The A-List includes the best of the best actors in Hollywood, but that doesn’t always mean the movies that book these top tier actors use them to the best of their abilities. While Hollywood is constantly churning out movies, and these can range in quality drastically, most blockbuster films from the big studios have a budget that allows them to book the most notable talent in the industry. As actors prove their worth in Hollywood, their prices go way up, and that means they take up a chunk of the budget.

However, while these actors may be able to claim a bigger paycheck from a large studio film, it’s not always the case that the movies actually use them properly. Whether the character development was poor, the vision too small, or the people behind the camera simply failed to coax the actors’ talents out, some movies with the biggest names failed to utilize the iconic performers. And unfortunately, it happens pretty frequently.

10

Christian Bale – Thor: Love & Thunder

While the MCU has its hardcore fans and staunch detractors, there is no denying that these movies have been leading the pack when it comes to both budgets and box office returns for many years. At the height of its popularity, the MCU released multiple billion dollar movies per year, but the most recent slate of films hasn’t fared quite so well. And in part, some of that could be down to the lack of hit films to come out of the recent Multiverse Saga.

Among them, Thor: Love & Thunder was one of the least well-received, despite starring the incredible Oscar winning actor, Christian Bale. Long before he played Batman, Bale proved his incredible abilities in the role of Patrick Bateman in the film American Psycho. However, despite having the ability and experience to play a menacing villain, his stint as Gorr the God Butcher in the MCU was both underwhelming and brief. Bale would have benefited from more scenes, dialogue, and development, but instead, he was relegated to a painted caricature that failed to inspire any real threat to Thor and his allies.

9

Eddie Redmayne – Jupiter Ascending

Another spectacular actor whose range has seen him go from playing a rebel, to a genius scientist, and more on stage, is Eddie Redmayne. At a young age, the actor established his brilliant talent in a handful of roles, and found himself progressing to bigger and better parts. Eventually, Redmayne became the face of a spin-off Harry Potter franchise, and most recently, an international ᴀssᴀssin in The Day of the Jackal, but along the way, there is one blot on his record that stands out.

Jupiter Ascending is a film which was written and directed by the Wachowski sisters, the people responsible for The Matrix. However, the ambitious sci-fi epic failed to garner a positive response, despite a star-studded list and a whopping $179 million budget (via The Numbers). Redmayne was cast as the villain, Balem Abrasax, but with the convoluted political storyline and the intricate world building that rushed to create an entire universe, the movie was a flop. Unfortunately, Redmayne’s performance was also painful to watch, as the character appeared confused, outrageous, and downright woeful.

8

Idris Elba – The Dark Tower

Idris Elba has spent a long time building up his career and reputation to the point that he is recognized as one of the best actors in Hollywood. However, Elba has also appeared in some less spectacular projects. For instance, The Dark Tower, based on the popular novels by Stephen King, was set to embark on a multi-movie franchise starring Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey, but after the first film debuted in 2017, the plans to expand were scrapped.

The failure of the film came down to numerous aspects, but one of the worst offenses of the film was the way it wasted the incredible talent involved. Elba is a solid action hero, an intellectual and thoughtful performer, and an ᴀsset on any film set, but the characters and settings in The Dark Tower were so confused and lacking that it resulted in an overly dull and disappointing film which did not highlight the talents involved.

7

Christoph Waltz – Spectre

When it comes to the international super spy, James Bond, the character has an exceptionally long history in film. Over the course of the last 60 plus years, Ian Fleming’s novels have been adapted time and time again, with the character evolving beyond the novels and becoming a much larger figure in pop culture. However, wherever Bond goes, there is one rival who stands out as his supreme archenemy, Ernst Blofeld. And, when Daniel Craig stepped into the role of Bond, this rival was brought back to challenge the hero.

However, despite casting the incredible two-time Oscar-winning Christoph Waltz, the character was incredibly underwhelming. Between the lack of time on screen, the minimal dialogue, and the overall presentation of this villain, Waltz was utterly wasted in the role of Blofeld. Had the character been written with more thought, and the film established him better, Waltz had the potential to make the very best version of Blofeld, but instead, it was lacking.

6

Tom Hanks – Elvis

Another two-time Oscar winner, Tom Hanks, has long been established as one of the most hard-working and decent actors in Hollywood. Throughout his career, he has proven his skills in roles where he appeared alone for most of a film, such as in Cast Away and The Terminal, to stand out in a larger cast, such as his role in the Toy Story films, or in Cloud Atlas. However, Hanks’ talents aren’t always used to their full extent.

Most recently, this was seen in Elvis, where he appeared opposite Austin Butler, as the character Colonel Tom Parker. Unlike Blofeld, this villain had too much of a focus in Elvis, with the character narrating the story in a terrible fake accent, constantly pulling attention away from the plot. While there are arguments to be made that this is an effective use of the character, it still pulls down the entertainment value of the film, and saw Hanks land his first and only Razzie Awards.

5

Meryl Streep – Into The Woods

Stepping things up even further, the incredibly acclaimed Meryl Streep, who has accumulated three Oscars thus far in her career, landed her worst role in Into the Woods. In fact, the entire film received criticism for the way that it diluted the tone and darkness of the original stage musical. In the musical, the Witch, the character Streep plays in the film, is a terrifying figure who lurks in darkness and adds an uneasiness to the story.

While Streep is certainly capable of performing in this way, and delivering an intense and complex character, the film appears to have no interest in the depth of the character. Instead, the Witch is a shallow and one-dimensional version of the original, who adds little more than another punchline. It’s a shame, because the story could have been more imaginative and deep, but alas, that wasn’t the case.

4

Bill Murray – Ghostbusters: Afterlife

Bill Murray, on the other hand, is not necessarily known for his spectacular performances. The actor has prominently appeared in comedy films, and has a reputation in that regard as one of the greatest funny men of film. However, even in this regard, Ghostbusters: Afterlife took the actor, put him back in a decades-old costume, and called it a day.

Bill Murray starred in the original Ghostbusters movie, and while the revival wanted to pay tribute to him and the other Ghostbusters, the movie features them as more of an afterthought. The sequel builds on this, but in either case, it’s a misstep that feels like it could have been handled better in the original, and discarded in the sequel to avoid an overreliance on the original Ghostbusters.

3

Oscar Isaac – X-Men: Apocalypse

After breaking onto the scene in Hollywood in a big way with films like Inside Llewyn Davis, Ex Machina, and Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, Oscar Isaac was utterly wasted in X-Men: Apocalypse. Isaac has since gone on to reveal even more of his exceptional talent in films like Dune and the MCU, where he plays Moon Knight. Overall, Isaac’s ability to play superheros, action stars, and drama is top-notch, but unfortunately, it was wasted.

Under a mountain of make-up, to the point that many people will not recognize Isaac for his part playing the тιтular villain, X-Men: Apocalypse was one of the most hollow and meaningless roles in his career. The character has very little time on screen, there is almost no dialogue, and the result is as effective as placing a cardboard cutout of Isaac on screen. So much potential for a well-thought-out villain with a powerful performance down the drain.

2

Anthony Hopkins – Rebel Moon

Anthony Hopkins is a powerhouse of a performer. Again, having secured two Oscar wins in his career, and a further four nominations, Hopkins has been a huge name in the space since the 1968 film, The Lion in Winter. However, the 1990s marked a notable turning point in Hopkins’ career. As he stepped into larger leading roles, tackled more complex characters, and got recognition from the Academy for roles such as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs.

Hopkins is a natural performer, whose years of work has refined him to become an even more impactful presence in any film. So when Rebel Moon decided to include him, it felt like a perfect place to insert this noble, powerful, commanding force of a man in some meaningful role. And they did, except they only cast his voice. Of course, Hopkins’ voice is iconic, but as the robot Jimmy, who has no facial expression whatsoever, and also has approximately two lines in this first entry, it was a huge waste of Hopkins’ talents.

1

Bryan Cranston – Godzilla

Last, but certainly not least, Bryan Cranston is another actor whose reputation has only increased over the years. While many people were familiar with the actor through his appearance as the clumsy and spineless father in Malcolm in the Middle, his time on Breaking Bad propelled him to new heights of popularity. Cranston’s ability to embody characters, and switch between a coward and a monster is absolutely breathtaking, and whatever he is cast in, he has the potential to improve.

However, when he showed up in Godzilla, and was marketed as a part of the film, it was anticipated that he’d have a meaningful role, and perhaps even appear in sequels. This was not the case, and in fact his character, Joe Brody, dies a short time into the film in order to give the true main characters more motivation. It makes sense, and it does drive the characters, but it felt like a huge waste, and Cranston was sorely missed. Once again proving that when a big name actor is cast, the movies need to give them something to work with.