In a time when movie stars have become more recognizable than ever, it’s no wonder that the same few faces have come up over and over again when it comes to fan-casting. In the current age of cinema, Hollywood is increasingly reliant on recognizable intellectual property to sell tickets, with adaptations, surprisingly good remakes, reboots, and long-awaited sequels being the most common type of blockbuster being made. As such, audiences anticipate new versions of familiar characters quite frequently, with a short list of recognizable stars frequently given favor by fans.
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The most egregiously over-used names in fan-casting tend to have a few things in common beyond being A-list celebrity stars. They’re often known for their roles in huge, recognizable franchises, such as the films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or have appeared at some point in another big comic book movie series. They also tend to be either versatile actors, known for a wide variety of different roles, or have a staple personality that is applied to every character they inhabit. Whatever the case, a select few names come up perhaps too often when it comes to fan-casting upcoming films.
10 Chris Hemsworth
An Australian movie star with humble origins
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Interestingly enough, many of the biggest names in Hollywood right now aren’t legacy stars with a long lineage of cinematic expertise. Chris Hemsworth was a relative unknown star of soap operas in his home country of Australia before hitting it big as Thor in the MCU, catapulting his name into cinematic stardom. Since then, Hemsworth has been able to flex his acting skills just as much as his impressive physique in wildly off-type roles like the villain Dementus in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.
Because of his popularity as Thor, Chris Hemsworth has found himself fan-cast in a wide variety of different roles. He’s been suggested for typical square-jawed action heroes like G.I. Joe, the DCU’s take on Aquaman, or the dashing John Smith in a live-action version of Disney’s Pochahontas. With a brilliant vocal performance as Orion Pax, who later becomes Optimus Prime, in Transformers One, Hemsworth is likely to find himself a commonly-requested actor in animated roles, as well.
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9 Jenna Ortega
A go-to goth girl for movies and TV
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A highly-experienced child actress, Jenna Ortega first got her start on network TV, appearing in sitcoms like Jane the Virgin and Disney Channel classics like Stuck in the Middle at a young age. First exploding in popularity with her excellent performance in the drama film The Fallout, the role that really put Ortega on the map was that of Wednesday Adams in the Netflix series Wednesday. Since then, Jenna Ortega has been typecast in spooky or scream queen roles in movies like Scream VI, X, and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
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Because of her ubiquity as a quirky, offbeat goth performer, Jenna Ortega has become a go-to name for certain types of characters in highly-anticipated live-action movies. She’s appeared in fan-led casting calls for characters like Raven of Teen Titans fame, but occasionally has her sunny side championed as a candidate for a live-action Isabella in a Phineas and Ferb adaptation. Championed for her aesthetics and flair for offbeat characters, Jenna Ortega’s name comes up all-too frequently in the minds of moviegoers.
8 Tom Holland
Hollywood’s youngest go-to action hero
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Chris Hemsworth is far from the only unknown name to be launched into stardom by the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Enter Tom Holland, a charming lead defined by his role as Spider-Man. Though the British actor was fantastic in lesser-known films like In the Heart of the Sea, it’s his career as one of the most beloved live-action Spider-Men that has kept him relevant for years to come. Since Spider-Man: Homecoming, Holland has gotten opportunity after opportunity, from other big franchises like the Uncharted movie adaptation to more grounded, controversial dramas like Cherry.
It’s no surprise that Tom Holland’s name is often on the minds of eager fans, being an easy movie star touchstone for those that don’t have the widest database of actors. Popular roles Tom Holland is fan-cast in usually take advantage of his shorter stature and boyish charisma, such as a live-action version of the beloved cartoon hero, Ben Tennyson from Ben 10. He’s quite the unbearably common choice for live-action interpretations of Disney characters as well, such as young Hercules, Peter Pan, or even Jim Hawkins from Treasure Planet.
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7 Anya Taylor-Joy
Is hard to escape from in Hollywood blockbusters
One actress that actual casting directors seem to enjoy just as much as fans is Anya Taylor-Joy. First gaining critical acclaim as Thomasin in Roger Eggers’ brilliant horror film The Witch, Anya Taylor-Joy’s acting skill was noticed by almost too many different projects. Beyond further collaborations with Eggers, Taylor-Joy has appeared in roles as vast and varied as Furiosa in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga to Princess Peach in The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
Becoming more and more well-known, fans have begun to frequently request Anya Taylor-Joy for many popular roles. Her trademark cat-like eyes and platinum blonde hair make her a often-championed pick for Black Cat in a Spider-Man movie, whereas others interpret her typically melancholy characters as a great fit for the Greek goddess Persephone. Because of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, she’s also expanded her hypothetical resume to cartoon vocal performances, as well.
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6 Henry Cavill
A passionate performer that never got his chance to shine
Henry Cavill has an interesting case as an adored actor who can’t seem to catch a break. His time as Superman in the DCEU was fraught with poor writing decisions, but even the most vocal critical detractors of the series were keen to champion his performance as the Man of Steel. Cavill also famously lived out his nerdy dreams in passion project The Witcher before controversially exiting as Geralt due to creative differences. Armed with a unique combination of conventional good looks, acting skill, jaw-dropping musculature and blazing passion for geeky franchises, Henry Cavill is a fan-caster’s dream.
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Many are hopeful that Henry Cavill will finally find a home in a franchise that appreciates and make good use of his obvious talents. Some are hopeful the British actor could replace Daniel Craig as the next James Bond, whereas others would be content to see Cavill lean into his heartthrob era as Disney Prince in a live-action remake of a classic musical. Henry Cavill’s ubiquity as a popular fan-cast for different characters is so famous that it was even poked fun at in Deadpool & Wolverine, which gave a glimpse of what he’d look like as the feral mutant.
5 Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
An incredibly over-represented action star
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An action star just as over-represented in actual films as he is in hypothetical call sheets, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson managed to pivot his wrestling career into a lucrative cinematic empire. Though his most beloved series is the Fast and Furious franchise, Johnson has a dizzying list of credits under his belt, from the new Jumanji series to the DCEU’s failed tentpole Black Adam. Essentially, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson plays the same character in almost every film he appears in; a down-to-Earth, impeccable man of action who can’t lose as a clause of his acting contracts.
Thanks to his dominance as a proven star and his ethnic ambiguity, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has found his way into a wide variety of fan wish lists for different franchises, no matter how miscast. Some DC fans would have him give the superhero world another go as the Teen Titans’ Cyborg, whereas others see his potential as a comedian in a live-action version of Kronk from The Emperor’s New Groove. With rippling muscles and the confidence to show them off, Johnson has no end of shooters willing to ignore his lack of depth in favor of raw star power.
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4 Timothée Chalamet
An alternative young movie star with a powerful rise to popularity
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Timothée Chalamet has always had an impressive list of accolades, holding his own in everything from tender coming-of-age dramas like Ladybird and Call Me By Your Name to space opera epics like Interstellar. But it wasn’t until his recent rise to power as Paul Atreides in Denis Villenueve’s Dune films, soon to undertake the Herculean task of adapting Dune Messiah, that Chalamet truly became a household name. Though he’s a brooding tyrant in the Dune duology, his role as Willy Wonka in Wonka proved that Chalamet still has a whimsical side.
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This interesting mix of possible character traits has led Timothée Chalamet to all kinds of different roles. Those who know him from Dune are eager to cast him in an edgy superhero role, with Nightwing and Harry Osborn both being frontrunners. Meanwhile, those in tune with his quirkier side see him as more of a Regulus Black in Harry Potter prequel The Marauders, or even as Edward Scissorhands or Johnny Depp himself in a biopic of his celebrity doppelgänger.
3 Idris Elba
A smooth-talking staple of prestige action cinema
An English actor, singer, rapper, and stage performer, Idris Elba is quite the well-rounded star with an impressive filmography of high-profile roles. Elba rose to fame as Stringer Bell in HBO’s critically-acclaimed The Wire, only to pivot this success in ever-larger characters like Nelson Mandela in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom and Beasts of No Nation. Elba has had at least a minor role in almost every major cinematic franchise around, from Fast and Furious to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and even Sonic the Hedgehog.
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Because of his impressive history, it’s no wonder Idris Elba is an incredibly common name in fan-casting ideas for all sorts of different projects. Comic book lovers wish for his return to superheroes as Martian Manhunter in the DCU or Spawn, whereas others think he’d be perfect for Ganondorf in the upcoming live-action The Legend of Zelda movie adaptation. Idris Elba is also a popular pick for the next James Bond, and could make history as the first Black actor to inherit the title of 007.
2 Scarlett Johansson
A frequently fawned-over leading lady
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One of the highest-grossing box office stars of all time, Scarlett Johansson is as A-list as actresses get. Once a child performer, Johansson rose to stardom thanks to her performances in movies like Lost in Translation and Girl with a Pearl Earring, soon gaining prominence as a modern bombshell and capable actress. Now, Johansson is known for Black Widow, meditative science fiction movies like Her and Under the Skin, and even recently dabbled in voice acting as Elita-One in Transformers One.
Scarlett Johansson appears wherever there is a need for a traditionally attractive, yet capable female character. Many have suggested her as a spiritual successor to movie star Marilyn Monroe, making Johansson the only real choice to portray her in any kind of biopic, whereas others see her as the literal Greek goddess of beauty, Aphrodite. A more character-focused fan-cast of Johansson is as Sadie Adler in a movie version of the hit video game Red Dead Redemption 2.
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1 Margot Robbie
A highly sought-after cast thanks to some key movie appearances
Margot Robbie has been a high-profile actress for some time, but her recent cinematic successes have catapulted her into a new level of fame that is reflected in her frequent fan-casting callouts. Getting her first big break in The Wolf of Wall Street, Margot Robbie when on to prove her chops as a franchise lead as Harley Quinn, one of the better-received live-action castings of the DCEU. Most significantly of all, her top billing as Barbie in the phenomenally-successful film of the same name ensured there weren’t many audiences who didn’t know her name.
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In a similar position as Scarlett Johansson, Margot Robbie has been typecast by many of the same roles by fans, including Aphrodite, Marilyn Monroe, and even Sadie Adler. However, Robbie’s edge in being typecast for more girly roles like Barbie has put her in the conversation for characters not as often attributed to Johansson, such as Amy Rose of Sonic the Hedgehog fame. It’s safe to say Margot Robbie’s name is perhaps over-invoked when it comes to fan-casting popular hypothetical movies.