Movies

6 Movie Recasts Too Obvious to Ignore

By Ashley Crossan
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Fans don’t want to see it. Studios try to avoid it. But sometimes a recast in the midst of a movie franchise is inevitable.

Whether it be a scheduling conflict, salary negotiations gone wrong, or even an unexpected death – we’re taking a look at six times a movie recast was too obvious to ignore.


1. James “Rhodey” Rhodes – The Marvel Cinematic Universe

Terrence Howard played James “Rhodey” Rhodes in 2008’s Iron Man. But a salary conflict stopped Terrence from returning for the sequel. Re-casting Don Cheadle as Rhodey for Iron Man 2 was a bit obvious, so Marvel made a light of it in the 2010 sequel. Cheadle’s first line: “Look, it’s me. I'm here. Deal with it. Let's move on.”


2. The Incredible Hulk – The Marvel Cinematic Universe

Edward Norton played The Incredible Hulk in the 2008 standalone film. But when it came time for The Avengers, Marvel decided the team would assemble sans Norton. Mark Ruffalo took over the role for the 2012 blockbuster.

WATCH: 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' On-Set Exclusive: What Makes the Sequel Bigger & Better?


3. Evelyn O'Connell – The Mummy trilogy

Rachel Weisz was the ass-kicking Evelyn O'Connell in 1999’s The Mummy and 2001’s The Mummy Returns. But due to a conflict with the script, Weisz decided not to return for the third installment. She was replaced by Maria Bello.


4. Dumbledore – The Harry Potter films

Richard Harris was the beloved and all-knowing wizard Dumbledore for the first two Harry Potter films, but his passing in 2002 meant a necessary recast. Sir Michael Gambon took on the part for the remainder of the films.

5. Rachel Dawes – The Dark Knight trilogy

Katie Holmes was Rachel Dawes in Christopher Nolan's 2005 film Batman Begins. But Holmes dropped the role before the second film and instead did Mad Money. Maggie Gyllenhaal stepped in as Rachel for 2008's The Dark Knight.


6. Jennifer Parker – The Back to the Future Trilogy

The scene with Marty McFly and his girlfriend Jennifer Parker at the end of Back to the Future was shot again for the beginning of Back to the Future II with one major difference – two different actresses! Elisabeth Shue replaced Claudia Wells for the remainder of the trilogy.


Are there any more obvious recasts you've noticed? Let us know in the comments below, or chat with Ashley on Twitter: @AshCrossan