" The first metre I heard about Hugh Jackman ’s cast inX - Men , I was shocked . ' The guy from the stage musicalThe Boy from Ozis going to be Wolverine ? Seriously ? ! He ’s way too tall , and he ’s a birdcall - and - terpsichore man , not an natural process paladin ! ' "
We recentlyaskedmembers of ourBuzzFeed Community, “Who was an actor you were sure would be mediocre in a role when it was first announced, but were pleasantly proven wrong when the trailer or movie was released?” and you better believe movie lovers came through with some perfect examples of this phenomenon.
So, with that in mind, here are just a few of the most popular responses shared:
1.Chris Prattas Mario inTheSuper MarioBros. Movie(2023)
“We all laughed when it was announced that he was going to be voicing Mario, but seeing the movie, I absolutely loved it. He gives us a surprisingly good performance, even though he does have an American accent.”
— ameliachastain17
You can watch a bit of the performance here:
2.Will Smithplaying Genie inAladdin(2019)
“I was really worried when that casting was first announced, but he actually pulled it off.”
— jennifers4eb4b7bed
3.Madonna as Mae Mordabito inA League of Their Own(1992)
“In an ensemble movie, she works. As a lead, not so much.”
— crafty_gm
4.Michael Keaton as Batman inBatman(1989)
“Let’s not forget that everyone doubted his ability to pull off Batman. He was inMr. MomandBeetlejuiceup until then, but he made that role iconic.”
— cheesemonster
5.Also, Robert Pattinson as Batman inThe Batman(2022)
“I thought he was gonna be terrible, but he was so good! He actually kept me into the movie. I thought it was going feel like a long three hours, but with how entertaining the movie was, it didn’t feel that long at all.”
— bridgetd5
6.Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader as Maggie and Milo Dean inThe Skeleton Twins(2014)
“I didn’t know they were such amazing dramatic actors. That movie was really moving and sad, but they did such a good job!”
— m_gardens
7.Sharlto Copley as Murdock inThe A-Team(2010)
“The only thing he had done prior wasDistrict 9. He was great in both!”
— artemisrwill
8.Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones inBridget Jones’s Diary(2001)
“Can’t top that!”
— hilayyigit
9.Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in theX-Menfilms
“The first time I heard about the casting, I was aghast. The guy from the stage musicalThe Boy from Oz? Seriously?! He’s way too tall, and he’s a song-and-dance man, not an action hero! But, wow, did he nail that role to the point that I feel sorry for whoever tries to embody it next. They have very big claws to fill.”
— angels4d4906ef4
10.Anne Hathaway as Catwoman inThe Dark Knight Rises(2012)
“I thought that was an awful choice originally. I must say I was pleasantly surprised with that one.”
— a43920c533
11.Justin Timberlake as Jim Berkey inInside Llewyn Davis(2013)
“I know it was just a small part, but I thought he was very funny and very effective. I haven’t seen him in anything else, so can’t comment on his overall acting talent, but he did a good job.”
— bravesgirl21
12.Heath Ledger as the Joker inThe Dark Knight(2008)
“I was definitely one of those people who, when Heath Ledger was announced as the Joker, was like, ‘The guy fromA Knight’s Taleand10 Things I Hate About You? That’s never going to work!’ Then, when the first stills were released and we saw him in Joker makeup sitting in the jail cell, I thought, ‘Wow! He actually looks scary!’ When I went to see the film, I was forced to eat my early words because, as we know, he was just magnificent.”
— jonsharky
13.Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen inThe Hunger Gamesfranchise
“I was a huge fan of the first book and super excited when they announced they were making the film. I didn’t know who J. Law was before she was cast as Katniss, and my initial thought was, ‘How is this blonde bombshell going to play Katniss?!’ And to be honest, she never quite matched the picture I had in my head of Katniss, but I was blown away by her performance all the same.”
— bingbongbtch
14.Chris Pine as Captain Kirk inStar Trek(2009)
“I only remembered him from that shitty Lindsay Lohan movie, and I thought he was terrible in that, so I assumed he couldn’t possibly play Captain Kirk. I was really happy to be wrong.”
— cruelsummer89
15.Elizabeth Olsen as Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
“She hit it out of the park — love her as that part, and love the character more and more!”
— flowerdragon60
16.Daniel Craig as James Bond in the 007 franchise
“I just could not see him in the role. Glad I was wrong! He was excellent.”
— leaactons
17.Clint Eastwood as Robert Kincaid inThe Bridges of Madison County(1995)
“When I readThe Bridges of Madison County, the last person in the world I would have seen as Robert was Clint Eastwood. In my head, he was Dirty Harry. I was irrationally angry when I read that he was not only going to direct it, but also play the sensitive photographer. I had no problem with Meryl Streep as Francesca (because she can play anything). I decided to go to see the movie despite my anger over the casting. Eastwood was fantastic as Robert. He was so good that now I can’t imagine anyone else in that role.”
— suziesezsomething
18.Steve Carell as John Eleuthère du Pont inFoxcatcher(2014)
“100%.”
— kylee42a0a0f79
And finally:
19.Tom Holland as Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
“I wasn’t sure he was right for the role after seeing Tobey and Andrew, but wow, he killed it. I can’t imagine anyone more fitting for the role now.”
— aribuckley14
Some responses were edited for length and/or clarity .
Universal Pictures / Viayoutube.com
