This one’s a big blunder, guys and gals. John Wayne was born in Iowa, and Mr. Khan was born in Asia. Mongolia, specifically. Maybe you can see what we’re getting at here. After a lifetime of killing it in the west, Wayne wanted something different. When producer Howard Hughes delivered a big pallet of cash for this role, Wayne signed up, but both the movie and the casting choice ended up being terrible.
It’s often seen as one of the worst movies of all time, thanks in part to Wayne’s casting as this famous conqueror.
George Clooney as Batman in Batman & Robin
Hey, look, it's that movie we made fun of a few entries back. Batman has been one of the more popular film superheroes, but the movies have still been hit or miss. This is the one with the Bat-nipples, and a mediocre-at-best acting job by Clooney, Uma Thurman as a cringe-worthy Poison Ivy, and the first and last Batgirl to appear on the big screen, Alicia Silverstone.
Alongside this poor supporting cast, Clooney's lack of Wayne charm and Batman power was even more noticeable, turning this movie into a clunker. But don't worry: "Batman Begins" was just around the corner.
Topher Grace as Venom in Spider-Man 3
While the newest version of "Spider-Man" has impressed plenty, the original film version was still well-regarded, with "Spider-Man 2" an early example of what superhero movies could achieve when given a chance. However, "Spider-Man 3" couldn't keep the success going and made an especially strange casting choice with Topher Grace, the lead from "That '70s Show," as the villain Venom. Venom is supposed to be a huge, hulking character with the physical skills able to take on Venom and the menacing appearance of a true monster.
Tom Hardy is a little closer (despite that movie's quality), Topher Grace is far from the mark, and the movie suffered.
Scarlett Johansson as Major Mira Killian
Nobody can decry Johansson's acting chops, but this was another misstep in casting white actors in Asian roles. "Ghost in the Shell" is a classic piece of anime history, and it was a great opportunity to give a big role to a smaller name. But the producers went with the hot hand, and Johansson starred instead.
Plenty of people wanted the role recast, and thanks to this bad press – and, we have to assume, being not a very good movie – the film became both a commercial and critical flop.
Mickey Rooney as Mr. Yunioshi in Breakfast at Tiffany's
Few films are as well-liked by burgeoning style aficionados, for some reason, but the fact that the movie's third-biggest star – Mickey Rooney – pretends to be a Japanese man the entire time. With a ridiculous prosthetic for his teeth, a terrible accent that just barely sounds Asian, and silly glasses that bugged out his eyes, this character is a slap in the face for any of the possible Asian actors who could have had a spot in this film.
However, the character is really only for comic relief, which might have made putting an Asian man in the role an even greater misstep.