3 MCU Characters Recast Before They Had Anything Interesting To Do

These notable characters were recast in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before their original actors had the chance to do anything interesting. Whether it be down to scheduling conflicts, behind-the-scenes turmoil, or Marvel’s indecisiveness, several actors have been recast as MCU characters over the years, even dating back to the very early days of the franchise. Unfortunately, some of these recasting happened too soon, before the original actors had any substantive action in the MCU.

Some of the most prominent recast characters in the MCU have included Bruce Banner’s Hulk (Edward Norton to Mark Ruffalo), Thaddeus Ross (the late William Hurt to Harrison Ford), the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving to Ross Marquand), and more. These all took place after the original stars were part of some memorable and thrilling stories, however, while other recast actors haven’t been so lucky. These three, in particular, were taken from the MCU too soon, though some would argue this was indeed for the best.

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3) Thanos

Josh Brolin has become synonymous with the role of the Mad Titan, Thanos, after making such a huge impact on the MCU in 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War and 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. However, before appearing in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Thanos was played instead by Damion Poitier for his cameo appearance in the post-credits scene of 2012’s The Avengers. There, he was warned about facing Earth’s heroes by the Other (Alexis Denisof), but smiled about the possibility to “court death.” Ultimately, Poitier ended up just being a placeholder for Thanos.

Despite not getting any action in The Avengers, Damion Poitier was given a slightly larger role in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War as a mercenary working for Crossbones (Frank Grillo). Poitier didn’t even get a speaking line as Thanos, while Josh Brolin’s portrayal saw the Mad Titan become the MCU’s most terrifying, powerful, and threatening supervillain. Poitier was a great stand-in for Thanos prior to Brolin’s casting, but it’s a shame he didn’t get the chance to show off more of his interpretation of the villain.

2) James “Rhodey” Rhodes

When James “Rhodey” Rhodes made his first appearance in the MCU as Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) best friend in 2008’s Iron Man, he was portrayed not by Don Cheadle, but by Terrence Howard. The Hustle & Flow and Mr. Holland’s Opus star played Rhodey as little more than a military liaison to Stark Industries in Iron Man, and didn’t get the chance to suit up in the War Machine armor before he was replaced by Cheadle in 2010’s Iron Man 2. While there was clear intent to bring Howard back as Rhodey, his recasting ultimately stemmed from a salary dispute.

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Howard has noted several times in the years since that his salary for Iron Man 2 was proposed to be cut to make way for Downey Jr.’s larger earnings. Howard argued that he helped Downey initially get the role, so him taking a pay cut to make way for the more-bankable star’s wages didn’t sit right. Ultimately, Don Cheadle has become the far stronger Rhodey anyway, having a lengthy career as War Machine that has seen him become an Avenger and even prepare for his own solo movie, though the current status of Marvel Studios’ Armor Wars is uncertain.

1) Cassie Lang

One of the most tragic cases of an MCU actor being recast occurred during 2023’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. While Kathryn Newton makes for an exciting and vibrant Cassie Lang – Ant-Man’s (Paul Rudd) daughter originally played by Abby Ryder Fortson – it’s a shame we didn’t see more of Emma Fuhrmann in the role. Known for roles in Blended and Lost in the Sun, Fuhrmann could have got her big break with Endgame, where she briefly appeared as the 16-year-old daughter of Scott Lang, who reunites with her father after his return from five years spent in the Quantum Realm.

Shockingly, Fuhrmann found out she had been recast when the news of Newton’s casting for Quantumania was made public in December 2020. She was recast with the Big Little Lies star as Marvel wanted to bring in a more established actor, and one with a more comic-accurate look for Cassie Lang, who is expected to have a more prominent role in the MCU as a size-changing member of the Young Avengers. Nevertheless, it was a shame that Fuhrmann didn’t get the chance to show off her talents as Cassie.

Which original MCU actor are you most upset got recast? Let us know in the comments!