History Trivia / CowboysAndAliens

** Also Creator/ClancyBrown, normally a villain actor, playing a "good guy" in a doctor encountered early in the film. It's one of only several of these types of roles he's done, with Captain Black from ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'' [[note]](also Super Moose in the same series; this show also features a ShockAndAwe character who is a villain, Tchang Zu the Thunder Demon, whose voice sounds like Clancy Brown's voice for [[VideoGame/CrashBandicoot3Warped Uka Uka somewhat]]; The Other Wiki credited the role to Creator/FrankWelker, but his name never showed up in the two episodes where Tchang Zu spoke) [[/note]], Sergeant Zim in ''Film/StarshipTroopers'' and Rayden [[note]] Another ShockAndAwe character like Tchang Zu, but a hero this time.[[/note]] in ''WesternAnimation/MortalKombatDefendersOfTheRealm'' [[note]] Also ironically, the lead actor from the ''Starship Troopers'' movie, Casper Van Dien, became Johnny Cage in the second season of ''WebVideo/MortalKombatLegacy'' in 2013 [[/note]] being some of the few other good examples.

* AllStarCast: Creator/DanielCraig, Creator/HarrisonFord, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Creator/ClancyBrown, Keith Carradine.

* FakeAmerican: Daniel Craig.

* PlayingAgainstType: Creator/HarrisonFord is a CorruptHick who rules the town with an iron fist.

* StarDerailingRole: The film did not do any good for actor Noah Ringer as a year before, he starred as Aang in ''Film/TheLastAirbender'', the film adaptation of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', which was disowned by longtime fans of the source material and the creators themselves. [[note]] That movie's also a Worst Picture UsefulNotes/GoldenRaspberryAward winner, the biggest career setback M. Night Shyamalan's ever received, a Stillborn movie trilogy, and dealt serious damage to the 3D movie, much to the dismay of the other [=DreamWorks=] run by Jeffrey Katzenberg, who ended their partnership with Paramount the year after ''Cowboys and Aliens'' hit theaters; it also helped ensure Viacom boss Philippe Dauman would exit Viacom on bad terms come 2016. [[/note]] As this film was a flop, he hasn't appeared in a film since.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Jake Lonergan was originally written as a former Union army gunslinger named Zeke Jackson with Creator/RobertDowneyJr playing the character. After Downey left, the character was rewritten after Daniel Craig was cast.

* HilariousInHindsight: The idea of Cowboys vs Aliens is OlderThanTheyThink, going by [[https://spfedinburgh.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/20120323-cowboysandaliens1.jpg this]] old strip from ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide''.

* CreatorKiller: The film put a nice dent in Creator/JonFavreau's career, but he would redeem himself in the tentpole film industry with the [[Film/TheJungleBook2016 remake]] of Walt Disney's Classic ''Disney/TheJungleBook'' in 5 years. In between those two films, he starred in and directed the low-budget ''Film/{{Chef}}'', which was met with a positive reception from critics.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Jake Lonergan was originally written as a former Union army gunslinger named Zeke Jackson with RobertDowneyJr playing the character. After Downey left, the character was rewritten after Daniel Craig was cast.

* StarDerailingRole: The film did not do any good for actor Noah Ringer as a year before, he starred as Aang in ''Film/TheLastAirbender'', the film adaptation of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', which was disowned by longtime fans of the source material and the creators themselves. [[note]] That movie's also a Worst Picture GoldenRaspberryAward winner, the biggest career setback M. Night Shyamalan's ever received, a Stillborn movie trilogy, and dealt serious damage to the 3D movie, much to the dismay of the other [=DreamWorks=] run by Jeffrey Katzenberg, who ended their partnership with Paramount the year after ''Cowboys and Aliens'' hit theaters; it also helped ensure Viacom boss Philippe Dauman would exit Viacom on bad terms come 2016. [[/note]] As this film was a flop, he hasn't appeared in a film since.

* CreatorKiller: The film put a nice dent in Creator/JonFavreau's career, but he would redeem himself in the tentpole film industry with the [[Film/TheJungleBook2016 remake]] of Walt Disney's Classic ''Disney/TheJungleBook'' in 5 years. In between those two films, he starred in and directed the low-budget ''Film/Chef2014'', which was met with a positive reception from critics.

* CreatorKiller: The film put a nice dent in Creator/JonFavreau's career, but he would redeem himself in the tentpole film industry with the [[Film/TheJungleBook2016 remake]] of Walt Disney's Classic ''Disney/TheJungleBook'' in 5 years. In between those two films, he starred in and directed the low-budget ''Film/{{Chef}}'', which was met with a positive reception from critics.

* CreatorKiller: The film put a nice dent in Creator/JonFavreau's career, but he would redeem himself in the tentpole film industry with the [[Film/TheJungleBook2016 remake]] of Walt Disney's Classic ''Disney/TheJungleBook'' in 5 years.

* GenreKiller: Eventually became this to the sci-fi/fantasy western with ''Film/TheLoneRanger'' (Creator/{{Disney}} almost canceled that movie when this one bombed), sending it back to the grave that 1999's ''Film/WildWildWest'' dug for it.

* StarDerailingRole: The film did not do any good for actor Noah Ringer as a year before, he starred as Aang in ''Film/TheLastAirbender'', the film adaptation of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', which was disowned by longtime fans of the source material and the creators themselves. As this film was a flop, he hasn't appeared in a film since.

* ExecutiveMeddling: DreamWorks executives wanted the film to be shot in 3D, but Favreau refused since he wanted to shoot it in film and not be converted into 3D, and compared it to black-and-white films being colorized.

* ExecutiveMeddling: DreamWorks executives wanted the film to be shot in 3D, but Favreau refused since he wanted to shoot it in film and not being converted into 3D and compared it to black-and-white films being colorized.

* ExecutiveMeddling: Dreamworks executives wanted the film to be shot in 3D, but Favreau refused since he wanted to shoot it in film and not being converted into 3D as compared it to black-and-white films being colourised.

* StarDerailingRole: The film was unfortunately the second consecutive flop for actor Noah Ringer as a year before, he starred as Aang in ''Film/TheLastAirbender'', the film adaptation of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', which was disowned by longtime fans of the source material and the creators themselves. He hasn't appeared in a film since.

* StarDerailingRole: The film was unfortunately the second consecutive flop for actor Noah Ringer as a year before, he starred as Aang in ''Film/TheLastAirbender'', the InkStainAdaptation of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''. He hasn't appeared in a film since.

** Also Creator/ClancyBrown, normally a villain actor, playing a "good guy" in a doctor encountered early in the film. It's one of only several of these types of roles he's done, with Captain Black from ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'' [[note]](also Super Moose in the same series; this show also features a ShockAndAwe character who is a villain, Tchang Zu the Thunder Demon, whose voice sounds like Clancy Brown's voice for [[VideoGame/CrashBandicoot3Warped Uka Uka somewhat]]; The Other Wiki credited the role to Creator/FrankWelker, but his name never showed up in the two episodes where Tchang Zu spoke) [[/note]], Sergeant Zim in ''Film/StarshipTroopers'' and Rayden [[note]] Another ShockAndAwe character like Tchang Zu, but a hero this time.[[/note]] in ''WesternAnimation/MortalKombatDefendersOfTheRealm'' [[note]] Also ironically, the lead actor from the ''Starship Troopers'' movie, Casper Van Dien, became Johnny Cage in the second season of ''WebVideo/MortalKombatLegacy'' [[/note]] in 2013 being some of the few other good examples.

* HeyItsThatGuy: IndianaJones and Film/JamesBond [[Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade reunite]] to fight aliens in the wild west!
** And [[Film/TheLastAirbender Aang's]] in it!
** Don't forget [[Film/TronLegacy Quorra]]/[[Series/{{House}} Thirteen]]'s in it too!
** [[Film/IronMan2 Justin Hammer]] also makes an appearance. [[Film/GalaxyQuest "I'm just jazzed about being on the show, man."]]
** And [[WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries Lex]] [[JusticeLeagueUnlimited Luthor]], too!
** [[Film/TheBurrowers John Clay]] is fighting subterranean monsters in the Old West again.
** Not an actor, but video game fans may recognize the soundtrack's lead composer, Harry Gregson-Williams, as the guy who also did the music for the ''Franchise/MetalGear'' series.
** And [[WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants Mr. Krabs]] as a preacher! Or maybe you'd prefer to say "[[Literature/StarshipTroopers A bug got Zim!]]".
*** Actually, [[Film/{{Highlander}} There Can Only Be One]].
** [[Film/LittleMissSunshine Dwayne's]] here, too!
** [[Series/{{Justified}} Boyd Crowder]] shows up as a bandit who really likes Film/JamesBond.
** [[Film/FlagsOfOurFathers Private First Class Ira Hayes]] is in here too.

* AllStarCast: Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Clancy Brown, Keith Carradine.

* GenreKiller: Eventually became this to the sci-fi/fantasy western with ''The Lone Ranger'' (Creator/{{Disney}} almost canceled that movie when this one bombed), sending it back to the grave that 1999's ''Film/WildWildWest'' dug for it.

* PlayingAgainstType: Creator/HarrisonFord is a CorruptHick who rules the town with an iron fist. Also, Creator/ClancyBrown in a non-villain role.

** [[FlagsOfOurFathers Private First Class Ira Hayes]] is in here too.

* ActorAllusion: PaulDano [[Film/ThereWillBeBlood passes the hat]].

** And [[SupermanTheAnimatedSeries Lex]] [[JusticeLeagueUnlimited Luthor]], too!

** [[LittleMissSunshine Dwayne's]] here, too!