Summary
TheMarvel Cinematic Universe, despite having dozens of films in its lexicon, does an overall remarkable job at remaining consistent with its actors. Even with smaller characters, Marvel Studios makes sure to bring back the actors to maintain a sense of continuity, which has helped theMCUtruly feel like a living universe.
That doesn’t mean that there haven’t been unfortunate circumstances. Sometimes an actor is forced to pass the torch onto someone else due to scheduling conflicts or maybe they simply don’t want to do it anymore. From supporting characters to major leading characters, there have been some notable changes in faces.
9Fandral
Josh Dallas Was Unable To Return In Thor: The Dark World
While Fandral and the rest of the Warriors Three never had large roles in theThortrilogy, many were surprised when the character had an unrecognizably new face inThor: The Dark World. Originally, he was played by Josh Dallas in the first Thor movie, but in the two sequels, he was replaced with Zachary Levi.
Josh Dallas would have returned to the Errol Flynn-inspired Asgardian, but the actor had scheduling conflicts with his role inOnce Upon a Time. So, Zachary Levi took over until Fandral was killed off almost immediately inThor: Ragnarok. Levi would then go on toplay in the DC Extended Universeas Shazam.
8Howard Stark
John Slattery Took Over From Gerard Sanders
De-aging was in its infancy in 2011, so hiring Dominic Cooper to play a young Howard Stark inCaptain America: The First Avengerwas simply the easiest choice rather than trying to make John Slattery look younger. With that said, John Slattery was not the first actor to play Howard Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe; the honor goes to Gerard Sanders in the firstIron Man.
Gerard Sanders was seen only in pictures and there is virtually no explanation given as to why John Slattery took over the role inIron Man 2. Perhaps Slattery fit the character better and gave a better performance or perhaps Sanders was unable to return. SinceIron Man 2, he and Dominic Cooper have traded the role of Howard Stark up untilAvengers: Endgame.
7Red Skull
Hugo Weaving Wasn’t Happy With The Character
Many actors have continued toportray their characters in subsequent entriesof the MCU because they genuinely enjoy it. In the case of Hugo Weaving as the Red Skull, he played the character only once inCaptain America: The First Avenger. He didn’t enjoy his character in the film and, combined with his dislike for blockbuster movies, he declined any chance to return.
Most audiences just assumed that Red Skull would never return and accepted that. So, when Red Skull made a shocking return inAvengers: Infinity WarandAvengers: Endgame, many cheered, especially when they thought it was Hugo Weaving. In actuality, visual effects artists used CGI to replicate the Red Skull’s appearance and Ross Marquand performed an uncanny impression of Weaving.
6Thanos
It’s almost impossible to imagine anyone else playing Thanos after what Josh Brolin has delivered ever since he debuted asthe big bad of the Infinity Saga. He was intimidating and, despite being a big purple alien that could have been goofy, Josh Brolin brought such gravitas to the character. He was practically the main star ofAvengers: Infinity War.
What many tend to forget, is that John Brolin was not the original Thanos. When Thanos first showed his purple face in the post-credits scene forThe Avengers, he was portrayed by Damion Poitier with practical makeup. It was a simple case of Marvel Studios wanting a more dynamic performance for Thanos if he was destined to be the penultimate threat to the Avengers.
5Cassie Lang
Kathryn Newton Was Hired To Be A Young Avenger
Thanks to the five-year time jump betweenAvengers: Infinity WarandAvengers: Endgame, Cassie Lang is no longer the cute girl that fans were introduced to in theAnt-Manmovies. Cassie was a teenager inAvengers: Endgame, much to the shock of Ant-Man, briefly played by Emma Fuhrmann.
When Cassie returned to the MCU inAnt-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania, Fuhrmann was replaced by Kathryn Newton. According to director Peyton Reed, the reason for the change was due to the character becoming the hero Stinger, and they wanted a more recognizable actress who would be willing to play the character in future MCU projects likeYoung Avengers.
4Billy Maximoff
Wiccan’s Story Forced A Change Of Actors
Rather than an actor being unable to return for one reason or another, the reason whyBilly Maximoffwas recast was for story purposes. Billy’s soul found a new body when Wanda’s hex was destroyed inWandaVision, possessing the body of a dead William Kaplan, beginning his slow evolution to discover who he is andbecoming the magical Marvel heroknown as Wiccan.
InWandaVisionandDoctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness, the younger version of Billy was portrayed by Julian Hilliard. However, the character of William Kaplan inAgatha All Alongwas performed by the talented Joe Locke, who delivered a standout performance. Locke’s portrayal showcased his versatility, as he had to embody two characters: William Kaplan and Wiccan.
3James Rhodes/War Machine
Terrence Howard Quit And Made Way For Don Cheadle
When the Marvel Cinematic Universe explodedonto the scene withIron Man, fans were introduced to ColonelJames RhodesA.K.A. Rhodey as initially played by Terrence Howard. The character was perfectly planted as Tony Stark’s best friend, and it was clear that a sequel would turn him into the hero known as War Machine.
After Terrence Howard and Marvel Studios heavily disagreed about being paid less than Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man in the sequel, the actor did not return. Starting withIron Man 2and ever since, Rhodey has been portrayed by Don Cheadle, with many considering him to be not only a superior performance but more fitting for the character.
2Bruce Banner/Hulk
Edward Norton Wanted More Creative Control Of The Hulk
The Hulk has had a shaky history behind the scenes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, from copyright legal snafus with Universal Pictures, who owned the character, to a change of actors. InThe Incredible Hulk, Bruce Banner was portrayed by Edward Norton,and the powerful take on Hulkwas voiced by Lou Ferrigno.
Edward Norton was dedicated to being the character, but he also battled with Marvel Studios due to his admirable desire to be involved creatively, even going as far as doing his own rewrites of the script. As a result, Marvel Studios parted ways with Edward Norton, which led to Mark Ruffalo taking over as both Banner and the Hulk inThe Avengersand every movie or show since.
1Thaddeus Ross
Tragedy Led To Harrison Ford Joining The MCU
In a long-running franchise like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, time can be the enemy, such as when fans lost William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross. Starting withThe Incredible Hulk, William Hurt played Bruce Banner’s rival, Thaddeus Ross, and he was considered a perfect cast, not only in terms of looks and performance, but Hurt was a genuine fan of Marvel Comics who returned through multiple MCU projects.
Unfortunately, William Hurt tragically passed away in 2022 after battling prostate cancer, much to the dismay of audiences who loved his work over decades of acting. With the loss of Hurt and with his character of Thaddeus Ross still having a story to tell, the torch of Ross and thealter ego of the Red Hulkhas been passed on to another beloved actor: Harrison Ford, who debuted inCaptain America: Brave New World.
