6 Actors Who Returned To Superhero Movie Roles They HATED (And Why)

There are many actors who have starred in superhero movies and hated the experience, but only a small handful who returned to those same roles...whether they did so willingly or not. Here’s the full list!

By JoshWilding - May 06, 2024 03:05 PM EST

Filed Under: Marvel Studios

Superhero movies aren't for everyone. There are many actors who have donned capes, cowls, and spandex, later admitting that they didn't enjoy the experience and wouldn't do it again.

However, only a small handful of performers have returned to roles they hated.

Some did so because they were contractually obliged. Others, meanwhile, wanted a second chance or were offered enough money to swallow their pride. Then, there were those who were seemingly gluttons for punishment and didn't know when to say "no." All of them are featured here.

To find out who falls into the categories above, all you need to do is click on the "Next"/"View List" buttons below.

6. Dave Bautista - Drax

Aquaman star Jason Momoa was originally eyed to play the MCU's Drax, but the role instead went to pro wrestler turned actor Dave Bautista (better known as Batista in the WWE).

The actor stole the show in both the Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers franchises, but while we all enjoyed the hilarity that ensued, Bautista did not. He's said it was a "relief" to end his time as the hero in Vol. 3 and admitted, "It wasn’t all pleasant. It was hard playing that role...I just don’t know if I want Drax to be my legacy - it’s a silly performance, and I want to do more dramatic stuff."

He'd later call his MCU exit "perfect," but said Marvel Studios dropped the ball on the character and the more serious storyline we were promised when the Destroyer vowed to avenge his daughter's death by killing Thanos.

Somewhere along the line, Marvel Studios and James Gunn recognised that Bautista had some serious comedy chops and chose to pigeonhole the character. As a result, Bautista kept coming back to a role he grew increasingly disillusioned and frustrated with.

5. James Franco - Harry Osborn

James-Franco-As-Harry-Osborn-Spider-Man-copy

James Franco put himself on the map playing Harry Osborn in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy. His best work came in the sequel, but by the time the disappointing third instalment was released, it felt like he was playing a parody of the character (and not just because of that goofy "Green Goblin" costume he wore).

Franco has since made it abundantly clear he didn't have a good time playing Harry after that first movie, saying: "I worked really hard on them, but they weren’t movies that I cared about. And after they came out, I just felt so awful."

He later admitted that being part of the Spider-Man franchise made him realise that, as an actor, "Only do projects that you care about, that you believe in, and that idea really just came out of having a bad experience on those movies."

The actor still reteamed with Raimi on Oz: The Great and Powerful, but greatly regretted ever getting locked into a three-picture deal as part of the wall-crawler's first big screen trilogy.

4. Jennifer Garner - Elektra

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Jennifer Garner played Elektra in 2003's Daredevil, and despite being killed off at the end of that movie, the actress returned two years later for a solo outing.

Believe it or not, Affleck - who has openly slated Daredevil and said how much he hated playing the Man Without Fear - returned as Matt Murdock for a deleted scene, likely because he was contractually obligated to do so. Garner, meanwhile, was in the same boat, but forced to star in this entire terrible movie rather than being fortunate enough to be left on the cutting room floor.

She's described the 2005 release as "awful," while her now ex-boyfriend Michael Vartan once revealed that, "I heard [Elektra] was awful. [Jennifer] called me and told me it was awful. She had to do it because of Daredevil. It was in her contract."

Despite this, all signs point to Garner suiting up at least once more as Elektra in this summer's Deadpool & Wolverine. Despite having a terrible experience last time, she's clearly been tempted back for a third and final crack at the assassin.

3. Ryan Reynolds - Deadpool

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Ryan Reynolds never hated Deadpool; in fact, he loved him enough that he was supposedly responsible for leaking the test footage which helped the 2016 movie become a reality.

However, it's no secret that the actor hated the version of Wade Wilson he played in 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine. This "Deadpool" was introduced as the wise-cracking mercenary in a series of cheesy action scenes - he sliced a bullet in half with a sword! - only to later become Weapon XI, a.k.a. "Barakapool," in the critically panned movie's final act.

"It was a very frustrating experience," Reynolds later recalled. "I was already attached to the Deadpool movie. We hadn't at that point written a script yet. [Wolverine] came along and it was sort of like, 'Play Deadpool in this movie or we'll get someone else to'. And I just said, 'I'll do it, but it's the wrong version. Deadpool isn't correct in it.'"

It was an undeniable disaster, and Reynolds even had to come up with his own lines. We have to believe he only came back because he knew he could play the Deadpool.

2. Idris Elba - Heimdall

Thor-Ragnarok-Textless-Character-Posters-07-copy

As we've established, not even the Marvel Cinematic Universe is immune to leaving actors unhappy with the characters they've played. Only one would continuously keep coming back, with none of his subsequent appearances massively improving on the last.

Idris Elba's Heimdall was a non-factor in Thor and a disappointment at best in Thor: The Dark World. Looking back at reshoots for that sequel, the actor would remember thinking, "'This is torture, man. I don't want to do this.'" My agent said: 'You have to, it's part of the deal'. Then there I was, in this stupid harness, with this wig and this sword and these contact lenses. It ripped my heart out."

Despite that, he did return in Taika Waititi's Thor: Ragnarok to be given only a slightly better role.

Marvel Studios finally freed Elba in Avengers: Infinity War when Thanos killed the Asgardian, though the actor can't have harboured too many hard feelings seeing as he showed up in Thor: Love and Thunder's post-credits scene.

1. Ben Affleck - Batman

Ben-Affleck-Batman-080423-e07c769f477e4a21b64a7edecaf0414f

After having a rough time playing Daredevil, everyone was shocked when Ben Affleck decided to sign up to play the Dark Knight in 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Unfortunately, that movie was panned by critics as well (as was Suicide Squad, a movie Affleck made a couple of cameos in), and 2017's Justice League didn't fare much better.

Pushed to his breaking point, Affleck finally called it a day by walking away from both the role of Bruce Wayne and The Batman, a project he was initially writing, directing, and set to star in.

The pressures and backlash which came with playing this DC Comics character also coincided with the actor's public issues with alcohol, and it's clear Batman is a role he fell out of love with and wanted nothing more to do with (The Batman was far enough along that he even released test footage of Deathstroke).

Shockingly, he'd eventually agree to suit up not once or twice, but three times. Those cameos came in Zack Snyder's Justice League, The Flash, and a scene cut from Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Now, we'd bet on Affleck being over cape sh*t.

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13 Comments

Malatrova15 - 5/6/2024, 3:17 PM

Is it true the gerbil rumor about Bstista?

Goldboink - 5/6/2024, 3:25 PM

@Malatrova15 -
Nutria. He wouldn't even notice a gerbil at this point.

DocSpock - 5/6/2024, 3:51 PM

@Goldboink -

Let’s up that to a warthog with a toothache.

Ouch.

OptimusCrime - 5/6/2024, 3:17 PM

Useless article😉

BritishMonkey - 5/6/2024, 3:47 PM

@OptimusCrime - Well if it has Wilding's name on it...

HashTagSwagg - 5/6/2024, 3:31 PM

S8R8M - 5/6/2024, 3:49 PM

Money. The only reason haha

DocSpock - 5/6/2024, 3:53 PM

I wonder how Gadot felt after that awful JL movie and the horrible WW 1984?

TheVisionary25 - 5/6/2024, 3:59 PM

It sucks that they had cast Elba as Heimdall just before he had hit big , just bad timing…

Dude did well with what he had but was just underutilized.

He did have some fun moments in the movies , especially this…

?si=ejiiynn3BQoQWCyY

JFerguson - 5/6/2024, 4:01 PM

You could’ve given 10.

Fogs - 5/6/2024, 4:07 PM

Joke's on me.

I clicked.

Slotherin - 5/6/2024, 9:44 PM

@Fogs - joke's on us all

Izaizaiza - 5/6/2024, 4:10 PM

It may have been a minor role, but Idris Elba's Heimdall was fantastic. Some of his lines in the first film are among the most memorable.

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6 Actors Who Returned To Superhero Movie Roles They HATED (And Why)

There are many actors who have starred in superhero movies and hated the experience, but only a small handful who returned to those same roles...whether they did so willingly or not. Here’s the full list!

6. Dave Bautista - Drax

5. James Franco - Harry Osborn

4. Jennifer Garner - Elektra

3. Ryan Reynolds - Deadpool

2. Idris Elba - Heimdall

1. Ben Affleck - Batman

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