Video game movie adaptations have come a long way—but casting has always been a gamble. While recent productions have seen greater critical and commercial success, Hollywood has often struggled to find the right actors to embody beloved game characters. From baffling choices to inspired oddities, here are 10 of the most head-scratching casting decisions in video game movie history.
The Tonal Whiplash of Street Fighter’s New Cast
The upcoming Street Fighter reboot is already drawing puzzled reactions. With Orville Peck cast as Vega, Cody Rhodes as Guile, and David Dastmalchian as M. Bison, fans are unsure whether the film is going for camp, grit, or chaos. This isn’t the first time Street Fighter made odd choices—just ask Taboo, who played a very un-Vega Vega in Legend of Chun-Li.
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Misfires in Modern Adaptations
Tom Holland’s turn as a too-young Nathan Drake in Uncharted and Chris Pratt’s bland vocal work in The Super Mario Bros. Movie highlight Hollywood’s tendency to cast based on box office draw rather than character authenticity. And while Jamie Lee Curtis is a genre icon, her portrayal of Patricia Tannis in Borderlands left fans cold—lacking both energy and fidelity to the source.
From WTF to Winning You Over
Not all oddball castings are failures. Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik in the Sonic trilogy was initially met with skepticism, but his manic performance quickly won over fans. Similarly, Ryan Reynolds voicing Pikachu in Detective Pikachu sounded absurd—until it worked. And Raul Julia’s theatrical M. Bison in 1994’s Street Fighter may have been unconventional, but it became legendary.
In a landscape where video game adaptations are finally hitting their stride, casting still remains one of the most unpredictable variables. Sometimes the risk pays off, and other times it becomes a cautionary tale. Either way, these wild casting choices keep fans talking—and maybe that’s the point.
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