"The Cavillrine! [...] May I say sir, on behalf of all humanity, this just feels RIGHT!"
— Deadpool meeting a Wolverine played by Henry Cavill, Deadpool & Wolverine
Fancasting, or the practice of fans choosing an actor who could play a role that hasn't yet been adapted into a visual/audium medium based on their appearance, voice and/or previous filmography, is often seen as a pipe dream. After all, even if it does get adapted to the screen, there's little to no chance the A-lister of your dreams might be interested in the project, be available for it, and actually be cast for it. However, there is the rare occasion that the casting directors actually manage to get a popular fancast for a role.
Sometimes, this is because the creators of the adaptation already had the actor in mind from the beginning, and it just so happened that the fanbase thought the same thing. Other times, they have one ear to the fandom hivemind. And in some cases, an actor might learn of the fancast and campaign for the role themselves, especially if they're One of Us.
Regardless of the reason, the fan reaction will invariably be And the Fandom Rejoiced.
A sister trope of Ascended Fanon. This is more common in the Live-Action Adaptation than in the Animated Adaptation (unless it utilizes Ink-Suit Actor or the fancast was for their voice). Contrast Darkhorse Casting, when an unknown actor is cast for a major part. Compare and contrast Hypothetical Casting, which is when a creator visualizes a character through an existing performer regardless of whether or not they'll ever be cast, or whether or not the fans agree. When a creator of a work gets their choice, that's Creator-Chosen Casting.
Examples:
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Films — Animation
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem: Before voicing Baxter Stockman, Giancarlo Esposito was a top fan-favorite choice for the character inspired after his performance as Gus Fring from Breaking Bad.
- Oscar Isaac was a popular fan choice for the role of Gomez Addams, especially after rocking a similar look in Sucker Punch. He eventually got to voice the character in animation in The Addams Family (2019).
- Batman and Harley Quinn: Melissa Rauch was one of the popular fan casting for Harley Quinn before she voiced the character in the film.
- Stephanie Beatriz was a popular fan casting for the role of Batwoman in the TV series following Ruby Rose's departure after Season 1 before she finally voiced the superheroine in Catwoman: Hunted.
- There was a 2009 fan trailer
with Nathan Fillion as Hal Jordan / Green Lantern. Fillion would later voice him in Green Lantern: Emerald Knights and other animated films. Fillion would then be cast as a Green Lantern again in Superman (2025), albeit as Guy Gardner.
- Trolls: The McElroy Brothers once made a one-off podcast stating they'd like to star in a hypothetical Trolls sequel film, which immediately became a popular idea. They ended up playing some minor characters in Trolls World Tour, even getting a few posters dedicated just to those characters.
Films — Live-Action
- Emma Watson was a very popular fancast for Belle in a hypothetical live-action remake of Disney's Beauty and the Beast (1991) due to having already played a Badass Bookworm and Brainy Brunette in her role as Hermione Granger. This came true in Beauty and the Beast (2017) .
- DC Extended Universe:
- Justice League: Joe Manganiello as Deathstroke came true because one of the producers saw fanart of the popular fancast.
- Mary Elizabeth Winstead was a popular fan cast as Huntress long before she played the role in Birds of Prey.
- Ever since Man of Steel, there was a popular fan theory that Calvin Swanwick (Harry Lennix) is actually Martian Manhunter in disguise. Zack Snyder liked the idea enough to incorporate it in his version of Justice League.
- Xolo Maridueña was the most popular fancast for Blue Beetle before he was cast in his solo film.
- Justice League: Joe Manganiello as Deathstroke came true because one of the producers
- In 2001, Wizard Magazine ran a "Casting Call" which suggested Ray Park for the role of Snake Eyes if a live-action G.I. Joe movie was ever made. He would play Snake Eyes in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and G.I. Joe: Retaliation.
- Ever since Remington Steele, Pierce Brosnan was a popular candidate to play James Bond (and producer Albert R. Broccoli wanted him as soon as the mid-'80s actually, although Remington Steele's producers screwed everything by renewing Brosnan's contract, prompting Broccoli to cast Timothy Dalton instead). Then GoldenEye happened.
- Harry Potter: In this 2006 Fan Vid about Barty Crouch, Jr., Bellatrix Lestrange is represented by footage of Helena Bonham Carter from Merlin. Carter would go on to play Bellatrix in the actual films. (What's more is that she was cast after the original actress Helen McCrory had to drop out).
- Elle Fanning had been very popular fan choice for young Effie Trinket in fan prequel material of The Hunger Games books and films, so when it was announced the prequel story featuring Haymitch Abernathy's time in the arena would be getting a film adaptation The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, fans flooded the studio pages online saying, "Elle needs to play Effie", which both the studio and Elle herself states was why she was cast.
- After It ended before a Time Skip, it became apparent that Timeshifted Actors would be needed to play the adult versions of the Losers.
- Jessica Chastain was a very common fancast for the role of Adult Bev (something Sophia Lillis, who played the character, agreed with), and even expressed interest in the role herself. Director Andrés Muschietti said he'd be down to cast her for It: Chapter Two, and he eventually did.
- Finn Wolfhard's Hypothetical Cast for his adult self was Bill Hader, who ended up getting the role. Fans agreed with this choice, noting the similarities between Richie's characterization in the novel and roles Hader had played in the past. Muschietti agreed with this casting as well.
- Jessica Chastain was a very common fancast for the role of Adult Bev (something Sophia Lillis, who played the character, agreed with), and even expressed interest in the role herself
- Joker: Joaquin Phoenix was one of the most popular fan casting for the titular character ever since his Evil Is Hammy performance in Gladiator.
- Marvel Cinematic Universe:
- Benedict Cumberbatch was the people's choice for the titular role of Doctor Strange, since he had previously played stoic, troubled geniuses in well-known adaptations (Sherlock, Star Trek Into Darkness). The director also agreed, saying Cumberbatch was who they had envisioned for the character.
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness:
- John Krasinski as Reed Richards has been a popular fancast for a long period of time, and the movie made it official, albeit as a version from another universe.
- A fairly popular fancast for Clea was Charlize Theron, who does indeed make an appearance in The Stinger.
- Deadpool & Wolverine: Henry Cavill was a very popular fan choice to play MCU's Wolverine, especially after Development Hell on the DC Extended Universe started kicking in by the late 2010s. The movie briefly but memorably features him as a Wolverine variant, with Deadpool summing up the fanbase's emotions.
- The resemblance between Jonathan Pryce and Pope Francis has long been noted and plenty of jokes or suggestions that he should play him arose, also fueled by his role in Game of Thrones. It eventually happened with The Two Popes.
- Keanu Reeves was a very popular fancast for Shadow in the Sonic the Hedgehog movies, and was confirmed to be playing him in the third film.
- Tom Hardy was frequently brought up in Venom fan castings before being officially cast in Sony's Spider-Man Universe starting with Venom in 2018.
- The X-Men (Film Series):
- When the series was announced, fans and comic creators agreed that they wanted to see Patrick Stewart as Professor Xavier ahead of X-Men 1, citing his physical resemblance to the character as well as his acting gravitas and his career in sci-fi. After he got the role, the producers often said he was always the first choice.
- A poll done by Wizard magazine suggested that Alan Cumming be cast as Nightcrawler. He would indeed be cast as Nightcrawler in X2: X-Men United.
Live-Action TV
- Arrowverse:
- The Flash: The fan-favorite to play the role of Jay Garrick was John Wesley Shipp, who played the previous live-action Flash. He was cast as The Hero's father instead. He eventually appears as said character, though, with the explanation that the Earth 3 version of Barry's father took his mother's maiden name "Garrick".
- Batwoman: Bridget Regan was a well-loved choice for the role of Poison Ivy, since she had played a duplicitous spy/assassin in Agent Carter and a seductive, sapphic, redheaded mob boss in Jane the Virgin in succession. So the fancasters were very happy when she got cast for the role ahead of the show's third season.
- Avatar: The Last Airbender (2024): Paul Sun-Hyung Lee was a popular fancast for Iroh for a live action reboot of Avatar: The Last Airbender, before Netflix finally made one and actually cast him as Iroh.
- Game of Thrones:
- While Season 1 was still in pre-production, a common fancast was Jason Momoa as Khal Drogo. Shownrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss stumbled upon this and reached out to Momoa to audition.
- Alexander Siddig and Indira Varma were frequent fancasts for Doran Martell and Ellaria Sand, and satisfied fans' expectations when they were cast in the roles in Seasons 5 and 4.
- Glee: Idina Menzel's resemblance to Lea Michele (Rachel) did not go unnoticed by fans, who frequently fancasted her in the role of Rachel's biological mothernote over the course of the first season. Then, in the first season's back half, Menzel appeared as Shelby, the rival show choir director, who was soon revealed to be Rachel's mother.
- Gotham: Alexander Siddig was a very popular Ra's Al-Ghul fan cast before the show cast him in the role in Seasons 3 and 4.
- Shadow and Bone: Ben Barnes was an extremely popular fancasting choice for the Darkling among book fans for years before the show was developed. He even showed the casting director a Tumblr post about it to prove that he was right for the part. The original author, Leigh Bardugo, actually reblogged a post in 2013 with Barnes as the Darkling.
- Star Wars: Rosario Dawson has stated that being a popular fancast for the role of Ahsoka Tano helped her get the role in The Mandalorian.
- Brenton Thwaites was a fairly popular Nightwing fan cast long before Titans.
Professional Wrestling
- Nikki Cross was consistently a very popular fancast to join The Wyatt Family as "Sister Abigail" at different points of the faction's life span. She eventually joined its successor group, the Wyatt Sick6, as said character.
Western Animation
- During Community, Donald Glover was a very popular choice among fans for the role of Peter Parker / Spider-Man and even actively campaigned for it ahead of The Amazing Spider-Man Series. While this campaign was unsuccessful, a Community scene in which he wears black Spider-Man pajamas inspired the design of the Ultimate Spider-Man (2000), Miles Morales. Though he had already aged out of playing the role in live-action, Glover got the chance to voice Miles in Ultimate Spider-Man and played Aaron Davis, who is traditionally Miles' uncle (and even calls Miles in a Deleted Scene), in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
- In 2001, a fan poll in Wizard Magazine suggested that Kelly Hu be cast as Cheshire in a hypothetical live-action Titans movie. While she never played Cheshire in live-action, she did end up voicing her in Young Justice.