Top 6 Alternate Casting Choices For The Avengers

Robert Downey, Jr. is Tony Stark. Chris Evans is Steve Rogers. Scarlett Johansson is Natasha Romanoff. It’s difficult for most people to disassociate these actors from their Marvel roles. That’s not really a bad thing, is it? You want an actor or actress who truly immerses themselves into the role and becomes one with the character they are portraying. However, no matter how much I love the casting choices for the Avengers, I can’t help but wonder “What if?” What if Marvel Studios had decided to cast other actors in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Who would be able to take up the mantles? Here are some possibilities.

6. Josh Hartnett as Clint Barton/Hawkeye

Josh Hartnett is one of the many underrated actors in Hollywood right now. He’s been in a few enjoyable films such as 30 Days of Night, Halloween: H20, The Black Dahlia, and Black Hawk Down. He’s currently playing Ethan Lawrence Talbot (also known as The Wolf Man) on Penny Dreadful. I can’t pinpoint the exact reason, but I think Hartnett would just look great with a bow and arrow. Maybe it’s because he plays a sharpshooter in Penny Dreadful? Or maybe he just has more confidence in his performances? I could be wrong, but it always seems like Jeremy Renner has this uneasy presence whenever he’s on-screen. It’s an anomaly I can’t explain. Renner just doesn’t seem like he knows what he’s doing half the time. Give Hartnett a shot and see if he could pull it off.

 

5. Brad Pitt as Thor

Brad Pitt is on the older side, I’ll admit. The character of Thor has always been envisioned as a young, brash, slightly cocky warrior with a constant thirst for battle. Chris Hemsworth captures that character pretty well, but that doesn’t mean that someone else can’t fill the role, especially if we’re searching for an older Thor. Pitt has a wide range of acting abilities and has never really suffered from type-casting. You can watch him in Inglorious Basterds as one personality, and then check him out in Meet Joe Black as another. Then, turn on Fight Club and see yet another completely different persona. Long ago, I loathed Pitt because I considered him just some “pretty-boy” actor who was all looks and no talent. Then I watched GOOD movies and saw that he’s actually an amazing and diverse actor. He may be old, but if you give him a decent training regimen and a little bit of time, he could very well bulk up to Thor-like levels.

 

4. Milla Jovovich as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow

I’ve been saying this for years: I think Milla Jovovich would’ve been a better Black Widow than Johansson. Get out your pitchforks! I don’t care if it’s an unpopular opinion. A common response I’ve gotten when I expressed this opinion is that Milla “isn’t hot enough”. Forgive me for choosing someone based on acting talents instead of looks, right? Johansson is fine in the role, and she’s quickly established herself as a bad-ass actress, but Jovovich just seems like a better fit. She’s demonstrated her ability to kick a lot of ass on-screen (Resident Evil and The Fifth Element), and she’s shown that she can be funny (Zoolander), which seems to be a necessity to fit in with the Avengers and the overall Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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?”