans were perplexed. However, Tilda was confident that fans would be pleased with her portrayal.
#14 Topher Grace in Spider-Man 3
Source: Sony/Marvel
Fans were unhappy, to say the least, when Sam Raimi cast That '70s Show star Topher Grace in the role of fierce Marvel villain Eddie Brock/Venom in 2007's Spider-Man 3. Usually playing roles of nerdy dorky characters, Topher acknowledged the displeasure of fans.
#15 Zoe Saldana in Nina
Source: Sony/Marvel
Nina Simone fans were outraged when it was revealed that Zoe Saldana, an Afro-Latina actress of Dominican and Puerto Rican origin, had been hired for the 2016 biopic, Nina. Many critics said Saldana wasn't "dark enough" to impersonate the African American jazz musician.