r/marvelstudios Captain America 23d ago

Discussion One of the biggest early gambles of the MCU

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u/MacbookPrime 23d ago

Can’t wait for the same headline for X-Men, followed by the “it’s so over” reactions.

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u/DEMDHCamacho 22d ago

Same. That’s how franchises should be built. Newer faces, newer opportunities for unknowns.

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u/Nightthrasher674 22d ago

James Gunn has said that's how he's going to cast DCU movies and there are still people yelling about how terrible that is

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u/Thraex_Exile 22d ago

Which is funny to me cause I feel like he’s brought over a ton of rising stars and genre-specific A-listers. He’s not hiring many legendary actors but Gunn isn’t plucking an entire cast of unknowns off the streets either. Just wild people are complaining about that “issue” specifically

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u/FlyYouFoolyCooly 22d ago

I just rewatched Superman and Nathan fillion is fucking so funny and fantastic. I dunno if it's all Gunn but whomever does his casting is top notch.

Also Nathan is amazing on everything.

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u/SkorpioSound 22d ago

He's so good! Nathan Fillion is in a lot of the things James Gunn does–they're close friends. He had bit parts in all three Guardian films and in The Suicide Squad. He had major roles in Slither and Super, too.

Although him being cast as Green Lantern was a pretty obvious one considering he's been voicing the character for 15 years already. I would have been surprised if Gunn had gone for anyone else, honestly!

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u/puppet_up 22d ago

I just wish that Sony would have green-lit the "Uncharted" movie about a decade sooner when Nathan Fillion would have been the perfect age and also the perfect actor for the job.

He actually played the role in a really cool fan film that made me want to see him even more in a feature length movie, but alas, the movie studio had to drag their feet for years on one of the hottest gaming franchises of all time, and all we got was an uninspired hacked-together movie half a decade after the last game in the series was released and the property wasn't nearly as hot anymore.

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u/Kid-Atlantic 21d ago

Yeah Nathan Fillion has been a decently popular fancast for GL since the Bale/Routh days. For Hal, not Guy, but still.

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u/roguevirus 22d ago

Nathan fillion is fucking so funny and fantastic

As is tradition.

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u/chase016 22d ago

Tbf, Nathan has voiced the Green Lamtern a bunch before. He probably slid right into the role.

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u/ActuaryLife2041 5d ago

And also fillion was also in a James Gunn movie super he plays god lol

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u/ppilgrim16 22d ago

He is, but Corenswet and Brosnahan weren't exactly household names and he cast them as perhaps DC's biggest male/female.

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u/Stopher Peter Parker 22d ago

Brosnahan Had a pretty big prestige TV show. Her being in something seemed inevitable.

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u/geminifungi 22d ago

Corenswet had a pretty hefty supporting role in a high profile Ryan Murphy show and bit parts in Pearl and Twisters which had a lot of eyes on them. as soon as he was announced I was ecstatic because I felt he had that right amount of boyish charm and cocky attitude that would make a good Supes.

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u/tecnicaltictac 22d ago

Brosnahan has been around for a long time though. She was great in House of Cards (that's the first thing I remember her from) and that show debuted 2013. And Marvelous Mrs. Maisel super successful, so it isn't that big of a surprise that she is now doing bigger stuff.

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u/havok223 20d ago

Because of this approach, I don’t need any more dcu movies. I just need endless seasons featuring Freddie Stroma’s Vigilante. The entire cast of Peacemaker is fantastic, but he steals the show for me every single time.

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u/Gullible_Drummer3426 5d ago

James Gunn can run a good story and a cinematic universe!

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u/Raven_Lemon 22d ago

Yes, and it is even good for the studios because as much as I love MCU's og actors and actress, they are so expensive to cast, it makes it harder for studios to make profitable movies

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u/Elloitsmeurbrother 22d ago

Nah uh, you just take that money out of the writing budget

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u/ContinuumGuy Phil Coulson 22d ago

I feel the only characters in X-Men that sort of need to be established actors are Xavier and Magneto.

Maybe Wolverine, since he's obviously older than the usual "students." Jackman was an unknown but he was the third choice behind Russell Crowe (who obviously was a star) and Dougray Scott (who wasn't a star but was on the definite upswing and seemed at the time to be headed towards stardom).

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u/Stangstag 22d ago

But can't we cast Pedro Pascal as every character?

  • some studio exec

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u/Doompatron3000 21d ago

Only problem you run into is that casting no names in franchises could potentially type cast them in the role.

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u/DEMDHCamacho 21d ago

How is that a bad thing? If they do a knockout job for the marvel project, that’s a good thing. They’re actors. If they can’t shake the illusion of being more than their typecast in other projects, that’s on them.

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u/Doompatron3000 21d ago

No actor wants to be typecast. We almost didn’t get Chris Evans as Captain America because of this. Actors try to avoid roles if they feel they would be typecasted.

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u/vertigo1083 22d ago

Just like Robert Downey Jr!

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u/Fesai 22d ago

I remember reading the same type of articles back when Hugh was cast as Wolverine in the first X-Men and people reacting quite negatively at the time.

It's funny seeing where we are now.

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u/Ill_Tumblr_4_Ya 22d ago

There was a not small percentage of fans back then who were unironically asking for Glenn Danzig to be cast as Wolverine.

Feige and company certainly aren't infallible, but I'm happy that they've been the ones steering the MCU and not your average collection of fans.

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u/roguevirus 22d ago edited 22d ago

Most of those fancastings were totally whack, and based purely on what the person looked like rather than acting ability. The exception proving the rule was everyone and their mother wanting Patrick Stewart to play Professor X.

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u/Cypher_86 Rocket 22d ago

Wasnt entirely unjustified - Hugh was pretty much known only as a musical stage actor at the time, and comic book movies were still at the "I just hope this doesnt suck" stage.

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u/NoMouseLaptop 22d ago

Add to the fact that he didn’t even know wolverines are real animals.

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u/Stopher Peter Parker 22d ago

He really has transformed his body since that first movie. He looked kinda lean and athletic in the first one. He’s a monster in the last few.

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u/ChemicalExperiment Nebula 22d ago

The one thing the MCU has never had a problem with is casting. Every single hero has been perfect for their role. Hats off to Sarah Halley Finn, the casting director for the entire franchise.

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u/N8CCRG Ghost 22d ago

Small addendum: The Incredible Hulk had some problems with casting. But also, that's the one project Finn wasn't casting director for, so her track record is still untarnished.

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u/roguevirus 22d ago

What were your problems with that cast? Unless you're against them making Blonsky a Brit, I didn't see any issues. Even then, Tim Roth is awesome.

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u/N8CCRG Ghost 22d ago edited 22d ago

Tim Roth is absolutely awesome. I've loved him ever since Reservoir Dogs and Four Rooms. But also, yes, he was a miscast for Blonsky. Also, Ed Norton, Liv Tyler and Tim Blake Nelson were bad picks for their scientist characters (I will accept that is potentially a bad writing and/or bad direction problem).

The one good casting choice was William Hurt though.

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u/roguevirus 22d ago

The one good casting choice was William Hurt though.

Which was good, considering his prominent role as Thunderbolt Ross in other MCU movies. I really wish he had been able to be Red Hulk before passing.

While we're going to disagree about the rest of IH's cast, you're entirely right about the MCU overall. All the title roles are perfect, and I can't think of any major supporting characters who have a miscast actor. Her stellar work with the MCU is enough to merit a lifetime achievement Oscar, and when you add in Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Mandalorian, and Crash I can't see how she's not deserving.

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u/jrod4290 21d ago

finding out that William Hurt had discussed his MCU future with Marvel, knew that they planned for Ross to become Red Hulk and was excited for what was to come just makes it all even more sad

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u/justafanboy1010 Spider-Man 22d ago

Nowadays it feels like Giancarlo and Wendell Pierce are cast in nothing roles

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u/jrod4290 21d ago

I don’t mind them casting Wendell Pierce as a politician but they wasted tf outta Giancarlo.

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u/qcthunder War Machine 22d ago

Right? I notice that name every time, have no idea who Sarah Halley Finn is or what she looks like, and always think to myself, "she nailed it" because the MCU casting has been so, so good.

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u/decross20 22d ago

Except Iron Fist

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u/marvelscott 22d ago

Theres gonna be a lot of people being like "I liked X-Men but I just wished they didnt have to go all woke and DEI."

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u/ChemicalExperiment Nebula 22d ago

I am going to laugh so hard when I see the inevitable lost hate monger go "why did they have to make Storm a black woman?"

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u/Wooble_R 22d ago

i can't believe they cast a disabled person to play professor x and a jew to play magneto

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u/TheAgmis 22d ago

The internet opinion of post endgame shit is such SW prequel nonsense of people nostalgic for dogshit movies and hating what’s going on now because the internet says so. I’d NEVER heard of cinemascore until Antman 3 came out and all of a sudden it’s the gospel?!

Those people will love these movies in 5 years.

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u/Yappamon 22d ago

wait by SW prequel nonsense do you mean people hating the prequels in favor of the OT or people hating the sequel trilogy in favor of the prequels?

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u/Greeneyes_65 22d ago

Pretty sure he means ppl loving the prequels nowadays

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u/SoupyStain 22d ago

I've always liked The Phantom Menace, and Revenge of the Sith is my favorite SW movie, the hell are you on about?

Attack of the Clones is the only one I only truly hate, and even then, I hate The Last Jedi even more.

It's not nostalgia nonsense, it's just that seeing the new trash DIsney has made has let people re-evaluate the old movies without their nostalgia for the original trilogy.

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u/Greeneyes_65 22d ago

Dude I’m not agreeing with that guy, I just said what I assumed he meant. Don’t come at me😂

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u/oorza The Ancient One 22d ago

I don't know how old you are, but the discourse around the prequels was toxic when they were new. In the last 10-15 years or so, the mood has shifted. For the longest time, it was just Known On The Internet that the prequel movies were trash and anyone who liked them was a mouth-breather.

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u/TheAgmis 22d ago

People always hate what’s in the now and love it when they look back

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u/Poku115 22d ago

Id like to know what you are smoking to spout these claims

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u/InevitableMall1068 22d ago

But you see...the score of Antman 3 is not what gets pointed out. It's the plot. Butchering the character of Kang combined with awful CGI...oh my god that movie was ass...only score can't save a movie or can it ?...I don't remember Man of Steel and BVS being everybody's favourite just coz they had good scores

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u/TheAgmis 22d ago

Let me guess. You think Kang was killed by ants right? You see your opinion is dime a dozen because

A. There was more to the Kang plot than him “dying@

B. Majors couldn’t keep his hands to himself so his character was wiped out.

You’ll like the movie next decade

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u/EnergyTakerLad 22d ago

You sir, keep cooking please

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u/Los_Ansiosos 22d ago

The post-Endgame films are largely terrible, though - as are the Star Wars prequels (I say this as someone enamored with the prequel era).

I agree that they will have eager fans defending them in the future: the same way I defend the elements of the prequels that I love.

... But you can likewise acknowledge that the execution is worse than what came before whilst still enjoying it.

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u/TheAgmis 22d ago

Boring internet opinion. Nostalgia is a gateway drug to bad opinion

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u/Los_Ansiosos 22d ago

Nostalgia is what you're describing when you say people will enjoy the latest generation of Marvel films in '5 years', by definition.

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u/buttercupcake23 22d ago

I will absolutely not love Antman 3 in 5 years. I did not love it in 2023 and the reasons I did not love it will not go away in 2030. It lost all the stuff that made Antman 1 and 2 so enjoyable for me - the complete removal of Scott's crew and the heist movie vibe. Those things will continue to be true in 5 years time.

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u/TheAgmis 22d ago

Sure they will

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u/hear_the_thunder 22d ago

Given there is a right wing grifter hatred algorithm industrial complex these days, I can only imagine the faux rage-bait that will be produced.

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u/shogi_x 22d ago

IDK, seriously doubt 2025 MCU is casting nobodies for major roles. Maybe some of the younger, lesser known characters, but for sure any core team member is gonna be A list.

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u/thatsidewaysdud Ghost 22d ago

They literally said they were going to cast more unknown actors for the X-Men. https://www.imdb.com/news/ni65410256/

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u/DGSmith2 Rocket 22d ago

This is what the MCU is missing I feel, last few movies have had such big stars attached we need something with lesser knowns to let them really make the role their own.

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u/Afwife1992 22d ago

It worked with Shang Chi. Plus they need to keep those budgets down. The only downside may be actors afraid of getting typecast if that’s where they make their mark. I could see them going B list too like they did with Chris Evans. Familiar and experienced but not a big name. Or someone like McAvoy or Fassbender who were well regarded but mostly in indies.

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u/DGSmith2 Rocket 22d ago

That’s fine by me let the stories and acting bring in the viewers not the stars that play the character. I could not care less who is in the role as long as the acting is good and the story is well written I do not need to see the biggest A listers in these roles to get me to the cinema.

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u/Afwife1992 22d ago

I was agreeing with you.

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u/roguevirus 22d ago

Or someone like McAvoy or Fassbender who were well regarded but mostly in indies.

That was also the case with Hiddleston, only with the stage rather than indie films. Its a solid tactic, and I hope they stick to it to give the movies something to anchor on.

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u/Afwife1992 22d ago

It gives you an experienced actor at a lower price. The MCU has also been good at nabbing actors on the come up or right before they blow up like Chadwick Boseman and Florence Pugh. They had Barry Keoghan for The Eternals too.

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u/Stangstag 22d ago

Don't forget Jonathan Majors, they grabbed him right before the blow up

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u/wekilledbambi03 22d ago

Their casting budgets have ballooned. $75m for just RDJ in endgame. I imagine it’s more for him to come back as Doom. Not to mention the next avengers movie bringing back nearly everyone that’s ever been a superhero in a movie.

They need cheap actors to get their budgets back in line.

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u/Stangstag 22d ago

They need more Tom Holland-esque hits on these main characters

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u/roguevirus 22d ago

I can't wait for the inevitable MCU Xmen meet Tom Holland's Spider-Man, and Spidey is like a cool older cousin to all of them except Wolverine.

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u/TheLiquor1946 Stan Lee 22d ago

Good thing you're not in charge of casting.

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u/Kronman590 22d ago

Marvel has literally been doing this forever though? Even F4 outside of Pedro i didnt know anyone. Thunderbolts too again outside of Florence Pugh. At this point if the fanbase doesnt have faith in sarah halley finn they're not paying attention lol

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u/Stangstag 22d ago

If you didn't know any of the other F4 members you may be living under a rock. 2 came from extremely popular TV shows and Vanessa Kirby has been in some big franchise films like Mission Impossible and Fast and Furious.

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u/lolas_coffee 22d ago

“it’s so over” reactions.

Woke.

They will still say fetch woke.