Find Me Serenity

This entry was inspired by recent casting announcements for 2 major franchises in which fans went ape shit crazy and called for the deaths of innocent people.  

A couple months ago Warner Bros and Universal both made the Internet nearly shut itself down with their casting announcements for Batman and 50 Shades of Grey. First people called for Ben Affleck’s head on a stake when it was announced that he would don the cape and cowl for the Man of Steel sequel in which Superman and Batman will do battle. Then, not even a week later, Universal announced Charlie Hunnam and Dakota Johnson would star as the main characters in the 50 Shades movie. Both announcements had fans so distraught they created campaigns to replace the actors immediately. 

Here’s the thing. The fans are calling for specific people to replace the actors who were chosen. In the real world one cannot simply cry and scream and start an online petition demanding action (and seriously we’re more angry Affleck is the new Batman than we are about this whole government shut down). 

Maybe Matt Bomer and Ian Somerhalder don’t want to play Christian Grey. And maybe Alexis Bledel doesn’t want to play Anastasia Steele. Then there’s the other side of the blindfold…what if Matt Bomer and some other actress who look the part were cast and they had ZERO chemistry? There’d be bitching and moaning that the movie sucked. And goddammit Ryan Gosling cannot play every role ever created!!!  

As for Ben Affleck and Batman, no one will ever be good enough to don that cape and cowl on the big screen. Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney and Christian Bale all met with “no not him” sentiments. And all but Clooney proved to be pretty damn good in their respective movies. Let’s let Ben show us what he can do before calling for his death at the hands of the Joker.

Casting a film is a major process and we do not get a say in who plays who in what. Calling for actors deaths or begging studio executives to replace the actors with fan favorites is a serious entitlement issue. Want to ding a franchise for the cast they chose? Don’t buy a ticket. But Ben Affleck, Charlie Hunnam and Dakota Johnson did nothing to incur the wrath of rabid fans. 

We have become such inhumane assholes. We have become people who think that we have a right to tell professionals how to do their jobs. And we’re certainly getting worse in the hatred just because we can area. By the way have you heard the country is shut down? 

Note: Two things I would like to make absolutely clear here. First, I have not read the 50 Shades of Grey books and have no intention of doing so, or seeing the films no matter who plays the roles. (Charlie Hunnam has dropped out, another Internet meltdown is imminent, stay tuned for reports on casting and to find out about underground bunkers set up for your safety). And second, do not believe for a moment that I am taking the Batman vs Superman movie lightly. But c’mon people, you’d see that showdown if Gilbert Godfrey played Batman and Pee Wee Herman played Superman. That’s just what we do.