Top 6 Alternate Casting Choices For The Avengers

3. Cillian Murphy as Bruce Banner/The Hulk

First we had Bill Bixby, then Eric Bana, then Edward Norton, and now Mark Ruffalo. You’re probably all worn out of Bruce Banners by now (thank goodness Lou Ferrigno has been the only Hulk). Still, I think Cillian Murphy could play the scientist well. I would imagine his portrayal of Banner to be a cross between his Dr. Jonathan Crane from Batman Begins and Jim from 28 Days Later. Ruffalo is an awesome Banner, but he’s just a little too awkward for my liking. Murphy could be a more confident Banner who isn’t always second-guessing himself. He knows that there is a beast inside, waiting to burst out, but he’s a lot more assured in keeping the rage contained. That’s a new version of Bruce Banner I want to see.

2. John Krasinski as Steve Rogers/Captain America

Did you know that John Krasinski was actually in the top running to play Captain America before Chris Evans? That’s right; Jim Halpert from The Office was almost the First Avenger. And I would’ve been thrilled to see it happen. Don’t get me wrong, Evans does a fantastic job already, but can you imagine Krasinski in the role? It’d be a huge break from his type-casted comedic shticks, and it’d give us a chance to experience a relatively new face in the superhero genre (Evans was already the Human Torch – why should he hog all of the heroes?!). Krasinski has the acting talents as well. Say what you will, but I loved Promised Land, and I’m looking forward to 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, two movies that are huge departures from Krasinski’s typical comedic roles and that allow him to really flex his acting muscles.

1. Hugh Laurie as Tony Stark/Iron Man

It may seem impossible to replace Robert Downey, Jr. The guy is synonymous with Tony Stark. RDJ is the kind of person who you truly believe is a brilliant scientist with a suit of metal armor because of his commitment to the role of Stark. Alas, I have to toss another option into the ring: Hugh Laurie of House fame. You can just take Doctor House, throw him in an Iron Man suit, and let him work his magic. The character of House is snarky, brilliant, and kind-of a dick. What kind of character is Tony Stark? Snarky, brilliant, and kind-of a dick. Initially, I wanted Laurie to be cast as Doctor Strange, but if there is ever a chance for a new person to take on the role of Tony Stark, I wouldn’t complain if Laurie’s name is at the top of the list of possible choices.

It’s very, very, very unlikely that we’ll be seeing a massive MCU reboot anytime soon, let alone a re-casting of the Avengers. For now, we’re just left wondering, “What if?”