In one of the Tarzan books ERB has Tarzan travel to Hollywood. He is evaluated for what was basically the role of Tarzan - and rejected for not looking the part, IIRC.
So Burroughs would have disagreed with the premise also.
A real example:
“Bill” in Free Enterprise could not be played by anyone other than William Shatner. While it maybe could have been rewritten for someone else, that particular role could not be played by someone else.
Spoiled.
Having just seen Kurt Russell in The Thing (from 1982, just a few years after Superman), I think he could’ve done it too.
I once read that when the movie version of * My Fair Lady * was being planned, the producers approached Cary Grant to cast him as Professor Higgins. The book said, “he wisely turned the part down, saying that only a fool would try to follow Rex Harrison.”
But it’s not the role that did it, it was his iconic performance in the role. Clearly other people played Higgins quite well in the play and in the movie made from the play.
Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. (Don’t talk to me about Johnny Depp, please. His version of Wonka was an abomination. Interesting character, but not Wonka).
I can’t think of another kid actor from the era other than NPH could have pulled off the combination of humor and intelligence to play Doogie Howser as a believable kid doctor. Maybe a 90210-style twenty-something playing a teenager might have been able to do it, but Harris really was a teenager at the time (unlike his friend Vinnie, who was played by an actor in his 20s).
I disagree about Cumberbatch as modern-day Holmes. I htink Jonny Lee Miller does an excellent job in Elementary.
Along that line, Paint Your Wagon.
Nobody in Hollywood could possibly sing as bad as Clint Eastwood.
There I win the thread.
I’ll call your Eastwood and raise you Pierce Brosnan in “Mamma Mia”.
And wasn’t that Lee Marvin?
erysichthon You are free to discuss the premise of the thread without resorting to being insulting to the OP/posters contributing to the thread and threadshitting. If you have nothing to contribute beyond blanket criticism, don’t post.
No warning issued, but don’t do it again.
William J. Obanhein as Office Obie in Alice’s Restaurant? 
“I know what you’re thinking, punk.
Did he sing one chorus, or two?
Well, in all the excitement, I lost count myself.
So you gotta ask yourself one question:
‘Do I feel lucky?’
Well, do ya, PUNK?”
“I gots ta know.”
Eastwood begins to sing…
Rod Steiger as Napoleon in Waterloo (1970).
The best proof that only he could play Napoleon was that many others attempted it, and they all sucked greatly.
Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves in Bill and Teds Bogus journey.
Bill Murray as Bill Murray in Zombieland.
Odd that so many other people have done the role on stage around the world, but not Jackman. And I’d still have liked to see the original Jean Valjean, Colm Wilkerson, on the screen.
I doubt that anyone could have played Hellboy better than Ron Perlman.
If we’re going there, I doubt anyone could’ve played John Glenn better than Ed Harris.
Nobody could’ve been the King of Kings other than Captain Christopher Pike!
[ul]
[li]Sacha Baron Cohen as Borat[/li][li]Leslie Nielson as Dr. Rumack in Airplane[/li][li]Rodney Dangerfield in Caddyshack and Back to School[/li]
And, 2 more besides in Peter Sellers in Dr. Strangelove:
[li]George C. Scott as Gen. ‘Buck’ Turgidson[/li][li]Sterling Hayden as Brig. Gen. Jack D. Ripper[/li][/ul]