Thoughts on the MCU Casting

[TristanBelmont]

Yeah yeah yeah, there's probably already a thread on this but I don't feel like digging through eighty pages of forum topics. So I'm gonna offer my thoughts on the casting of each main character in the MCU (and mention other character/actor decisions if they REALLY stand out), and probably give a one-sentence of those films in general.

Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury: As we all know, in the comics leading up to the MCU starting, Fury started being written specifically to be like SamJack, with the caveat that he would get to play him on the big screen. He's still doing some of the best of his career. As the angry black guy.
Because that's the one role SamJack has done for like three decades now but god DAMN does he sell it.

Robert Downey, Jr. as Iron Man: Pretty good choice. He does the whole "snarky with a heart of gold" thing pretty decently. Just wish his films were better.

Chris Hemsworth as Thor: He's a big handsome dude with long blonde hair so he passes the physical test and he has a dumb smirk that works with the character's overconfidence flaw. His films could be weirder but they're alright.

I am aware Edward Norton's film is canonically a part of the MCU but I'm glad Mark Ruffalo has the part instead (as much as I LOVE Norton). I really do hope Hulk gets his own movie soon. I know Planet Hulk/World War Hulk isn't gonna happen anytime soon but I can hope.

Chris Evans as Captain America: Still the absolute best casting choice Marvel has done. He embodies the best aspect of Rogers perfectly: complete selflessness. The First Avenger is AMAZING and The Winter Soldier is still the best MCU movie.

Aaron Taylor Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen as Scarlet Silver and Quick Witch: Not a whole lot to say about them yet, but great so far.

Anthony Mackie as The Falcon: Really good. Has amazing chemistry with Evans, which is kinda necessary as a sidekick (let's be clear, that's what he is for most of Winter Soldier).

Everyone in Guardians of the Galaxy:
A guy known for being a huge goofy goober on TV? Perfect for Starlord.
Uhura as Gomora? Great.
Bradley Cooper as a snarky asshole raccoon? Works better than I expected.
A WWE superstar as the bloodthirsty muscle? Standout of the bunch.
A huge nerd with an already-deep-and-imposing voice playing a big tree? He says like five things in this movie and it's all great (Seriously I still can't seem to get over how much of a nerd Vin "Fast and the Furious" Diesel is)

Paul Rudd as Ant-Man: Pretty good. Wish we could have gotten the original version.

Paul Bettany as JARVIS/Vision: Pretty good. He somehow brings snark to a computer. Works real good.
---------UPCOMING-------
Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange: This feels like stunt casting and I wish they had gone with someone else. Liam Neeson or Jim Caveizel or hell, get Joaquin Phoenix back. All of these are better.

Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther: Pretty good choice. Real excited for this one.

Thomas Holland as Spider-Man: Meh. Could be worse, could be better. We're never gonna get casting as perfect as Tobey Maguire again but at least it's not, to quote Moviebob, "the other Edward Cullen".
--------------------------

And now, just for kicks, I wanna say I really like Ben Affleck as Batman. And he's gonna write and direct and star in the first DCCU Batman movie!

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

You forgot someone important and that someone is now pissed

Spoiler

 

[TristanBelmont]

You forgot someone important and that someone is now pissed

Spoiler

You're completely right!
I've just kinda ignored her and Hawkeye and basically everyone in SHIELD except Fury. While I do have a laugh at how OP Hawkeye is in Avengers and how much of a sarcastic old man he is in Ultron, Black Widow...mehhhhhh
She's never been very interesting in the comics or the movies so I've kinda......ignored her.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

We're never gonna get casting as perfect as Tobey Maguire again but at least it's not, to quote Moviebob, "the other Edward Cullen".

Maguire was horrible as Spiderman.

He's horrible in general, but he was particularly horrible as Spiderman.

To say nothing of the fact that recasting was an inevitability, his days in Leo DiCaprio's party posse were really showing. He looked like he had one foot in the grave by Spiderman 3.

 

[Risingblade]

Can't really complain, everyone has played their part pretty well.

 

[Saltyk]

Gotta be honest, I think the Marvel casting has been almost completely perfect every step of the way.

Robert Downey Jr basically redefined Tony Stark to the point that people who voice him in anything Marvel try to mimic him. Say what you will about the movies, but he is Iron Man.
Chris Evans may not have been a good Human Torch, but he is an amazing Captain America!
Chris Hemsworth fits Thor. I believe that he is the God of Thunder. He may be my favorite example of casting, but it's mostly because other examples and characters outshine him.
Samuel L Jackson makes a perfect Fury. Fury is supposed to be a bad ass and Jackson delivers that.
I believe Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow. She's delivered great performances in three movies (counting the ones where she had major roles).

Frankly, I think it's be easier to say who was poorly cast in the Marvel movies. No one. Everyone is at least decent if not amazing and redefining their roles. I just hope they keep up the excellent casting.

 

[Redryhno]

I'll agree with pretty much everything there, except for Johansson, I've never been that much of a fan of her and I can't buy her as an action hero. She's...okay as an actress, but she's not all that interesting and she's always got that mix of constipation/confusion of where she is on her face all the time.

Though I don't know who would replace her, but I lost track of actors and casting choices like ten years ago.

 

[Zontar]

I think we're forgetting the real star of the MCU here.

Spoiler: The Real Star

Seriously, casting Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson was genius. The guy has a earnestness to it all that makes it understandable why a character who was created to be the glorified Shield stand-in for Iron Man into a top tier character who got his own TV show and cemented the MCU as a comic book universe by pulling the 'character everyone loves comes back to life' trope.

 

[Something Amyss]

Still not getting the hate for Garfield or love for Maguire.

Robert Downey Jr basically redefined Tony Stark to the point that people who voice him in anything Marvel try to mimic him. Say what you will about the movies, but he is Iron Man.

Hell, he was already Iron Man, just without the suit.

 

[FPLOON]

You know, I never thought about the casting in general until post-The Avengers, and all I can say is that there hasn't really been a casting that made me go "Well, that was a bad choice", at least...

Other than that, I did not know that Raul Rudd has a writing credit for the new Ant Man movie, so on top of seeing [REDACTED] in one of the promos, I can't wait to see this movie with my friend, who [still] hasn't seen The Incredible Hulk, the Thor movies, or the Captain America movies... (I'll excuse him on not watching Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent Carter, or Daredevil to an extent... for now...)

 

[TakerFoxx]

No love for Daredevil yet? Because the casting in that is pretty spot on.

 

[RedDeadFred]

No love for Daredevil yet? Because the casting in that is pretty spot on.

I couldn't agree more. I had pretty much given up on Marvel creating compelling villains until watching this show. Wilson Fisk has given me hope that Marvel can give us interesting villains again (though the one in Antman is apparently par for the course). The whole cast was excellent, but D'Onofrio was the true standout for me.

 

[Ishal]

No love for Daredevil yet? Because the casting in that is pretty spot on.

I couldn't agree more. I had pretty much given up on Marvel creating compelling villains until watching this show. Wilson Fisk has given me hope that Marvel can give us interesting villains again (though the one in Antman is apparently par for the course). The whole cast was excellent, but D'Onofrio was the true standout for me.

My problem is that when people say MCU. The "Cinematic" universe, it seems like it's mostly referring to the movies. I'm excited to see where they go with the other series.

But yes, Vince D'Onofrio is a GOAT-tier actor when you let him off the chain and put his own spin on characters. Most of the cast in that movie was great honestly.

OT: It doesn't get much better than Robert Downey Jr. and D'Onofrio for capturing their characters.

Evan's as Cap is pretty good, as is Hemsworth for Thor. I can't take or leave Scar Jo for Black Widow. She's pretty boring. Ruffalo as Banner is okay. The GoG cast is pretty good, too. But I don't really care all that much about that.

Toby Maguire... I can't believe I'm about to do this. I'm going to have to agree with FilmRobert. Ugh eugh.. I need a shower, or at least a moist towlet. From my rudimentary understanding of Peter Parker's character, he's supposed to be the stereotypical nerd. Period. That means no confidence, slow and awkward speech, and just general weirdness. From what I remember he captured that more than Garfield.

But then... these are comics we're talking about. Garfield could well have captured one of the various versions of Parker that no doubt exist. Then there's the actors themselves, and the material they're given. /shrug

 

[Scarim Coral]

No mention to War Machine?

Originally I thought Terrence Howard was ok but when they replace him with Don Cheadle I prefer the latter. Looking back, I thought Terrence was abit too light hearted in his role (mainly that funny pole dance scene) making him unfit to be war Machine. I mean I view War Machine as a bad ass version of Iron Man due to his name so when Don came to the picture, I liked his serious tone better than Terrence so I think he suit as War Machine better.

 

[Darth Rosenberg]

He's still doing some of the best of his career. As the angry black guy.
Because that's the one role SamJack has done for like three decades now but god DAMN does he sell it.

"Angry black guy" is a role since when? I'm pretty sure the role he's been playing most is Sam Jackson... which I'm not complaining about, given he seems a pretty cool guy in real life (when he's not being interviewed by a complete moron, that is, which happens often).

He obviously looks perfect for the role... but other than Winter Soldier he hasn't really had time to really shine as Fury. Alongside Coulson, he makes for superb connective tissue between the MCU films leading up to the Avengers, though.

Robert Downey, Jr. as Iron Man: Pretty good choice. He does the whole "snarky with a heart of gold" thing pretty decently. Just wish his films were better.

(heh, 'snark with a heart' - I like that) Iron Man's still regarded as one of the best in the MCU, and for me IM3's also one of the best of the lot - so I'd disagree on wishing his films were better (IM2's easily the worst yet, though, ignoring alt-Hulk - which I do).

He's great in the role, sure, but I've seen enough of him and the core gang already now. That said, he really has been on the most important and influential elements of the whole project, so credit where credit's due.

Chris Hemsworth as Thor: He's a big handsome dude with long blonde hair so he passes the physical test and he has a dumb smirk that works with the character's overconfidence flaw. His films could be weirder but they're alright.

He's been good, but as with Stark, I'd like him to just shift aside for new characters. Thor 2 was beautifully and lovingly crafted - but it was arguably by far the most boring the MCU's been thus far. Hemsworth's absolutely fine, but his dour Love Interest and her [Anti-]Comedy Sidekick almost completely ruin the Thor films for me, so I'm not exactly hyped for Ragnarok. Unless Jane Foster is either a) killed, or b) 'becomes' Thor...

I am aware Edward Norton's film is canonically a part of the MCU but I'm glad Mark Ruffalo has the part instead (as much as I LOVE Norton). I really do hope Hulk gets his own movie soon. I know Planet Hulk/World War Hulk isn't gonna happen anytime soon but I can hope.

I agree with the rationale that says the character doesn't really work in a solo film. He needs greater context, and a narrative featuring an ensemble provides that, I reckon.

Chris Evans as Captain America: Still the absolute best casting choice Marvel has done. He embodies the best aspect of Rogers perfectly: complete selflessness. The First Avenger is AMAZING and The Winter Soldier is still the best MCU movie.

Heh, agreed with Winter Soldier being the best in the MCU so far, and on Evans making a genuinely great bigscreen Cap. I think the first film is flawed (the action montage sequence is a bit of a cheat), but it's still one of my favourites; there's a great, genuine depth of humanity to several key scenes, and the end and lead-in to The Avengers is one of my favourite sequences of the MCU so far.

The Winter Soldier goes down, for me, as simply one of the best comicbook films ever, largely for just how perfect the narrative is for exploring the featured character. Not many mainstream films are that good to begin with, but barely any comicbook films get paired with so suitable a story and themes. Also, I don't think the fight/action choreography has been better in any other MCU film, either.

Aaron Taylor Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen as Scarlet Silver and Quick Witch: Not a whole lot to say about them yet, but great so far.

Quicksilver and Johnson were a complete waste of time in Ultron, but Olsen as Wanda was surprisingly awesome (slightly iffy accent aside). Can't wait to see how they develop that character.

Anthony Mackie as The Falcon: Really good. Has amazing chemistry with Evans, which is kinda necessary as a sidekick (let's be clear, that's what he is for most of Winter Soldier).

Eh, side character - not sidekick. In just a few small scenes and moments, Falcon gets some great characterisation. Kat frikkin' Dennings is a sidekick...

I never wanted a comics faithful Falcon, but I would've liked some more nods to the slightly goofier elements of his character. But yeah, Mackie's superb, and he and Evans work like clockwork together.

Everyone in Guardians of the Galaxy

Mostly agreed, sure - that film was cast extremely well. But the version of Gamora was a bit rubbish (and the film itself desperately needed to be even weirder).

Oh, I still don't really like Cooper as Rocket - I wanted the snarky Londoner voice instead.

Paul Rudd as Ant-Man: Pretty good. Wish we could have gotten the original version.

Have you seen it yet? I should be seeing it today or tomorrow. I like Paul Rudd a lot, but I know bugger all about that version of Ant-Man, so I'm mostly going in blind for once.

Paul Bettany as JARVIS/Vision: Pretty good. He somehow brings snark to a computer. Works real good.

You're describing Bettany's Vision as "pretty good"?! You're a disgrace... ;-) I've always liked Bettany, but I was surprised just how brilliant he was in AoU, despite how few scenes he gets. For me that character's now one of the most interesting elements of the entire MCU. I thought AoU was a bit of a mess and a letdown, but Vision's scene with Ultron near the end is beautiful. That character needs to be written by Joss from now till he exits-stage-left, as I doubt anyone else could've come up with those few scenes in such an overstuffed blockbuster.

Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange: This feels like stunt casting and I wish they had gone with someone else. Liam Neeson or Jim Caveizel or hell, get Joaquin Phoenix back. All of these are better.

We can't say "better" yet, as we've not seen or heard Cumberbatch as Strange yet. Neeson's far too old already, and I think all those crappy action films have turned his brain and acting chops to mush... Cumberbatch, by comparison, is at the top of his game, right now, and he's clearly got the intelligence and craft to help build a suitably nuanced and eventually authoritative Strange.

But yeah, he'd have never been my pick given the choice. However, Marvel and Disney have a superb track record for casting the major roles, so I'm not exactly worried.

Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther: Pretty good choice. Real excited for this one.

Ditto'd, though I'm pissed off Panther got pushed back to cater to MORE frikkin' Parker Spidey.

Thomas Holland as Spider-Man: Meh. Could be worse, could be better. We're never gonna get casting as perfect as Tobey Maguire again but at least it's not, to quote Moviebob, "the other Edward Cullen".

We seem to agree with Maguire being great as Spidey, but I'd never describe him as the "perfect" Spider-Man - not by a long shot. However, those films were pre-MCU, so barely anyone knew better. I'm confidant Holland will be a good enough pick - though I'm sick of Spider-Man by now, and I even had the fortune to skip the shitty reboot.

...as for the one you unfairly and oddly ignored - given that she's more or less the only female character Marvel can be arsed to give some scenes to:

Scarlet/Widow

Both the actress and the character were rather screwed over in IM2, but in Winter Soldier they shine. I think it's rather pathetic that - especially following her popularity post-Avengers - Marvel haven't given her her own film, and seem intent to completely ignore the idea going forward.

Oh, and another piece of casting: Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill's awesome, and she needs far more screen time. Also, she'd be my pick for a live action FemShep [http://i.imgur.com/iU4lC.jpg].

 

[Zontar]

Also, Black Widow is fucking Russian, would it be so hard to spend some money on a vocal coach and get a decent accent down?

Given that she was raised from childhood to be the ultimate infiltrator, and that the US was her likely target, it's likely they beat the accent out of her (possibly literally).