Some characters click with actors, who portray them, creating iconic performances. When these beloved iconic characters or actors are replaced, it often leads to disappointment for fans, potentially ruining the role, or the film, or sometimes both. The makers may choose to replace these actors for various reasons like availability issues or other commitments or remuneration issues. Regardless of the reason, fans have a strong connection to the original actors in these roles making it hard for them to accept other actors stepping into their favorite iconic characters.
Take a look at some of the actors whose iconic roles were ruined by their replacements.
Jodie Foster replaced by Julianne Moore
In The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Jodie Foster, who played Clarice Starling, made the role iconic. She even won an Academy Award for her amazing performance. However, in 2001, she turned down to reprise the role in the long-awaited sequel Hannibal as she reportedly was busy with another movie. The makers then decided to cast Julianne Moore. Although Julianne is a talented actress and taking over such iconic role is a thankless task, seeing other actress play the role of Clarice, especially in the continuity was a bit distracting. Some of them felt that the project should have stopped (with no sequel). Julianne was also at a disadvantage because of poorly written script, which according to Jodie, didn’t stay true to the original character.
Michael Biehn replaced by Jai Courtney
While the first two Terminator films are considered sci-fi classics, the later sequels were not that popular because of confusing storylines and inconsistencies. Blame it on the makers, who changed actors for key roles. Out of all these casting choices, Jai Courtney’s role as Kyle Reese is the most miscast. Michael Biehn portrayed Kyle as a determined soldier in the first film, and even Anton Yelchin, who briefly played Kyle in Terminator Salvation, gave a genuine performance. However, Jai’s portrayal didn’t capture that same genuine quality.
Linda Hamilton replaced by Emilia Clarke
Emilia Clarke took over the role of Sarah Connor in Terminator Genisys after Linda Hamilton’s exit. Along with Jai Courtney, many found Emilia to be widely miscast. Emilia was unable to bring anything exciting to the character or even match the toughness that Linda brought to the role.
Ryan Reynolds replaced by Jonathan Bennett
Ryan Reynolds’ performance in Van Wilder was amazing, which helped the series build a loyal fanbase over time. His lively and charming energy brought the main party animal character to life, making the movie better than it would have been otherwise. However, Ryan was replaced by Jonathan Bennett, who ‘tried’ to imitate Ryan’s expressions and way of speaking but didn’t succeed, as audience didn’t connect with his version of the character.
Alec Baldwin replaced by Ben Affleck
Jack Ryan is known for constantly changing the actor who played the main character. The original movies had Alec Baldwin and Harrison Ford, both of them did a great job. However, after the franchise was rebooted, the movie saw weaker entries, and Ben Affleck’s version of Ryan wasn’t acceptable! Although Ben had the chance to bring something new to the younger version of Ryan, his performance felt unfinished.
Gloria Foster replaced by Mary Alice
Gloria Foster, who played Oracle, brought a distinct and sly sense of humor to the character. Unfortunately, she passed away during the filming of the sequels, which is when Mary came on board for the final film. This replacement made the final appearance less memorable. The storyline also pointed out that the Oracle looks different, which was awkward and distracting. Comments like this can pull viewers out of story and make the character change more noticeable.
Wesley Snipes replaced by Omar Epps
Wesley Snipes, who was known for his roles in action films, showcased his comedic talent as baseball player Willie Mays Hayes in Major League, which became a big hit at box office and received positive reviews. But when the makers decided to make a sequel, after five long years, Wesley was busy with several high-profile roles and couldn’t return for Major League II, because of which makers were forced to replace him with Omar Epps. Unfortunately, this casting change didn’t go well.
Peter Weller replaced by Robert John Burke
Although Peter Weller’s performance in RoboCop was robotic, he added a subtle sense of humor and raw humanity, which showed the perfect balance between being human and machine. However, Robert’s version lacked mystery or depth, making it feel like just a standard performance.
Robin Williams replaced by Dan Castellaneta
Robin Williams’s voice brought the Genie character to life in Aladdin. He improvised many jokes and impressions, which was impressive. However, Disney paid him $75,000 for his work and didn’t stick to some agreements, because of which he didn’t return to straight-to-video sequel, even after Disney tried to win him over with a Pablo Picasso painting. He was replaced with Dan Castellaneta, who lacked the same energy and improvisational skills that made Genie so memorable. Later, Robin agreed to return for the third Aladdin film only after Disney apologised and offered him a million-dollar salary.
Val Kilmer replaced by George Clooney
Batman character has been played by several actors. Val Kilmer was replaced by George Clooney in Batman & Robin (1997). Although Val’s performance wasn’t celebrated, George’s version of the superhero didn’t bring much excitement to the character and disappointed audience. However, the criticism against the recasting was not George’s fault entirely as the film itself received bad reviews for being comical and light-hearted. It is considered one of the worst Batman films till date.
Jennifer Smith replaced by Jessie Cave
Kathleen Cauley and Jennifer Smith played the role of Lavender Brown, who is a Gryffindor student and her character becomes bigger in each film, in Harry Potter series. However, these actresses were replaced by Jessie Cave in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The main problem people had was the previous actresses were people of color while Jessie is white. Jessie was likely chosen because of more film experience than other two actresses. However, fans feel that since the Harry Potter book doesn’t describe Lavender’s race, another Black actress with similar experience could have been cast instead.
Rachel Weisz replaced by Maria Bello
Rachel Weisz was replaced by Maria Bello as Evelyn O’Connell in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Fans were extremely upset with the recast and Mario’s performance didn’t stand out as remarkable, especially considering the high standard set by Rachel in the earlier films of the franchise. Several reasons were cited for Rachel’s exit like dissatisfaction with the script, scheduling conflicts and wanting to stay at home with her newborn child.
Anthony Perkins replaced by Vince Vaughn
The 1998 remake of Psycho was considered pointless by both critics and audiences as it copied the original film shot for shot. Vince Vaughn was cast as Norman Bates, a character that Anthony Perkins made iconic in the original movie. Many people felt Vince was unable to capture the character’s subtle and unsuspecting nature and his character felt creepy and sinister.
Rachelle Lefevre replaced by Bryce Dallas Howard
In the first two films of Twilight series, the character Victoria was played by Rachelle Lefevre. Although Rachelle wanted to continue with the franchise, she was let go due to schedule miscommunication. In The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Rachelle was replaced by Bryce Dallas Howard. While fans have different opinions about who portrayed Victoria best, some of them were upset with Rachelle’s exit.
Hugo Weaving replaced by Jonathan Groff
Jonathan Groff replaced Hugo Weaving as Agent Smith in the fourth film in The Matrix franchise, The Matrix Resurrections. For many, Jonathan’s version of Agent Smith lacked grit and intensity that was needed for the iconic character. Because of this, many audiences found it hard to accept that Jonathan’s Smith was the same agent they knew or watched from the earlier films.
Ron Perlman replaced by David Harbour
Although Hellyboy (2004) didn’t make much money at box office, audiences enjoyed the film, especially they liked unique storyline and Ron Perlman’s tough but likable take on Hellboy. Because of this, the makers made sequel, unfortunately it didn’t make much money as well. Since both movies didn’t make the expected profit, the makers decided to reboot the original with a new cast. They replaced Ron with David Harbour. Although David had a gritty style, his dad-like kind element of personality, didn’t fit the movie. The reboot version also didn’t do good.
Sean Connery replaced by George Lazenby
Both Roger Moore and Sean Connery played James Bond in seven movies each, but fans still love Sean as the Bond! As per Looper, in a poll, 51% Americans chose Sean as their favorite Bond, while 12% chose Pierce Brosnan as their second favorite. However, George Lazenby, who played Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) received only 1% of vote. Although over time, people’s opinion on Lazenby’s performance changed, his portrayal is still often compared to Sean’s, leaving fans divided.
Harry Hamlin replaced by Sam Worthington
In 1981, Harry Hamlin played the role of Perseus, the son of Zeus, in Clash of the Titans, which was directed by Desmond Davis. Although Hamlin has done several movies, he is still best known for his role as Perseus. However, in 2010 remake, director Louis Leterrier cast Sam Worthington as Perseus, a decision that was questioned when the remake received poor reviews.
Michelle Pfeiffer replaced by Halle Berry
Halle Berry replacing Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman is often seen as a major recasting mistake. Michelle’s intense and memorable performance as the psychotically sexy Catwoman in Batman Returns is still considered iconic. Michelle was initially set to reprise the role in the solo spinoff, but after years of delays, she shifted her focus to other projects. Many actresses were considered, and finally the role went to Halle Berry. However, Catwoman was a huge failure, bombing badly at the box office and Halle won Worst Actress at the 2005 Golden Raspberry Awards. She accepted the award in person, in good humor, jokingly thanking all 20 writers who worked on the script.
Brandon Routh replaced by Henry Cavill
In Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns, Brandon Routh played the role of superman. His was praised for his iconic role. Although Brandon was interested in sequel, he was replaced by Henry Cavill in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel. Since the movie focused on the darker, more serious tone, similar tone that some fans didn’t like in Superman Returns, because of this, Henry’s portrayal came across as somber and intense. As a result, Man of Steel felt like it lacked the uplifting spirit that fans expected.
Corey Feldman replaced by John Shepherd
In Friday the 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter (1984), Corey Feldman’s performance as young Tommy Jarvis was praised. In Part V, he appeared only in the opening scene and a time leap was shown, post which older Tommy was played by John Shepherd, who didn’t bring the same energy as Corey in the character.
Jason Statham replaced by Ed Skrein
In Transporter series, Jason Statham played the role of Frank Martin, which was loved by fans. He made the character iconic with his amazing performance, especially with impressive physical skills and martial arts training in kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. When Ed Skrein was cast to replace Statham, he acknowledged the pressure of stepping into a role. Since he did not have the same level of experience, he started training in various martial arts to prepare for The Transporter Refueled, but still he couldn’t fit the role, and Ed even admitted that he was far behind his peers in terms of training and that he couldn’t perform at the level expected of someone with 10 or 20 years of experience.
Rooney Mara replaced by Claire Foy
Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011), Rooney Mara played the role of the androgynous computer hacker, Lisbeth. But in the sequel, The Girl in the Spider’s Web, she was replaced by Claire Foy, which disappointed fans. Claire didn’t seem comfortable with the role as she struggle to play cold and quirky nature like Rooney did. Critics too were unimpressed with her role and questioned the replacement.
Edward Norton replaced by Mark Ruffalo
Edward Norton played the role of Hulk in The Incredible Hulk (2008), which became an iconic character. Appearing as angry green giant, he not only managed to portray Bruce’s struggles with mental health and his longing for impossible intimacy, but also made the Hulk a fierce and powerful presence, perfectly embodying the character’s rage. However, in 2012, The Avengers, Edward was replaced by Mark Ruffalo as Hulk. Fans felt Mark’s style lacked depth and complexity that Edward brought to the character.
Crispin Glover replaced by Jeffrey Weissman
In Back to the Future, Crispin Glover played the role of Marty’s father George McFly, which was considered one of the his most memorable roles. From timid and awkward character, George evolves to a more confident individual throughout the trilogy. But, Crispin didn’t reprise his role in Part II as he was replaced by Jeffrey Weissman, who wore prosthetics to resemble Crispin. The makers also used footage of Crispin as George and combined it with new scenes featuring Jeffrey. They decided to have George die in alternate timeline to keep audience from realizing the truth about the recasting. However, when you watch it again, you can notice how the makers tried to hide Crispin’s absence. The effort was so noticeable that they chose not to include the character in the third part, to avoid confusion.
Katie Holmes replaced by Maggie Gyllenhaal
In Batman movies, the lead character Batman had different love interests. In Batman Begins (2005), Katie Holmes played Rachel Dawes, a childhood friend of Bruce Wayne (played by Christian Bale) and an important character in the story. However, in the sequel, she was replaced by Maggie Gyllenhaal, as she was busy with another project. although Maggie’s performance was praised, her version of Rachel looked different from Katie’s, making it difficult for fans to see them as the same character. The actress also didn’t have the same chemistry with the lead actor Christian as her Katie.
Matthew Lillard replaced by Will Forte
Matthew Lillard became popular for playing Shaggy Rogers in the two live-action Scooby-Doo movies. However, he was replaced by Will Forte. Fans felt Will’s version of Shaggy sounded more like himself than their favorite character. After Scoob! and its planned projects were canceled, Matthew returned to voice Shaggy in all subsequent Scooby-Doo projects, which was a big relief to fans.
Macaulay Culkin replaced by Mike Weinberg
The first two films of Home Alone series which starred Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister became holiday classics. However, the sequels that followed didn’t capture the same magic. In Home Alone 4, Mike Weinberg replaced Macaulay as Kevin, but Mike didn’t have the same charm and likability as Macaulay, which in turn didn’t work out for the movie.
Kevin Spacey replaced by Jesse Eisenberg
Kevin Spacey is known for playing villains, and his standout performance was as Lex Luthor in Superman Returns. However, he was replaced by Jesse Eisenberg in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which not only surprised fans but also disappointed them. Jesse’s portrayal was quirky and eccentric and lacked the intensity of Kevin’s performance, which disappointed fans.
Tom Cruise replaced by Stuart Townsend
Tom Cruise played the role of the vampire Lestat in famous film adaptation of Anne Rice’s novel. His performance was major highlight of the movie and he brought the character to life. However, he was replaced in sequel Queen of the Damned with Stuart Townsend. The movie was total failure and did poorly at the box office. In the sequel, Stuart looked more like the character from the book and lacked the depth that Tom brought to the vampire character.
Kimberly J. Brown replaced by Sara Paxton
Kimberly J. Brown, who played the role of Marnie Piper, was replaced by Sara Paxton in Return to Halloweentown, which focused on Marnie’s college years. The movie struggled to connect with audience, one of the reasons was because of Sara’s portrayal of an older Marnie, which felt unfamiliar and unrelatable. Fans were disappointed with the replacement.
