20 actors who proved people wrong after casting criticism

Ryan Gosling received all sorts of criticism online for the choice to cast him as Ken in Barbie. Ultimately, though, Greta Gerwig’s vision was realized, and Gosling became instantly iconic in the role, even garnering an Oscar nomination for his work. 

Why would anyone doubt Ben Affleck? The man knows cinema. The Oscar winner was criticized when it was announced that he’d be taking on the role of Batman for the film Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. While fans didn’t love the movie as a whole, they did love Affleck in the titular role. 

Ben Affleck isn’t the only man to be doubted as Batman. Michael Keaton took on the role in the late ‘80s, and people were skeptical at first. But after seeing the film, all criticism went away. 

Perhaps when it comes to casting Batman, fans should have a little more faith in those actually making the movies. Robert Pattinson proved lots of critics wrong after taking on the role for The Batman. 

Bridget Jones’s Diary fans weren’t thrilled to learn that Renée Zellweger had been cast as the eponymous character in the novel’s screen adaptation. Zellweger obviously had something to prove, because she made the character iconic and got multiple sequels out of her portrayal. 

Robert Downey Jr. has spent much of the latter half of his career proving people wrong. He did it in a major way when he played a fantastic Sherlock Holmes in the 2009 film after being met with criticism for the casting decision. 

It’s nearly impossible to cast someone in a biopic without some sort of backlash, especially when casting such an iconic person. Nicole Kidman received lots of backlash when she was cast as Lucille Ball in Being The Ricardos, but her multiple award nominations for the role beg to differ that she wasn’t the right choice. 

Casting a superhero role is tricky, especially when it’s a female. Gal Gadot took on Wonder Woman, and many people did not take well to the news. In retrospect, the worries were silly. Gadot was praised for her performance. 

If there’s any non-superhero role that’s just as tricky to step into, it’s James Bond. Daniel Craig knows that better than anyone due to the backlash he received after his casting. Now, though, he’s one of the most famous men to ever take on the role. 

Jennifer Lawrence wasn’t a good choice in many readers’ eyes for the role of Katniss Everdeen in the screen adaptation of The Hunger Games. Whether her looks or her age, people thought she was the wrong choice. Obviously, those people were very wrong. 

There were lots of skeptics ahead of The Hunger Games. Readers weren’t too happy to learn that Woody Harrelson was cast as Haymitch, either, but he proved to be the absolute best choice for the role. 

It's hard to imagine Keira Knightley receiving criticism for being cast in a period piece, but such was the case when it was announced she’d be playing Elizabeth Bennet in Pride & Prejudice. She proved everyone wrong, though, and got herself an Oscar nomination. 

Lots of people thought that Matthew Macfadyen wasn’t the right choice for Pride & Prejudice, either, citing his looks as the main issue. In the end, Macfadyen got an entirely new generation to love Mr. Darcy. 

Die-hard comic book fans weren’t so sure about Ryan Reynolds being chosen to play Deadpool in the eponymous movie. But Reynolds proved critics wrong, and it’s arguably become his most notable role to date.

Today, it’s hard to separate Hugh Jackman from Wolverine, but when he was first cast, many questioned whether he was the right choice. It’s clear now that no one else could play Wolverine quite like Jackman.

Many people doubted whether Heath Ledger would do the role of the Joker justice in The Dark Knight. Tragically, he didn’t live to see just how iconic he became in the role. 

By simply looking at Charlize Theron, no one thought she was the right choice to play serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster. But Theron completely transformed for the role, and she won an Oscar for her work. 

Plenty of people have taken on the role of M.J. in a Spider-Man film, but none have gotten quite as much pushback as Zendaya. The Challengers star was criticized for not having the right look, but after watching her in the role (and learning that she actually played Michelle Jones-Watson, not Mary Jane Watson), the critics were silenced. 

According to many, Angelina Jolie wasn’t the obvious choice to play Maleficent in the live-action Disney film, but she was spectacular. There’s a reason she’s played the role more than once. 

People forget that Melissa McCarthy has been nominated for multiple Academy Awards. The woman can act, and she proved doubters wrong when she did a fabulous job as Ursula in the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid.