Every Character Who Has Been Recast

Summary

• Characters like Fandral and Red Skull were recast in the MCU due to scheduling conflicts and actor preferences.
• Harrison Ford took over as Thaddeus Ross after the tragic passing of William Hurt.
• Actors like Terrence Howard and Edward Norton were replaced due to disagreements with Marvel Studios.

The Marvel 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 the MCU truly 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.

9

Fandral

Josh Dallas Was Unable To Return In Thor: The Dark World

• First Actor: Josh Dallas
• Second Actor: Zachary Levi

While Fandral and the rest of the Warriors Three never had large roles in the Thor trilogy, many were surprised when the character had an unrecognizably new face in Thor: 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 in Once Upon a Time. So, Zachary Levi took over until Fandral was killed off almost immediately in Thor: Ragnarok. Levi would then go on to play in the DC Extended Universe as Shazam.

8

Howard Stark

John Slattery Took Over From Gerard Sanders

• First Actor: Gerard Sanders
• Second Actor: John Slattery

De-aging was in its infancy in 2011, so hiring Dominic Cooper to play a young Howard Stark in Captain America: The First Avenger was 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 first Iron Man.

Gerard Sanders was seen only in pictures and there is virtually no explanation given as to why John Slattery took over the role in Iron Man 2. Perhaps Slattery fit the character better and gave a better performance or perhaps Sanders was unable to return. Since Iron Man 2, he and Dominic Cooper have traded the role of Howard Stark up until Avengers: Endgame.

7

Red Skull

Hugo Weaving Wasn’t Happy With The Character

• First Actor: Hugo Weaving
• Second Actor: Ross Marquand

Many actors have continued to portray their characters in subsequent entries of the MCU because they genuinely enjoy it. In the case of Hugo Weaving as the Red Skull, he played the character only once in Captain 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 in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: 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.

6

Thanos

There Was Another Non-CGI Mad Titan Before Josh Brolin

• First Actor: Damion Poitier
• Second Actor: Josh Brolin

It’s almost impossible to imagine anyone else playing Thanos after what Josh Brolin has delivered ever since he debuted as the 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 of Avengers: 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 for The 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.

5

Cassie Lang

Kathryn Newton Was Hired To Be A Young Avenger

• First Actor: Emma Fuhrmann
• Second Actor: Kathryn Newton

Thanks to the five-year time jump between Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, Cassie Lang is no longer the cute girl that fans were introduced to in the Ant-Man movies. Cassie was a teenager in Avengers: Endgame, much to the shock of Ant-Man, briefly played by Emma Fuhrmann.

When Cassie returned to the MCU in Ant-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 like Young Avengers.

4

Billy Maximoff

Wiccan’s Story Forced A Change Of Actors

• First Actor: Julian Hilliard
• Second Actor: Joe Locke

Rather than an actor being unable to return for one reason or another, the reason why Billy Maximoff was recast was for story purposes. Billy’s soul found a new body when Wanda’s hex was destroyed in WandaVision, possessing the body of a dead William Kaplan, beginning his slow evolution to discover who he is and becoming the magical Marvel hero known as Wiccan.

In WandaVision and Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness, the younger version of Billy was portrayed by Julian Hilliard. However, the character of William Kaplan in Agatha All Along was 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.

3

James Rhodes/War Machine

Terrence Howard Quit And Made Way For Don Cheadle

• First Actor: Terrence Howard
• Second Actor: Don Cheadle

When the Marvel Cinematic Universe exploded onto the scene with Iron Man, fans were introduced to Colonel James Rhodes A.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 with Iron Man 2 and 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.

2

Bruce Banner/Hulk

Edward Norton Wanted More Creative Control Of The Hulk

• First Actor: Edward Norton
• Second Actor: Mark Ruffalo

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. In The Incredible Hulk, Bruce Banner was portrayed by Edward Norton, and the powerful take on Hulk was 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 in The Avengers and every movie or show since.

1

Thaddeus Ross

Tragedy Led To Harrison Ford Joining The MCU

• First Actor: William Hurt
• Second Actor: Harrison Ford

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 with The 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 the alter ego of the Red Hulk has been passed on to another beloved actor: Harrison Ford, who debuted in Captain America: Brave New World.