5 'Horrible Miscasts' That Managed To Hit Bullseye Against All Odds

Sometimes it is perfectly obvious why an actor was cast in a certain role, as they seem to have been born to play it.

But on rare occasions, a casting choice that seemed horrible before the movie was released, managed to hit the mark and lead to a truly great performance that no one saw coming.

So here are 5 performances that initially seemed completely miscast, only to prove how wrong everyone was in hindsight.

Hugh Jackman — X-Men (2000)

Before the first X-Men movie was released in 2000, casting a jolly 6'3" Australian to play a stern 5'3" Canadian superhero seemed like a disaster waiting to happen.

Now, more than two decades later, Hugh Jackman has become so associated with Wolverine that it seems almost impossible to recast him for the character's future appearances.

Joe Pesci — Goodfellas (1990)

Even though Goodfellas was a biographical film, Martin Scorsese decided to sacrifice fidelity to real events for some great acting.

Despite the fact that Thomas DeSimone, on whom Pesci's character was based, was 6'2" and died in his 20s, while Joe is 5'3" and was in his 40s at the time of filming, his performance was one of the most memorable in the entire movie.

Heath Ledger — The Dark Knight (2008)

Fans were furious when it was announced that heartthrob Heath Ledger would be playing the Joker in Christopher Nolan 's second Batman movie.

Now we all know how wrong they were, as the actor delivered an unbelievable performance and forever cemented himself as one of the best on-screen versions of the mad clown.

Henry Cavill — The Witcher ( 2019-2023)

Few people remember that before he first stepped into the role, Henry Cavill was considered a terrible miscast as Geralt of Rivia.

Now the situation has completely reversed, with fans abandoning the series altogether after Cavill, who turned out to be an exemplary Geralt, was recast.

Jack Nicholson — The Shining (1980)

Even Stephen King himself didn't think that Nicholson was suitable for the role of Jack Torrance, but the actor was cast anyway.

Although his portrayal was quite different from the original book (as was the whole movie, to be fair), Nicholson became inseparable from The Shining in the public eye.

When they hear the title of the book, the iconic shot of the actor's face peeking through the broken door is the first image that comes to mind for countless fans.