10 Actors Who Regret Their Superhero Roles

The rise of the superhero genre in the 21st century is undeniable, with blockbuster franchises dominating the box office and drawing millions of global fans to movie theaters. Given the great appeal of these films, landing a prominent role in the genre can be a great move for actors — or at least, that’s what you would think.

For some, though, stepping into a heroic cape wasn’t all it was cracked up to be, as some talented stars have showcased dissatisfaction with their characters or the movies themselves for several different reasons. From Josh Brolin in Jonah Hex to Ben Affleck in Daredevil, we look back at some stars who have expressed regret in taking popular superhero roles.

10 Josh Brolin

‘Jonah Hex’ (2010)

Known for both his role in blockbuster films like Marvel’s Avengers and critically acclaimed pictures such as No Country for Old Men, Josh Brolin is an undeniably talented actor with an intense on-screen presence and versatility across a variety of genres. Although the star has partaken in plenty of exciting projects, some ultimately fell short of his expectations, including Jonah Hex, where he plays a bounty hunter seeking revenge against the people who wronged him.

In a conversation with Nerdist, Brolin could not help showcasing his dissatisfaction with the so-bad-its-good Western picture: “Hated it. The experience of making it — that would have been a better movie based on what we did. As opposed to what ended up happening to it, which is going back and reshooting 66 pages in 12 days…” He also told GQ Magazine that he will not stop “sh*tting” on the film because it was a “sh*tty f*cking movie!”

9 Ryan Reynolds

‘Green Lantern’ (2011)

Although Ryan Reynolds is now a household name when it comes to superhero flicks — thanks to his fan-favorite titular role in Marvel’s Deadpool — the actor has previously admitted that he did not enjoy starring in 2011’s Green Lantern, in which he brought the DC Comics character to life and explored his quest to defend the universe from a mischievous villain.

Not only was Green Lantern a critical failure, sitting at 25% on Rotten Tomatoes, but it was also a commercial flop. Reynolds himself does not shy away from the fact that the movie fell short of expectations; while sitting down with Entertainment Weekly, he said: “With Green Lantern, I don’t think anyone ever figured out exactly what it was… It also fell victim to the process in Hollywood which is like poster first, release date second, script last. At the time, it was a huge opportunity for me so I was excited to try and take part in it.”

8 Idris Elba

‘Thor’ Trilogy (2011 – 2017)

Idris Elba is, hands-down, one of the most talented actors to ever star in the MCU. Still, the BAFTA nominee has expressed some discontentment regarding his experience playing the all-seeing Heimdall, the Asgardian gatekeeper, in the Thor films, though this has seemed to improve through the years.

While Elba is clearly appreciative of the opportunity to be a part of this marvelous universe (no pun intended), he seemed a bit frustrated with the role at times. According to The Indian Express, the star described the process of being forced to come back for The Dark World reshoots due to contractual obligations as “torture” because he had just finished filming Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. “I’m thinking: ‘24 hours ago, I was Mandela.’ … Then there I was, in this stupid harness, with this wig and this sword and these contact lenses. It ripped my heart out,” he admitted. Still, Elba went on to play the character multiple times.

7 George Clooney

‘Batman & Robin’ (1997)

Featuring over-the-top performances and disappointing creative direction, Joel Schumacher‘s Batman & Robin is far from a perfect film; George Clooney seems to think so, too, as he has openly expressed regret about his role and even went as far as to call it a mistake. The iconic actor, known for his work in Ocean’s Eleven and O Brother, Where Art Thou?, played the iconic DC lead superhero in the movie.

Clooney suggested that his work on the disappointing feature was a needed “career wake-up call” in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. When asked which film from his past had the biggest influence on his craft, the movie star did not hesitate to pick Schumacher’s flick: “Up until that moment, I was an actor only concerned with finding work. After the failure of that film creatively, I understood that I needed to take control of the films I made, not just the role.”

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6 Wesley Snipes

‘Blade Trinity’ (2004)

Blade is undoubtedly one of Wesley Snipes‘s most famous roles, if not the most famous and defining, partly considering how groundbreaking those features were and its unforgettable half-vampire, half-human lead character. However, the star has showcased regret concerning Blade: Trinity, highlighting that it was a difficult experience and admitting that he was not happy with the film’s direction and his role in it.

Conflicts with director David S. Goyer and the film’s production team are reportedly part of why the actor has expressed regret and frustration over his experience. Not only did he feel that his character’s presence was diluted in favor of the supporting characters, but he disliked the movie’s tone and “juvenile” humor. Following already existent tension, Snipes went on to sue Goyer for trying to take the franchise away from him and giving it to other characters.

5 Natalie Portman

‘Thor’ Trilogy (2011 – 2017)

Natalie Portman was a well-established actor before joining the MCU as Jane in the Thor films, shining in complex roles as seen in her debut at only 12 in Léon: The Professional and through her Academy Award-winning efforts in Black Swan. While she did enjoy working in the Marvel films initially, Portman became somewhat disillusioned after Thor: The Dark World, as creative challenges ensued.

Portman is one of the few actors who regretted their MCU roles, and that is mostly due to her negative feelings towards the firing of Patty Jenkins, who was originally set to direct. She was reportedly furious about the filmmaker’s departure and only stayed because of contractual obligations. Ultimately, director Taika Waititi won her back in Thor: Love and Thunder through his writing of her character’s arc.

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4 Halle Berry

‘Catwoman’ (2004)

It’s not news to anyone that the Catwoman film, starring Halle Berry who also brought superhero Storm to life in the X-Men, has received mostly negative reviews. Whether we’re talking commercially or critically, the 2004 picture left much to be desired, featuring poor direction, production choices, and a lack of coherence. This, however, was by no means Berry’s fault, as the star (already an Oscar winner by that time) put a lot of effort into the role.

Despite the star’s attempts to make the film work, Catwoman ended up being a big disappointment, often being widely mocked and serving as an example of a “superhero film gone wrong.” Berry looks back at the film with humor and certainly a bit of regret, as seen in the video where she accepts her RAZZIE award for Worst Actress while holding her own Oscar in her available hand. “Thank you for putting me in a piece of sh*t, god-awful movie… It was just what my career needed,” the actor joked.

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3 Jessica Alba

‘Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer’ (2007)

Known for her work in both film and TV, Jessica Alba started acting at a young age, landing a breakthrough role in the sci-fi series Dark Angel and eventually rising to fame in popular blockbusters, including, of course, the Fantastic Four movies, where she plays Marvel’s Sue Storm, also known as the Invisible Woman. Surprisingly, the actor did have some regrets regarding what is perhaps her most famous film character, and understandably so.

Alba opened up with ELLE and revealed that being directed to just look pretty in Silver Surfer made her question her talent: “I remember when I was dying in ‘Silver Surfer,’” Jessica recounted. “The director was like, ‘It looks too real. It looks too painful. Can you be prettier when you cry?… Don’t do that thing with your face. Just make it flat. We can CGI the tears in.’”

2 Jennifer Garner

‘Elektra’ (2005)

Back in 2005, the 13 Going on 30 actor surprised audiences by stepping into the shoes of Elektra, a skilled assassin with a complex past, once more after first appearing in the Daredevil film. Although she went on to have a successful career following Elektra, Garner did not love the film — at least according to ex-boyfriend Vartan, who said she declared her film “awful.”

Garner has spoken about Elektra through the years, highlighting how the film did not turn out as she had hoped. It was reportedly a disappointing experience that lacked character development and strong writing, and Garner has expressed her dismay at having played a Marvel character before the renaissance of the superhero genre: “It’s such a shame, honestly, because once Kevin [Feige] took over everything there was elevated: the writing, the direction, the comedy inside of the stories they were telling. And I did not have that experience,” she admitted.

1 Ben Affleck

‘Daredevil’ (2003)

Known for his versatility across different genres and different fields — not only acting but also directing, producing, and writing — Ben Affleck has partaken in a good number of well-known projects so far, including the inspiring Good Will Hunting, in which he helped write the Oscar-winning screenplay alongside Matt Damon, and playing Batman in the beloved DC Extended Universe. Much like his ex-partner Jennifer Garner, Affleck has expressed some discontentment regarding his titular superhero role in Daredevil.

Affleck did not shy away from saying he fully regretted starring in the flick during an interview with Playboy Magazine: “The only movie I actually regret is Daredevil. It just kills me. I love that story, that character, and the fact that it got f*cked up the way it did stays with me. Maybe that’s part of the motivation to do Batman,” the star admitted.

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