Morgan Truder
Whether through scheduling issues, personal disagreements, or plain old misfortune, many of the movie roles that we think of as iconic have actually come about via a piece of inspired (or often fortuitous) recasting.
You can see a recent example of this in Marvel’s Captain America: Brave New World, which hits cinemas on February 14. The role of Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross had previously been played with steely resolve by the late William Hurt, but his tragic passing in 2022 led to Harrison Ford taking on the expanded part.
With the recent news that the Rambo prequel has found its new, young John Rambo, we have also included some recasting picks for when we get prequels... which these days we get plenty of, as well as reimaginings with remakes releasing all the time.
The trouble with recasting is that it isn't always gold, with some huge misses over the years; however, the ones below are the ones we think worked out for everyone.
- Next up, read about the best Marvel movies, ranked
1. Michael J. Fox for Eric Stolz in Back to the Future
What kind of world would we be living in had Robert Zemeckis not opted to ditch Eric Stoltz shortly after the start of principal photography for Back to the Future? Too dark to contemplate, we’d venture. In all fairness to Stoltz – a fine actor in his own right – the role of Marty McFly, aspiring rock musician and reluctant time traveller, could have been written specifically for Fox and his cheeky cherub sensibility. There really was no substitute.
2. Viggo Mortensen for Stuart Townsend in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Viggo Mortensen’s casting as Aragorn feels like it was carved in stone by dwarves at the dawn of the Third Age, but it was actually decided upon very late in the day. The role was initially due to be played by Ireland’s Stuart Townsend, and filming had actually commenced when Jackson came to a fateful decision. Townsend was simply too young to convey the world-weary poise of this noble 87-year-old ranger. Amazingly, Mortensen wasn’t even the first (or second) choice for a more seasoned replacement.
3. Mark Ruffalo for Edward Norton in The Avengers
2008’s Iron Man was such a runaway success, it’s easy to forget there was a second Marvel Cinematic Universe film released just a month later. That film was The Incredible Hulk, and it starred Edward Norton as gamma-irradiated scientist Bruce Banner. While the film was far from a write-off, Norton fell out with Marvel Studios during the production process, resulting in Mark Ruffalo stepping in for 2012’s The Avengers. The rest is history, leaving The Incredible Hulk feeling like an early brush with the multiverse.
4. Martin Sheen for Harvey Keitel in Apocalypse Now
The central role of Willard in Francis Ford Coppola’s singular war movie had been bandied around most of ’70s Hollywood’s hot young male talent, but it eventually fell to Harvey Keitel. Within days of the start of filming, Coppola realised his mistake, as the mercurial actor seemed unable (or unwilling) to play the role with the necessary degree of cool detachment. Cue the ice-cold Martin Sheen, who flew in to save the troubled production and all but make his career.
5. Michael Gambon for Richard Harris in Harry Potter
This one holds a fair amount of resonance with the unfortunate example of Captain America: Brave New World. It too involves the untimely death of an experienced and acclaimed actor – this time Richard Harris – followed by the seamless integration of another industry legend in Michael Gambon. The role in question was Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts, who was played by Harris in the first two Harry Potter films. Gambon stepped in for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and made the role his own across the rest of the franchise.
6. Maggie Gyllenhaal for Katie Holmes in The Dark Knight
The vast majority of working actors would climb over their own mothers to secure a role in a Christopher Nolan film, so it must have come as some shock when Katie Holmes declined to return in the pivotal role of Rachel Dawes for Nolan’s second and best Batman movie. Maggie Gyllenhaal ably stepped in, where her greater emotional range was doubtless greatly appreciated. Holmes, meanwhile, chose to star in the crime comedy Mad Money instead. It’s fair to say mistakes were made.
7. Harrison Ford for Alec Baldwin in Patriot Games
Captain America: Brave New World isn’t the first time Harrison Ford has stepped into a role vacated by another big star, nor even the second if rumours of Tom Selleck giving the Indiana Jones role away are to be believed. The role that seems more appropriate to this piece is that of Jack Ryan, the fictional CIA analyst successfully played by Alec Baldwin in 1990’s The Hunt For Red October. A slight delay in production meant Baldwin was unable to commit to the follow-up, so Harrison Ford stepped in for the next two films.
8. Eddie Murphy for Sylvester Stallone in Beverley Hills Cop
Sometimes, the casting of an actor defines the whole direction that a film takes. Case in point: Beverley Hills Cop. While this wise-cracking action-comedy has become synonymous with Eddie Murphy’s fast-talking performance as detective Axel Foley, it was originally intended to be a Sylvester Stallone vehicle. You read that right. Suffice to say, when Stallone’s attempt to reshape the movie in his gritty action man image failed, he moved on to other shooty-bang-bang projects. Thank Foley for that.
9. Ben Whishaw for Colin Firth in Paddington
England’s Ben Whishaw IS the voice of Paddington. Any Gen Z kid knows that. Except, he wasn’t supposed to be. The role of the marmalade sandwich-munching bear from Peru initially went to that other national treasure, Colin Firth. Unfortunately – or should that be fortunately? – Firth found himself unable to channel the spirit of Michael Bond’s creation in the way the film required. Being the thoroughly decent fellow that he is, Firth graciously stepped aside, and the true voice of Paddington was duly anointed.
10. Christopher Plummer for Kevin Spacey in All the Money in the World
All the other recasting decisions on this list have a degree of professional graciousness about them. For Ridley Scott’s 2017 biographical thriller, however, there’s a deep note of unsavouriness about its core cast change. Filming was complete on All the Money in the World when one of its key performers was rocked by scandal. Sexual misconduct allegations against Kevin Spacey prompted Scott to take drastic action, essentially reshooting all of the actor’s scenes using acting veteran Christopher Plummer. The results, given the circumstances, are more than respectable.
11. Ewan McGregor for Alec Guinness in Star Wars
This recasting is more in line with the John Rambo of it all, with Ewan McGregor taking up the role of the legendary Jedi in the prequel series that was released 20 years after the originals. Ewan McGregor’s portrayal of Obi-Wan Kenobi was a fresh take on the character.
He managed to capture the essence of Alec Guinness's original performance while bringing his own energy and nuances to the role. McGregor had a perfect balance of youthful exuberance and wisdom, showing the progression of Obi-Wan from a young Jedi Knight to the sage mentor we see in the original trilogy. Whether you like it or not, for a whole generation, Ewan McGregor is Obi-Wan Kenobi, which is an impressive feat.
12. Scarlett Johansson for Samantha Morton in Her
Her is one of the iconic films of the 21st Century, following Joaquin Phoenix's main character who falls in love with an AI voiced by Scarlett Johansson, yet originally Samantha Morton lent her voice to the AI. This will no doubt be one of the last-minute recasting decisions on the list, with this change coming in post-production and Scarlett doing the voice work whilst also filming Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
13. Martin Sheen for Gerard McSorley in The Departed
Martin Sheen really nailed it as Oliver Queenan in The Departed. He brought so much emotional depth and a strong moral compass to a role that was important for the film's themes of trust and betrayal. His quiet strength and ability to be both a mentor and tough when needed made him a vital emotional anchor, adding some much-needed heart to a story full of ruthless, self-interested characters.
It's wild to think Gerard McSorley was originally supposed to play the part, with Sheen only coming on board after filming had already started. This is the second time Sheen's popped up on this list, pretty much cementing his status as the king of recasting.
14. Michael Fassbender for Ian McKellen in X-Men First Class
Comic book movies are proving to be a casting agent's dream with the actors changing constantly, especially with the multiverse storylines. Whilst the X-Men films in particular went through plenty of reiterations.
While Ian McKellen's Magneto was a classic, Fassbender's take in First Class was like a fine wine – it just got more intense with age (and trauma). He played Magneto as a guy who really couldn't decide if he wanted to be a hero or just get even, making him less of a villain and more of a deeply conflicted anti-hero who, much like McKellen, carried a certain gravitas when he was on screen. The X-Men films are inconsistent at best, but this pick could’ve gone to any number of the recasting decisions made in First Class, with every actor delivering.
15. Sandra Bullock for Lori Petty in Demolition Man
Lori Petty was initially set to play Lenina Huxley in 1993's Demolition Man, but a last-minute swap saw Sandra Bullock take the reins. Turns out, producers wanted less quirky rebel and more earnest, optimistic police officer – a role Bullock nailed. Good thing, too, as Demolition Man launched her into action-star orbit, just before Speed cemented her status.
