X-Men Casting

Yeah, I can't really say I'm especially thrilled at most of the casting choices. BTW, Wizard magazine did a "casting call" for an xmen movie back in the 90s. I found a discussion about it: IGN boards

I haven't seen the 3rd movie yet, but here are my thoughts on the casting in the first two:

I really dislike Halle Barry as Storm. Her lines really don't help either. To me, Storm was always one of the more philosophical x-men. I can't think of a good replacement...maybe if Sigourney Weaver was black.

Patrick Stewart as Professor X is perfect.

Ian McKellan is just a little too old and gimpy to play Magneto. He could probably have pulled it off if he hadn't played Gandalf in LOTR. He's a great actor, but Magneto should be more physically imposing. I'll suggest Ralph Fiennes

Hugh Jackman as Wolverine...pretty good. I can't complain too much about this one.

The guy that played Cyclops. He was ok too...I would like to have seen a greater emphasis on Cyclops' leadership role on the team. Instead they decided to play up the romance angle...which probably makes for a better 2 hour action movie...but still.

Personally I'm quite happy with the majority of the casting. The only real disappointment was Storm, but finding an actor that would suit the role would be nigh impossible [smile] She's a *little* better in 3, but not much.

Some of the characters weren't meant to be the same as in the comic books though. Rogue is the most obvious, she appears to be a blend between Rogue and Jubillee. Magneto is another, I think that a Magneto more like in the comics would have been too overbearing for the movies.

I thought Frasier as The Beast was an inspired choice, actually.

And Hugh Jackman as Wolverine was pretty good too, as was Patrick Stewart. Other than that, I think it was the acting/writing rather than the casting.

I always liked the chick who played Rogue. Although not for her acting prowess.

To be quite honest I'm still of the opinion that Danzig should have played Wolverine (as long as he could act...).

Patrick Stewart was teh perfect Prof X...

The rest probably could have used work... Jean Grey wasn't bad though...

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Original post by sjelkjd I really dislike Halle Barry as Storm. Her lines really don't help either. To me, Storm was always one of the more philosophical x-men. I can't think of a good replacement...maybe if Sigourney Weaver was black.

Angela Bassett

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From the Wikipedia entry on Angela Bassett: Due to her uncanny beauty, physical presence and commanding voice, she had long since been deemed by many X-Men fans as the perfect woman to play the superheroine Storm on the big screen. That role was ultimately given to Halle Berry.

Also, Famke Janssen was pretty much perfect as Jean Grey - and even better as Phoenix.

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Original post by Oluseyi Quote: Original post by sjelkjd I really dislike Halle Barry as Storm. Her lines really don't help either. To me, Storm was always one of the more philosophical x-men. I can't think of a good replacement...maybe if Sigourney Weaver was black. Angela Bassett Quote: From the Wikipedia entry on Angela Bassett: Due to her uncanny beauty, physical presence and commanding voice, she had long since been deemed by many X-Men fans as the perfect woman to play the superheroine Storm on the big screen. That role was ultimately given to Halle Berry. Also, Famke Janssen was pretty much perfect as Jean Grey - and even better as Phoenix.

I was thinking more Kenya Moore or someone with her build with a slight African and/or even British accent.

Halle Berry was a terrible choice for Storm. After the first movie, she threatened the studio with leaving if she wasn't allowed to drop the African accent.

After the second movie, she threatened the studio with leaving if she wasn't made the leader of the X-Men.



I hate it when stuck-up actors try to ruin something due to their own egos.





I personally like Hugh Jackman as wolverine, but he's about a foot too tall for the role :)

(In the comics, Wolverine is 5'2" and very brawny)

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Original post by joanusdmentia Personally I'm quite happy with the majority of the casting. The only real disappointment was Storm, but finding an actor that would suit the role would be nigh impossible [smile] She's a *little* better in 3, but not much. Some of the characters weren't meant to be the same as in the comic books though. Rogue is the most obvious, she appears to be a blend between Rogue and Jubillee. Magneto is another, I think that a Magneto more like in the comics would have been too overbearing for the movies.

yeah, but if we're going to have a useless X-Men character, at least their casting for Jubilee is cuter than Rogue.

I think their choice for Cyclops was perfect. I always felt that he was a whiney little poindexter.

I agree, Storm was very disappointing, but I don't agree with Angela Bassett being any better. Perhaps Gina Torres. Of course, after seeing her in Firefly/Serenity, I want to see her in *everything*, so maybe I'm a little skewed on that.

Incidentally, Psylocke was supposed to be in X3. I don't know what happened with that. Though personally, I think if she didn't have to talk, Tera Patrick (*WARNING* Google Image Search is not safe for work, so I will provide you with a Safe Wikipedia Entry) would "fill" the part quite well.

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Original post by Alpha_ProgDes I was thinking more Kenya Moore or someone with her build with a slight African and/or even British accent.

Angela Bassett is a far more capable and accomplished actress than Kenya Moore will ever be, and did you see Angie in Strange Days? Halle Berry tried the slight "African" accent, and she bombed. (Admittedly, Berry is an excrable actress.) But Ororo Munroe is African-America in the fullest sense of the term: her mother was Kenyan, her father was American and she had been living in the US since Xavier brought her back as a teenager (prior to which she lived in Cairo, where she lost her parents and survived as a street thief, and in Kenya, where she was worshipped as a goddess by some villagers).

The accent thing is overblown. Though Kenya Moore sure is fun to look at... [smile]

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Original post by capn_midnight I agree, Storm was very disappointing, but I don't agree with Angela Bassett being any better. Perhaps Gina Torres. Of course, after seeing her in Firefly/Serenity, I want to see her in *everything*, so maybe I'm a little skewed on that.

She's Cuban, and not "black enough."

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Incidentally, Psylocke was supposed to be in X3. I don't know what happened with that. Though personally, I think if she didn't have to talk, Tera Patrick (*WARNING* Google Image Search is not safe for work, so I will provide you with a Safe Wikipedia Entry) would "fill" the part quite well.

And would promptly sell a ton of merchandise! But, if we're doing fantasy casting, why not go for Tara Patrick, aka Carmen Electra? Her body is a little more proportional (Tera's body is too skinny and long).

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Original post by Mithrandir After the second movie, she threatened the studio with leaving if she wasn't made the leader of the X-Men.

Storm is a huge player in the X-Men, and does deserve a much larger role. The only thing is, Halle Berry shouldn't be it.

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Original post by Oluseyi Quote: Original post by capn_midnight I agree, Storm was very disappointing, but I don't agree with Angela Bassett being any better. Perhaps Gina Torres. Of course, after seeing her in Firefly/Serenity, I want to see her in *everything*, so maybe I'm a little skewed on that. She's Cuban, and not "black enough."

I didn't think we were drilling this down to genetics [lol]

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Quote: Incidentally, Psylocke was supposed to be in X3. I don't know what happened with that. Though personally, I think if she didn't have to talk, Tera Patrick (*WARNING* Google Image Search is not safe for work, so I will provide you with a Safe Wikipedia Entry) would "fill" the part quite well. And would promptly sell a ton of merchandise! But, if we're doing fantasy casting, why not go for Tara Patrick, aka Carmen Electra? Her body is a little more proportional (Tera's body is too skinny and long).

Carmen Electra... Psylocke, for some reason that makes me cringe.

Juggernaut should have been CGed. Whoever the midget was was disappointing.

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Original post by Oluseyi Quote: Original post by capn_midnight I agree, Storm was very disappointing, but I don't agree with Angela Bassett being any better. Perhaps Gina Torres. Of course, after seeing her in Firefly/Serenity, I want to see her in *everything*, so maybe I'm a little skewed on that. She's Cuban, and not "black enough." Quote: Incidentally, Psylocke was supposed to be in X3. I don't know what happened with that. Though personally, I think if she didn't have to talk, Tera Patrick (*WARNING* Google Image Search is not safe for work, so I will provide you with a Safe Wikipedia Entry) would "fill" the part quite well. And would promptly sell a ton of merchandise! But, if we're doing fantasy casting, why not go for Tara Patrick, aka Carmen Electra? Her body is a little more proportional (Tera's body is too skinny and long).

But Psylocke should have at least a *little* asian in her, we can't stray too far from source material. I mean, why not have a large black man play The Kingpin? (erh...)

It will be difficult to find someone that is truly appropriate. It will be a long and hard task to properly cast Psylocke, but it's a sacrifice I am willing to accept.

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Original post by _goat I thought Frasier as The Beast was an inspired choice, actually. And Hugh Jackman as Wolverine was pretty good too, as was Patrick Stewart. Other than that, I think it was the acting/writing rather than the casting.

Agreed.

They changed actors for Kitty Pride too, I thought this one was alot cuter than the previous one. The Colussus guy was okay. The fact that so many character that should've been adults are kids kinda throws things off as well.

I read that Psylocke was in the movie, she was in the background of a few shots, Ill see if I can find the screenshot in my history.

Edit: Found it, scroll to the bottom.

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Original post by Mithrandir I personally like Hugh Jackman as wolverine, but he's about a foot too tall for the role :) (In the comics, Wolverine is 5'2" and very brawny)

It's a nice touch when things like a character's height are represented in the big screen version (and admittedly, it *is* a little more than a triviality in Wolverine's case), but I would take Clint Eastwood as Wolverine over any other actor I can name, regardless of height. As for Jackman, there's too much of an inner pretty boy in him to pull off a convincing Wolverine. There could have been worse choices, but there's not enough animal in Jackman.

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Original post by Alpha_ProgDes Quote: She's Cuban, and not "black enough." I didn't think we were drilling this down to genetics [lol]

"Black" also refers to appearance.

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Carmen Electra... Psylocke, for some reason that makes me cringe.

Casting is hard work. [smile]

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Juggernaut should have been CGed.

Er, no. It's an adaptation, and I prefer a more plausible-looking adaptation to a bulbous mess (think of Ang Lee's Hulk), which is what contemporary CG would have given us. As proof, I cite the scene in which Bobby Drake fully morphed into his Iceman form. *shudder*

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Original post by Oluseyi Quote: Original post by Alpha_ProgDes Quote: She's Cuban, and not "black enough." I didn't think we were drilling this down to genetics [lol] "Black" also refers to appearance.

She doesn't strike me as all that Hispanic looking, but "eh" *shrugs*

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Quote: Carmen Electra... Psylocke, for some reason that makes me cringe. Casting is hard work. [smile]

LOL. No argument there.

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Quote: Juggernaut should have been CGed. Er, no. It's an adaptation, and I prefer a more plausible-looking adaptation to a bulbous mess (think of Ang Lee's Hulk), which is what contemporary CG would have given us. As proof, I cite the scene in which Bobby Drake fully morphed into his Iceman form. *shudder*

a) I don't think it was that bad--I liked the CG Hulk. The Juggernaut wouldn't have to be as animated.

b) Someone gotta clip or pic of the full-iced out Iceman?