Hollywood has been filled with cases of controversial casting for a long time. Decades before internet dwellers could raise their voices against certain casting choices, Hollywood A-listers faced issues from directors and producers. Evidently, Michael Keaton and Tom Cruise are living examples of such controversial casting.
Just like Tom Cruise faced issues with his over-polished appearance and short height during the 2012 Jack Reacher film series, even Michael Keaton faced similar issues during his 1989 Batman movie. Apparently, both the actors were criticized for their short height and were later replaced by other actors in sequel projects.
Tom Cruise Was A Casting Mistake For Jack Reacher
Despite being a Hollywood heartthrob and one of the most handsome-looking men, Tom Cruise faced casting controversy due to his appearance. Apparently, for his 2012 adaptation of Lee Child’s novel series Jack Reacher, the actor was considered too good-looking for the role. Slammed for his over-polished appearance, Cruise was brutally trolled for his film series.
Apparently, the character of Reacher is supposed to be a physically imposing figure who embodies military stoicism and a nomadic lifestyle. Thus, unfortunately, Tom Cruise being around 5ft 7in, was deemed too short to exude the intimidation that the character demands. Further, apart from his height being a big aspect, Cruise’s version was also called too aesthetic to be a “hobo”.
Thereafter, Amazon Prime’s new series Reacher fixed the mistakes of casting Tom Cruise in the 2012 and 2016 iterations of Lee Child’s novel series. While the movie version failed to find the perfect embodiment of the character, the series featured Alan Ritchson, who thankfully appeared far closer to the novel’s description of Reacher.
Michael Keaton Was A Controversial Casting For Batman
Although Tom Cruise faced the Jack Reacher issue in 2012, the casting controversy seemed to prevail in Hollywood for a long time. Michael Keaton faced similar issues to that of Cruise during his 1989 DC movie, Batman. Apparently, Keaton was never viewed as a serious actor, as he often featured in comedy movies.
Since Batman required a different level of seriousness, Michael Keaton was considered completely wrong for the role. However, apart from his previous experiences, the actor also suffered similar issues to that of Cruise, as he was considered too short to play the role of the intimidating Caped Crusader.
Not just fans but even the executive producer Michael E. Uslan was against Michael Keaton’s casting as Batman. In his mémoire, The Boy Who Loved Batman, Uslan mentioned how he lost his mind after hearing Tim Burton‘s choice for the lead role. Uslan wrote,
“I yelled. I screamed. I carried on like a baby. I argued. I protested. I fought. I reasoned. I swore. I begged. I pleaded. I countered. I discussed. I debated. I called in allies from DC Comics.”
In the end, Tim Burton won the fight and signed Michael Keaton as Batman. However, Keaton faced the same fate as Cruise, since he was later replaced by other actors in further iterations, to fix the casting mistakes.
Watch Michael Keaton’s Batman and Tom Cruise’s Jack Reacher films on Amazon Prime.
Source: Screenrant, The Boy Who Loved Batman
