Summary
Movie producers may decide not to ask a particular actor back for a sequel, sometimes leading tomovie sequels recasting important characters.The reasoning for not inviting an actor back may be completely neutral as far as the actor is concerned;the team behind the new movie simply decided to move in a different direction with the plot, which didn’t include that actor’s character. However, this does give the sequel more to prove, because if it is not well received, the fans may feel like a great actor was dismissed for no reason at all.
Additionally,movie sequels cutting main characterscan be due to less friendly reasons, such as the actor in question not getting along with their co-stars or the crew. Studios may end up making arbitrary decisions that will generally favor better-known actors. The public isn’t likely to ever know exactly what happened, with different news outlets reporting contradicting stories from the opposing sides of an argument.Letting go of an actor who doesn’t want to leave is a riskwhenreplacement actors have failed major movie franchises; the reasons for not inviting them back need to be good.
10 Actor Exits That Destroyed A Movie Franchise
Not every franchise depends on its actors coming back for every film, but in some cases, when great actors leave, it lessens the series overall.
10Linda Fiorentino As Agent L
Did Not Return For Men In Black II (2002)
Dr. Laurel Weaver a.k.a. Agent L is a more important character inMen in Black: The Animated Seriesfrom the late 1990s, which led people to believe that she would be just as important in the franchise’s live-action movies. However, after the first movie,Agent L was written out of the new series.It is mentioned inMen in Black IIthat she has returned to the medical sector, explaining her absence but allegedly not doing the character the disservice of saying that she had up and quit the MIB organization.
Behind the scenes,Men in Blackproducer Laurie MacDonald said they concluded that there was not a place for Agent L in the sequel’s story,although they“would have loved to have”Linda Fiorentino back (viaMovieWeb). Agent L possibly would have taken up screen time in the movie that is supposed to be about Agent K’s return. On the other hand, Kristen Lopez reported rumors (viarogerebert.com) that Tommy Lee Jones would only return if Fiorentino wasn’t invited back because she was“hard to work with.”
Men In Black
A police officer joins a secret organization that polices and monitors extraterrestrial interactions on Earth.
Men in Black II
Men in Black II is the second film in the Men in Black franchise, starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. Released in 2002, it follows Agent J as he enlists the help of Agent K to combat an alien disguised as a lingerie model who threatens Earth. This sequel builds upon the dynamic partnership and humor established in the original film.
9Ed Norton As Bruce Banner
Did Not Return For The Avengers (2012)
It would appear thatEd Norton was never invited back to the MCU after clashes between him and the crew while filmingThe Incredible Hulk.Following this movie’s release,The Hulk 2was briefly discussed, but the project never got off the ground. Bruce Banner’s next appearance in the MCU is inThe Avengers, for which Mark Ruffalo replaced Norton at the studio’s discretion, with Norton making it clear this was not the way he would have had things.
Reports surfaced of Norton rewriting the script while filming and not seeing eye-to-eye with Marvel Studios about many creative decisions.
Kevin Feige issued a somewhat passive-aggressive statement that they decided the movie needed an actor who would embody the spirit of it being an ensemble adventure (viaCinemablend). Reports surfaced of Norton rewriting the script while filming and not seeing eye-to-eye with Marvel Studios about many creative decisions.The Incredible Hulkhaving a disappointing reception didn’t help the situation, butMarvel wasn’t eager to work with Norton again regardless.
The Incredible Hulk
The Incredible Hulk (1977): In this film, scientist David Banner suffers a gamma radiation overdose, triggering a transformation into a giant, muscular green creature whenever he becomes angry. This condition compels him to undertake a journey to understand and control his monstrous alter ego.
8Sam Neill As Alan Grant
Did Not Return For The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
BothAlan Grant and Ellie Sattler didn’t return inThe Lost World:Jurassic Parkdue to the filmmakers’ wishing to adapt the source material faithfully.Jurassic Parkauthor Michael Crichton had been asked by fans for years to write a sequel,which was only compounded by the movie’s success (viamichaelcrichton.com). He eventually did write his only sequel novel to be the basis for a new movie, but decided that Alan and Ellie would not return. Spielberg and his team decided to adapt this story accordingly.
However,subsequentJurassic Parkmovies demonstrate that the producers were always eager to have these actors backand that they were willing to return. Sam Neill returned as the lead forJurassic Park III, with Laura Dern having a role closer to a cameo. Both actors then returned forJurassic World Dominion, alongside their originalJurassic ParkJeff Goldblum.
Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park is a science fiction adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, based on Michael Crichton’s novel. Released in 1993, it follows a wealthy entrepreneur who creates a theme park with living dinosaurs. When security systems fail, experts and visitors experience the perilous reality of the park.
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
The Lost World: Jurassic Park, directed by Steven Spielberg, follows Ian Malcolm as he joins an expedition to document dinosaurs on a remote island where they’ve been secretly bred by John Hammond. Set four years after the events in Jurassic Park, this action thriller explores the challenges of observing these prehistoric creatures.
7Shia LaBeouf As Henry “Mutt” Williams
Did Not Return For Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny (2023)
It is speculated that Shia LaBeouf was not asked to return forIndiana Jones and the Dial of Destinybecause he openly criticizedIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. In the latestIndiana Jonesmovie, Indy’s son Mutt is explained to have been killed in Vietnam, which led to his parents breaking up (viausmagazine.com).Mutt is replaced by Indy’s goddaughter Helena in the narrative,providing a similar dynamic between Indy and a younger adventurer.
The emotional component of Indy’s storyline in the fifth movie is interesting,maybe demonstrating that writing out Mutt was in the best interest of the story. Director James Mangold also suggests that he was only interested in exploring the dynamic between Indy and a female character (Helena), while LaBeouf made some confident comments early on that he expected to be asked to return. He seemed to think returning would be the wrong move for him but was reportedly never even asked.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
The fourth installment in the Indiana Jones franchise, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull sees the return of the legendary hero 19 years after his last outing. In the film, Indy finds himself in a race against KGB operatives to locate a mysterious crystal skull, aided by his former lover Marion Ravenwood and their erstwhile son, Mutt Williams. Along with Harrison Ford, Karen Allen reprises her role as Marion, with Shia LaBeouf joining the cast as Mutt.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is the fifth entry in the Indiana Jones franchise, directed by James Mangold and starring Harrison Ford in his final portrayal of the titular character. The film will see Jones in 1969 on an adventure with his goddaughter, Helena Shaw, as they find themselves in the middle of an uneasy space race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, with the former enlisting the help of former Nazis with ulterior motives.
6Kelly McGillis As Charlie Blackwood
Did Not Return For Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
According to director Joseph Kosinski,Kelly McGillis isn’t inTop Gun: Maverickbecause the movie was intended to“look forward instead of backward,”meaning that some legacy characters would inevitably be cut. Maverick and Iceman are the only original characters who return, not counting Rooster, who appears as a toddler inTop Gun. While Maverick’s original love interest Charlie is never mentioned in the sequel, his new partner Penny is ironically mentioned in the original.
In an interview withEntertainment Weekly,McGillis says that she believes looks are the reason she was not asked to return,implying thatTop Gunis all about unrealistically beautiful people:“I’m old, and I’m fat, and I look age-appropriate for what my age is, and that is not what that whole scene is about.”However, she also said that she is glad to not get involved with the sequel and“feel absolutely secure in [her] skin.”It still might have helped for there to be one comment about what happened to Charlie in an admittedly great movie.
Top Gun
In this classic action flick, Tom Cruise stars as daring young pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. Among the other students at the United States Navy’s elite fighter weapons school, he competes to be best in the class, and learns a few things from a civilian instructor that are not taught in the classroom.
Top Gun: Maverick
Top Gun: Maverick is the sequel to the 1986 original film starring Tom Cruise as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, a top-tier pilot in the Navy. Thirty years after the original film’s events, Maverick is asked to head up a section of the TOP GUN program to embark on a dangerous mission. Things become personal when the program includes the son of Maverick’s late friend, forcing him to confront his past.
10 Best Legacy Movie Sequels Of All Time, Ranked
Creed, Blade Runner 2049, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Mad Max: Fury Road, and other movies can be counted among the best legacy sequels of all time.
5James Franco As Will Rodman
Did Not Return For Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes (2014)
James Franco’s character Will Rodman plays a major role in the 2011 prequel-rebootRise of the Planet of the Apes,which launched the current highly acclaimed era ofPlanet of the Apesmovies. The first sequel in the new series skips forward 10 years and implies thatWill died of the Simian Flu.Franco said in anMTVinterview that he thought he would be returning, but was ghosted by the producers (viaThe Direct):
“I was going to be a small part of the next one. […] Now Rupert’s not a part of it so I don’t know. My guess is I won’t be in it. Nobody’s talked to me since Rupert left.”
Franco appears in an uncredited cameo inDawn of the Planet of the Apesthrough old footage. Now thePlanet of the Apesfranchise has completely moved on, launched 300 years forward in time. If even Andy Serkis is no longer returning, it is unlikely Franco ever will.It was decided early on that it didn’t work for Serkis to return as another character inKingdom of the Planet of the Apes,but he remained involved by instructing the new mo-cap actors (viaCinemablend).
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
A prequel and reboot to the Planet of the Apes franchise, Rise of the Planet of the Apes stars James Franco as pharmaceutical chemist Will Rodman. While working with apes, Rodman befriends Caesar (Andy Serkis), a particularly intelligent chimpanzee. Not all humans are as gentle with the apes as Rodman, however, and Caesar is destined to start the line of super-intelligent apes that will one day inherit the Earth.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
A decade after a deadly virus decimates humanity, a burgeoning society of intelligent apes, led by Caesar, finds its peaceful existence threatened by a group of human survivors who stumble upon their sanctuary. As both sides grapple with fear and mistrust, Caesar works to broker peace despite growing hostilities. The tension escalates, leading to a dramatic clash that will determine the future of both species.
4Rachelle Lefevre As Victoria
Did Not Return For The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)
Depending on how one looks at it,Rachelle Lefevre might have been invited to reprise the role of Victoria inTwilight— but was then uninvited.Reportedly,Twilightrecast Victoriadue to scheduling issues. Lefevre was replaced by Bryce Dallas Howard forThe Twilight Saga: Eclipse, the third movie in the franchise in which Victoria serves as the main villain. The chain of events is muddled, but it began with Lefevre contesting Summit Entertainment’s reasoning for recasting her.
The actress had signed up for what she felt was a reasonable 10-day filming commitment for another project when Twilight came back around, but Summit refused to accommodate her.
Lefevre said that she was“fully committed”toTwilightand did her best to keep her schedule open for the sequels,potentially turning down some major career opportunities (viaaccessonline.com). The actress had signed up for what she felt was a reasonable 10-day filming commitment for another project whenTwilightcame back around, but Summit refused to accommodate her. Summit then responded that Lefevre had not informed them until the“last possible moment”and that they had to manage the schedules of the rest of the cast (viaEW).
Twilight
Based on Stephenie Meyer’s book of the same name, Twilight follows Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), who falls madly in love with Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), who she soon finds out is a vampire. Falling in love with her at the same time, Edward and Bella must overcome obstacles to preserve their forbidden relationship.
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
In the third chapter of Stephenie Meyer’s phenomenal Twilight series, Bella Swan is surrounded by danger as Seattle is hit by a string of murders and an evil vampire continues her quest for revenge. In the midst of it all, Bella is forced to choose between her love, Edward Cullen, and her friend, Jacob Black — knowing that her decision may start another war in the ageless feud between the werewolves and vampires.
3Nick Stahl As John Connor
Did Not Return For Terminator Salvation (2009)
Despite serviceable performances,Nick Stahl and Claire Danes didn’t return forTerminator Salvationafter playing John Connor and his future wife Kate Brewster inTerminator 3: Rise of the Machines.Stahl was arguably done an injustice regarding theTerminatorsequel,but seems to have been accepting of the situation. Namely, he was told that the reason he wasn’t returning was that the story would follow a 50-year-old John, which was true ofTerminator Salvation’s original script.
However, the character was aged down to what would have been reasonable for Stahl to play due to Christian Bale — who had just madeBatman Beginsat the time — becoming interested in the role. Meanwhile, Danes didn’t expect to be asked to return and was not particularly interested in it.Bale didn’t last long as theTerminatorlead either;the fourth movie was intended to be the start of a new trilogy, but this idea was scrapped following its commercial failure.
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines sees John Connor living off the grid ten years after averting Judgment Day. The film introduces the T-X, a new robotic assassin, which forces Connor to join forces once again with his former adversary, the Terminator, to combat the looming Skynet threat.
Terminator Salvation
Terminator Salvation is set in post-apocalyptic 2018, where John Connor leads the human resistance against powerful machines. The arrival of Marcus Wright introduces uncertainty, as Connor seeks to uncover Wright’s origins—be it future or past—and establish if he is an ally or enemy.
2Sean Young As Rachael
Did Not Return For Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
The firstBlade Runnermovie revolves around the romance between Harrison Ford’s Deckard and Sean Young’s Rachael,the latter an artificial human. The legacy sequel continues the franchise’s AI discourse with the story of Deckard and Rachael’s daughter. Deckard appears in the movie as a legacy character, while Rachael is written out, with it being said that she died in childbirth. She makes a brief cameo hologram inBlade Runner 2049. Regarding this, Young said (viaThe Daily Beast):
“Wasn’t that so full of s**t? And there was nothing I could do about it. It was very clear that they knew that the audience would be upset that I wasn’t in it, but they didn’t want me to bitch about that publicly. So, they paid me some money, made me sign a non-disclosure agreement, and gave me 30 seconds. And I was like, fine. They did give my son Quinn a job on 2049 in visual arts, and I said all was forgiven. He’s got great skills.”
This prompts the question of whether Rachael should’ve been inBlade Runner 2049for real.Rachael is of the class of replicants that only live for four years,so if the movie was going to feature a cameo of her, she would look the same as she did then through a flashback or something similar. Young still seems to think that they could have made her a better offer; she could have been invited to film a longer cameo with de-aging technology used to make her appear the same.
Blade Runner
The original Blade Runner is a sci-fi neo-noir film set in 2019 in a dystopian cyber-punk society. Harrison Ford stars as Rick Deckard as a Blade Runner for the LAPD, tasked with hunting rogue replicants, genetically engineered humans designed to tackle tasks that human beings cannot. When four replicants go rogue and begin killing humans, Deckard is forced out of retirement to hunt them down and stop them - but the truth isn’t as simple as it seems. Deckard will have to reckon with the philosophical dilemma of what makes someone human.
Blade Runner 2049
Set thirty years after the original film, Blade Runner 2049 is a sci-fi neo-noir film by the director of Dune, Denis Villeneuve. The film follows LAPD replicant officer K, who discovers a devastating secret that could throw society into total chaos. To stop a potential war between replicants and humans, he’ll need to locate missing former blade runner Rick Deckard and uncover the truth.
Top Gun: Maverick & 9 Other Legacy Sequels That Topped The Original Movies
Legacy sequels are almost certainly doomed to fall short of their classic predecessors, but a rare few, like Top Gun: Maverick, topped the original.
1Laurence Fishburne As Morpheus
Did Not Return For The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
In 2020, Laurance Fishburne toldNew York MagazineregardingThe Matrix Resurrections(viaPEOPLE):“I have not been invited [to reprise the role of Morpheus]. […] Maybe that will make me write another play. I wish them well. I hope it’s great.”Meanwhile,Hugo Weaving reportedly was in talks to reprise his role as Agent Smith;according toCollider, he had agreed to return, but this plan fell through due to scheduling conflicts. New versions of both iconic characters were replaced, althoughrecasting Morpheus worked better than Smith.
Maybe the filmmakers thought it would work better to recast both characters. On the other hand, the Smith who appears in the fourth movie is technically the same character, whilethe new Morpheus is a completely different computer program.Fishburne doesn’t say whether he would have returned for the movie. However, it’s not entirely clear what the timeline is and if Weaving backing out affected Fishburne not receiving an offer.
The Matrix
The Matrix, released in 1999, is set in the 22nd century and follows a computer hacker, Neo, portrayed by Keanu Reeves. He joins a group of underground insurgents led by Morpheus to combat the domineering computers that control the earth, in a battle that blurs the lines between reality and illusion.
The Matrix Resurrections
Set sixty years after The Matrix Revolutions, The Matrix Resurrections is a sci-fi action movie that sees the return of Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne moss nearly twenty years after the release of the previous film. Neo has become a game developer who struggles to grasp reality, and his concerns are validated when a new visage of Morpheus arrives to free him from his prison - a newly created Matrix. Learning that Trinity is alive and being held prisoner, Neo will join a new rebel force to save her and confront a new, dangerous foe known as the Analyst.
