Within superhero franchises there often exists a revolving door of different actors taking on the same role. Outside of large-scale universe reboots, there have been more than a few actor replacements in Marvel and DC movies that were overlooked by the masses. Whether a big or small role being recast, movies try to maintain continuity in a character to varying degrees of success. As the Marvel Cinematic Universe returns to theaters with the release of Captain America: Brave New World, it’s a great opportunity to look back at some of the lesser known actor replacements that took place in the realm of superhero movies.
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Fans may have forgotten about these eight instances of actors being subtly replaced in superhero movies.
William Hurt/Harrison Ford as Thaddeus Ross in the MCU
The newest recasting in a superhero franchise occurs in Captain America: Brave New World. In the film, Harrison Ford portrays President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, who was previously played by the late William Hurt before his death in 2022. Hurt’s appearances as Ross came in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War, 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, and 2021’s Black Widow.
In the wake of Brave New World‘s release, Ford has been widely praised for his debut as Ross, who turns into Red Hulk in the movie. Replicating the austerity Hurt brought to the former army lieutenant and U.S. Secretary of State, but Ford proved more than up to the task. It’s currently unknown if Ford will portray Ross/Red Hulk again in the MCU after Brave New World, but audiences would likely welcome his return.
Terrence Howard/Don Cheadle as James Rhodes/War Machine in the MCU
James “Rhodey” Rhodes a.k.a. War Machine was first played by Terrence Howard in 2008’s Iron Man. 2010’s Iron Man 2 then cast Don Cheadle in place of Howard, who abandoned the project due to a payment dispute with Marvel. Cheadle went on to appear in eight more MCU projects, the most recent being 2023’s Secret Invasion. An Armor Wars project focusing on Rhodey has been in the works for years, however its development has reached a standstill.
Today, Cheadle is most commonly recognized for portraying War Machine despite Howard’s debut as the character. In fact, Howard’s presence comes as somewhat of a surprise when rewatching Iron Man since viewers are now so used to Cheadle in the role. Cheadle has portrayed War Machine with sincerity and fortitude, and he stands as one of the MCU’s most underrated performers.
Katie Holmes/Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel Dawes in DC’s Dark Knight Trilogy
Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy started with the 2005 film Batman Begins with Katie Holmes portraying the character of Rachel Dawes. The role was recast for 2008’s The Dark Knight, as Maggie Gyllenhaal appeared as Rachel in the trilogy’s middle installment. Holmes chose not to return to play Rachel in The Dark Knight in order to pursue other acting opportunities, namely the lead role in 2008’s Mad Money.
While both actors impressed in the part of Rachel, Gyllenhaal’s performance as the character stands out more. The Dark Knight‘s longstanding reputation as arguably the greatest Batman movie and one of the best comic book films of all time is a major factor in Gyllenhaal’s recognition for playing Rachel. Furthermore, Rachel’s death in The Dark Knight shocked and devastated audiences, cementing Gyllenhaal’s portrayal of the character as a lasting memory for DC and Batman fans.
Hugo Weaving/Ross Marquand as Red Skull in the MCU
Hugo Weaving portrayed Johann Schmidt a.k.a. Red Skull, the head of Nazi Germany’s HYDRA, in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger. Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame featured a version of Red Skull known as the Stonekeeper, who guards the Soul Stone on Vormir. Ross Marquand was cast to voice a CGI Red Skull in the two films, though his screen time was limited. According to Weaving, he elected not to reprise his role in the Avengers movies when contract negotiations with Marvel fell through.
Weaving brought a menacing rendition of Red Skull to the big screen, as his performance was remarkably true to the sinister comic book villain. Marquand’s tenure as the character was rather brief, but Red Skull’s appearance played a vital role in Thanos and the Avengers’ quests to collect all of the Infinity Stones. Moreover, Vormir was the site of both Gamora (Zoe Saldaña) and Natasha Romanoff’s (Scarlett Johansson) deaths, so Red Skull’s presence certainly has stuck in many MCU fans’ memories. Red Skull has not shown up in the MCU since Endgame, but it would be interesting to see if Weaving, Marquand, or a new actor plays him if Marvel decides to continue his story.
[RELATED – Captain America: Brave New World’s Ending & Credits Scenes Explained]
Edward Norton/Mark Ruffalo as Hulk in the MCU
Edward Norton starred as Bruce Banner a.k.a. the Hulk in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, marking the MCU’s second movie. To the astonishment of fans, a sequel never came to fruition and Mark Ruffalo took over the role in 2012’s The Avengers. The reason for the Hulk’s recast involved creative differences between Norton and Marvel regarding the character’s involvement in the franchise. Ruffalo has totaled nine appearances across his 13 years in the MCU, though he has yet to receive a solo project.
Although Norton will always be remembered for introducing Banner and the Hulk to the MCU at the beginning, Ruffalo has since established himself as one of the franchise’s cornerstones. Seamlessly working with humor and emotional gravity as a supporting character in every Avengers movie and several other titles, Ruffalo has impressively juggled the dual personalities of Banner and the Hulk. Ruffalo’s involvement in upcoming MCU projects is unknown at this time, but it’s hard to imagine that fans have seen the last of the Hulk.
Emma Fuhrmann/Kathryn Newton as Cassie Lang in the MCU
Emma Fuhrmann featured in Avengers: Endgame as a teenage Cassie Lang, following Abby Ryder Fortson’s portrayal of the character as a young child in 2015’s Ant-Man and 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp. The daughter of Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) appeared again in 2023’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania with Kathryn Newton replacing Fuhrmann. Cassie’s recast was the choice of director Peyton Reed, who wanted a more recognizable star in the role. Having admired Newton’s work in the past, Reed identified the actor as a perfect fit alongside Rudd.
With a total of three actors playing Cassie at different points in the MCU, the character’s continuity is far from smooth. Still, Fuhrmann and Newton each brought a unique sense of wit and charm to their performances. It appears that Newton will portray Cassie whenever she features in the MCU again, which isn’t known yet. Nonetheless, it’s a safe bet that Newton will return in Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars alongside Rudd, as well as a potential Ant-Man 4.
Josh Dallas/Zachary Levi as Fandral in the MCU
Josh Dallas appeared in the small role of Fandral, an Asgardian warrior and friend of Thor (Chris Hemsworth), in 2011’s Thor. The character was recast in 2013’s Thor: The Dark World, as Zachary Levi replaced Dallas as Fandral. Dallas was unable to reprise his role because of scheduling conflicts with his involvement in the TV series Once Upon a Time. Levi returned to play Fandral in 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok and 2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder.
Fandral’s status as a minor MCU character made the recasting an easy transition, as audiences hardly noticed that Levi had taken the place of Dallas. With a few appearances under his belt, Levi has now made the role his own, fitting well in the Thor movies’ comedic elements. It’s not confirmed whether Levi will play Fandral in Thor 5, but it’s likely that the character’s time in the MCU will continue as long as Thor remains a major part of the franchise.
John Turturro/Mark Strong in DC’s The Batman Franchise
Matt Reeves’ 2022 movie The Batman kickstarted a new franchise centering on the titular vigilante. John Turturro portrayed the villainous mob boss Carmine Falcone, who was killed near the film’s end. The 2024 spinoff series The Penguin featured Carmine in flashback sequences with his daughter Sofia (Cristin Milioti). Instead of a slightly de-aged Turturro, actor Mark Strong was cast in The Penguin. Turturro revealed that he turned down the chance to play Carmine again due to The Penguin‘s depictions of violence against women.
Although Strong wasn’t afforded much screen time in The Penguin, he offered an authentic portrayal of Carmine that undoubtedly stacks up to Turturro’s version. The Batman star’s performance as the gangster still reigns supreme thanks to his more advanced role, but the switching of actors between the two projects comes across well. Recasts often carry the potential to derail a character and hurt a film, however, both Strong and Turturro excellently communicated Carmine’s subtle toughness and cutthroat attitude.
Captain America: Brave New World is now playing in theaters. The MCU returns to Disney+ with the premiere of Daredevil: Born Again on March 4th.
What did you think of these casting changes? Let us know in the comments below!
