10 Worst Castings In X-Men Movies

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Throughout the movie history of the X-Men, there have been a number of especially terrible casting decisions plaguing the Marvel heroes. The mutant heroes of the X-Men rank as some of Marvel’s most iconic figures, and their cinematic history has seen many characters adapted into live-action. Fox’s X-Men movie franchise saw many X-Men heroes and villains appear, many of whom are played by multiple actors across its different timelines.
Though some of the casting decisions for X-Men characters were perfect – like Hugh Jackman as Wolverine or Patrick Stewart as Professor X – there were many others that were not. Some were actors cast based on popularity and didn’t seem to understand the source material, while others were seemingly cast for their physical appearance rather than being genuinely suited to the role. Throughout Fox’s X-Men movie timeline, there were many poor casting choices, and here are 10 of the all-time worst.
10 Taylor Kitsch As Gambit First appearance: X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) 2009 saw the live-action debut of Gambit in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, with Taylor Kitsch cast in the role. Though partly down to the film’s unimpressive script and Gambit’s limited screentime, Kitsch’s take on the fan-favorite character was not at all what fans had been hoping for. It was unpopular enough to earn Gambit a cinematic absence of 15 years before his brief appearance in Deadpool & Wolverine, played by Channing Tatum.
The problem with Kitsch’s casting as Gambit was that the actor was missing something vital. His iteration of Gambit lacked the characteristic bravado and swagger that he should have possessed, and instead felt somewhat more uninteresting. Considering the massive popularity of the character, casting the right actor in the role was crucial, even for a small part, and Taylor Kitsch ultimately proved that he was the wrong decision for a live-action Gambit.
9 Ben Foster As Angel First appearance: X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) It’s no secret that X-Men: The Last Stand is one of the worst movies in the entire franchise, not least because of its mishandling of multiple characters and storylines. There were many additions to the cast of X-Men: The Last Stand that saw characters make their live-action debuts, including Warren Worthington III, also known as Angel. Then-rising star Ben Foster was cast in the role, having proved his acting talent with previous appearances in both film and on TV.
It turned out that Foster was not right for the role at all, though the movie’s poor writing was certainly a factor. Despite Angel traditionally having been written as a somewhat arrogant if well-meaning character in the comics, The Last Stand reduced Foster’s Angel to a whining, inconsequential character. It was not at all the role that Foster should have been cast for, as his talents could have been put to much greater use.
8 will.i.am As John Wraith First appearance: X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) When it comes to the sins of the X-Men movie franchise, casting will.i.am as John Wraith might not rank all that highly. Wraith played only a minor role in the story of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, meaning that will.i.am’s screentime was limited. Even so, the casting of the Black Eyed Peas musician in the role remains one of the worst casting decisions in the history of X-Men movies.
Put simply, will.i.am"s ability to believably portray the mutant character can be considered limited due to his lack of acting history, and this had a knock-on effect for the overall quality of the scenes in which the character appeared. Though it primarily serves as a classic example of how casting musicians with no acting experience can backfire, it’s also some of the worst casting in X-Men movie history.
7 Daniel Cudmore As Colossus First appearance: X2: X-Men United (2003) Close When it comes to the most prominent members of the X-Men, Colossus might not be considered one of the team’s most iconic members, but he has proven a valuable and consistent addition over the years. He made his movie debut in X2: X-Men United in 2003, played by Daniel Cudmore, who also reprized the role in the 2006 sequel, X-Men: The Last Stand. Unfortunately, Cudmore’s casting was not right for Colossus at all.
Cudmore certainly looks the part, as he possesses the appropriate physique to convincingly play the metallic powerhouse. However, he appeared to lack the acting ability to live up to the actors around him, and as a result simply faded into the background. Cudmore’s lack of acting experience certainly showed, and his take on the character proved forgettable, meaning that his casting was all wrong.
6 Danny Huston As William Stryker First appearance: X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) Close When it comes to the best villains of the X-Men movies, William Stryker ranks highly. The mutant-hating human first appeared played by Brian Cox in X2 in 2003, before being recast for the 2009 prequel, X-Men Origins: Wolverine. For that movie, Danny Huston took over as Stryker, and his casting immediately proved to be a significant downgrade on his predecessor.
Huston’s ability to play villains has been well-proven in his career, but his specific skillset did not match up with the character of William Stryker. Huston’s take on the villain was too slimy and untrustworthy, calling his place in the story into question. Stryker’s potential as a villain lies in the strength of his convictions, and this is something that Huston’s performance is decidedly lacking. As a result, Huston’s Stryker seems an incredibly poor villain, lacking some of the depth that makes him an effective antagonist in other iterations.
5 Halle Berry As Storm First appearance: X-Men (2000) Close The cast of 2000’s X-Men featured an impressive list of celebrated actors, with the film’s ensemble cast boasting a significant amount of proven talent across many genres. Halle Berry, whose career was on the rise at the time, was cast as Storm for the film. However, upon release, it became clear that this exciting casting had some complications.
Though Berry proved her acting ability in subsequent roles, and even earned an Oscar for her part in Monster’s Ball in 2001, the role built for X-Men"s Storm didn"t align with Berry"s talents - something proved by the infamous "Do you know what happens to a toad when it"s struck by lightning? Same thing that happens to everything else.” line, which was exacerbated by its unconvincing delivery. Though she was redeemed somewhat by her brief role in X-Men: Days of Future Past, Halle Berry was largely the wrong choice to play Storm here.
4 Oscar Isaac As Apocalypse First appearance: X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) Close As part of the franchise’s run of prequel movies, the cast of X-Men: Apocalypse did not share many actors with the earlier films in the franchise. The prequels actually did a considerably better job of casting its mutant characters, though Apocalypse got the casting of its central villain all wrong. Oscar Isaac was brought in to play the role of the eponymous antagonist, and the movie swiftly proved he would have been better suited to other roles.
X-Men: Apocalypse’s script was somewhat underwhelming, but Oscar Isaac’s performance proved one of the worst of his entire career. He has proven himself an incredibly capable character actor with a varied skill set, but he was simply too lost under the extensive make-up and prosthetics to sell the role as he should have. Simply put, the role of Apocalypse didn’t play to Isaac’s strengths at all, and his casting was a poor choice.
3 Shawn Ashmore As Iceman First appearance: X-Men (2000) Close Iceman has long been one of the most underrated and important heroes of the X-Men, but his appearance in Fox’s movie franchise did nothing to help his reputation. As one of the original members of the team in the comics, Iceman is one of the longest-serving mutant heroes in the Marvel Universe, although his casting in Fox’s franchise left much to the imagination. First appearing in 2000’s X-Men, Shawn Ashmore played Bobby Drake in four movies spanning 14 years.
As competent as Ashmore is as an actor, he was arguably not the ideal choice for Iceman. In the comics, the character has proven himself a formidable hero and capable leader, but Ashmore’s casting as a young Bobby Drake saw him written as an insecure teen with little hero potential. Though there were flashes of heroism, Ashmore’s fresh-faced look did not allow the franchise to depict Iceman as the prominent hero he deserved to be.
2 Tyler Mane as Sabretooth First appearance: X-Men (2000) Despite being a pivotal movie in the history of the comic book film genre, 2000’s X-Men made several missteps with its casting. As one of the film’s secondary antagonists and a member of Magneto’s Brotherhood of Mutants, Sabretooth was an important part of the film’s narrative. Additionally, his history with Wolverine makes him doubly noteworthy, though the film’s version of him did nothing to communicate this. Tyler Mane was brought in to play Sabretooth, and it proved one of the worst casting decisions in the franchise.
Mane’s general lack of screen presence in this particular was telling, and it saw his iteration of Sabretooth seem both out of place and somewhat forgettable. Despite an eye-catching design and Mane’s imposing stature, the wrestler-turned-actor simply didn’t have the acting chops to carry off the role with the authority his debut needed.
1 Vinnie Jones As Juggernaut First appearance: X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) X-Men: The Last Stand is remembered for many reasons, and very few of them are positive. However, perhaps the most memorable moment in the entire movie comes as the result of the worst casting in X-Men history. For the Juggernaut’s big-screen debut, well-known tough guy Vinnie Jones was enlisted to play the character, with utterly disastrous consequences.
Jones’ hammy acting and unconvincing delivery of his few lines of dialogue live on in infamy, and have since become synonymous with The Last Stand’s general lack of quality. Though Jones has proven himself a relatively capable actor in certain types of roles, playing a comic book villain in X-Men: The Last Stand certainly did not display any of his talents, making this one of the worst castings in the history of X-Men movies.
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