The 15 Most Forced “Diversity” Castings That Backfired Spectacularly

In recent years, the entertainment industry has focused more on inclusivity, often by recasting classic characters and historical figures with diverse actors. Studios frequently update well-known stories or present history in a new way to appeal to a broader range of viewers. However, this approach has sometimes caused conflict between creators and dedicated fans who prefer faithfulness to the original material. Several projects have faced strong negative reactions due to casting choices, leading to poor reviews and box office disappointments. This backlash often overshadowed the intended message of the creators.

‘Queen Cleopatra’ (2023)

Netflix’s recent docudrama aimed to tell the story of the famous Egyptian ruler in a fresh way. However, the choice of Adele James to play the queen quickly caused widespread anger and legal challenges. Egyptian officials argued the casting misrepresented the queen’s actual heritage. The series was largely rejected by viewers, receiving some of the lowest ratings Netflix has ever seen. The resulting controversy overshadowed everything else about the show, turning it into a warning about how to portray historical figures.

‘Ghostbusters’ (2016)

Sony tried to revive the classic comedy series by creating a new version with an all-female cast, starring Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig. However, the marketing emphasized this change in gender, which turned off many longtime fans before the movie was even released. While critics liked the actors’ chemistry, the film didn’t make enough money to cover its costs. As a result, Sony cancelled plans for a second movie and later returned to the original storyline in future releases.

‘Velma’ (2023)

Mindy Kaling created this animated series, a new take on Scooby-Doo that significantly changed the characters’ backgrounds and personalities. Scooby himself was reimagined as South Asian, and the rest of the gang were given drastically different traits, losing what fans remembered about them. Both viewers and critics disliked the show, finding its humor harsh and feeling it didn’t honor the original. It’s become one of the lowest-rated animated shows on IMDb, reflecting the widespread negative reaction.

‘Anne Boleyn’ (2021)

Channel 5’s historical thriller featured Jodie Turner-Smith as Henry VIII’s second wife. The decision to cast a Black actress in the role of a traditionally white English queen sparked immediate debate about rewriting history. Unfortunately, the series didn’t attract many viewers and received very low ratings. While the production intended to break new ground, it wasn’t successful in gaining an audience that embraced its significant departure from historical norms.

‘Fantastic Four’ (2015)

Josh Trank’s attempt to reimagine the Fantastic Four, including casting Michael B. Jordan as Johnny Storm, faced criticism for not convincingly explaining the altered family dynamic between Johnny and his sister Sue. The film’s darker tone and departures from the original comics were unpopular with fans, leading to a significant box office failure. This ultimately led the studio to scrap plans for a larger shared cinematic universe and eventually relinquish the rights to Marvel Studios.

‘Resident Evil’ (2022)

Netflix created a live-action series based on the well-known survival horror video game, but it took many liberties with the game’s established story. A notable change was casting Lance Reddick, a Black actor, as the character Albert Wesker, who was traditionally portrayed as white in the games. Although Reddick’s performance was praised, many longtime fans were disappointed by the show’s changes and writing. Ultimately, Netflix canceled the series soon after it launched due to low viewership and a lack of viewers finishing the episodes.

‘Cowboy Bebop’ (2021)

This live-action version of the classic anime series aimed to recreate its unique space western style for a new audience, featuring a diverse cast. However, the portrayals of Faye Valentine and Jet Black were criticized for not capturing the depth and personality of the original animated characters. Many fans felt the writing focused too much on quick, witty lines and unnecessary changes, losing the thoughtful themes of the original. Ultimately, Netflix canceled the costly show less than a month after it launched due to a significant decline in viewership.

‘Charlie’s Angels’ (2019)

Elizabeth Banks directed the latest film in the spy series, aiming to showcase strong female characters and featuring a new, diverse team of agents. However, the movie’s marketing aggressively targeted a female audience and alienated many male viewers, a move experts believe was a significant mistake. The film performed poorly at the box office, failing to connect with even the female audience it was intended for. As a result, the series has been on hold ever since, as this installment didn’t prove successful with moviegoers.

‘The Dark Tower’ (2017)

Stephen King’s epic story, The Dark Tower, recently came to the big screen starring Idris Elba as the hero, Roland Deschain. However, casting a Black actor in the role altered important racial dynamics from the original books, specifically impacting the character of Odetta Holmes. Many book fans felt the movie was too fast-paced and lacked the rich backstory that made the novels so beloved. Ultimately, the film didn’t succeed with critics or audiences, which led to the cancellation of a planned TV series based on the story.

‘Troy: Fall of a City’ (2018)

I was really excited about this new take on the Trojan War, a co-production between the BBC and Netflix. It was amazing to see Black actors playing iconic roles like Achilles and Zeus! It definitely stirred up a lot of discussion, though – some people felt it wasn’t true to the traditional stories of ancient Greece. Sadly, it didn’t seem to catch on with viewers, especially here in the UK, and it didn’t really take off internationally either. It’s a shame, because a lot of the conversation focused on the casting choices instead of the show itself, which actually had some good acting and production quality.

‘Batwoman’ (2019–2022)

As a big superhero show fan, I was really disappointed with how things went with The CW series. It started off promising, but when Ruby Rose left and Javicia Leslie came in as a completely new character, Ryan Wilder, it felt like the show lost its way. Honestly, it felt like the writers were more focused on getting a message across than telling a good, consistent story. Season after season, fewer and fewer people tuned in. A lot of fans, myself included, felt like we were being told what to think instead of being entertained by exciting action and characters we could really connect with. Sadly, it’s not surprising the network eventually canceled it when the ratings just kept dropping.

‘Terminator: Dark Fate’ (2019)

Paramount tried to breathe new life into the sci-fi series by featuring a female lead and changing the traditional role of John Connor. However, director Tim Miller and producer James Cameron made choices that upset many loyal fans, who felt the male characters were diminished to promote a particular viewpoint. Despite receiving more positive reviews than earlier films in the series, the movie still lost over $100 million. Overall, audiences weren’t interested in a continuation that seemed to ignore or contradict the established story.

‘Peter Pan & Wendy’ (2023)

Disney’s new live-action version of the classic story premiered on streaming with Yara Shahidi playing Tinker Bell. However, the film received criticism for changing well-known characters and leaving out familiar parts of the original 1953 animated movie. Many viewers and critics found the film visually dull and lacking the enchanting feeling of past versions. Discussions about the casting choices also fueled negative reactions, causing the film to quickly lose popularity.

‘Death Note’ (2017)

Netflix created a film based on the popular Japanese manga, but set it in America and cast Lakeith Stanfield as the brilliant detective L. Many fans of the original story were unhappy with the changes, particularly the altered portrayal of the main character, Light Yagami, and the significant changes to L’s personality and history. The movie failed to recreate the clever back-and-forth between the characters that made the anime so popular worldwide. The director received a lot of criticism online for these choices, and a planned follow-up film has been stuck in development ever since.

‘The Witcher: Blood Origin’ (2022)

As a huge fan of the original series, I was really disappointed with the prequel. The elves they created were so different from how they’re described in the books, and it felt like the writers just tossed aside established story details. Honestly, it came across as a pretty standard fantasy story shoehorning in current social issues. The reaction from fans was intense – some of the worst ratings I’ve ever seen for a big Netflix show. It really hurt the overall franchise, and you could feel the excitement for the main series starting to fade.

Share your thoughts on these casting choices and their impact on the franchises in the comments.

2025-11-29 07:48