.jpg "From Rhodey to Cassie Lang — 8 Characters Who Were Recast in the MCU (And Two Actors Who’ve Played More Than One Role)")
The trailer for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania dropped recently, giving fans their first look at Scott Lang’s (Paul Rudd) newest adventure. Among the action and drama of the trailer, some fans were shocked to see that the role of Cassie Lang had been recast.
Though Emma Fuhrmann played that role in Avengers: Endgame, it is Kathryn Newton who will be venturing into the Quantum Realm in the upcoming movie. This is not the first time a role has been recast in the MCU; it’s becoming rather common.
Rhodey — Terrence Howard to Don Cheadle
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Terrence Howard appeared as Rhodey in the first ever MCU movie, Iron Man. The talented actor gave a memorable performance, and the film even included a moment that suggested he would suit up in the next movie. Unfortunately, Howard and Robert Downey Jr didn’t see eye to eye during filming, and Don Cheadle replaced him.
Cheadle swiftly made the role his own and has become an integral part of the MCU. He will next appear in Armor Wars, which will now be a movie instead of a series.
Thunderbolt Ross — William Hurt to Harrison Ford
In the wake of William Hurt’s passing, it was unclear how Marvel would move forward with the character. The upcoming movie The Thunderbolts made it imperative that the character will return as he will play a key role in the MCU moving forward.
Marvel recently announced that Harrison Ford would take over the role, first appearing in Captain America: New World Order before playing a larger role in The Thunderbolts. It will be difficult for Ford to step into the iconic actor’s shoes, but we’re excited to see how he makes the character his own.
The Hulk — Edward Norton to Mark Ruffalo
The most noticeable and mainstream recasting in the MCU comes in the form of a big, green, rage machine. The Incredible Hulk, the second MCU movie, saw Edward Norton play the titular character, squaring off against The Abomination (Tim Roth). However, when the character returned in The Avengers, Mark Ruffalo was in the role.
There are a couple of different theories as to why Norton was recast. Some claim the actor didn’t want a multi-picture contract, and others claim he was fired, but either way, we can all agree that Ruffalo has made the role his own now, and we can’t wait to see where The Hulk pops up next.
Howard Stark — Gerard Sanders to John Slattery
Some recastings make perfect sense, and that’s the case for the recasting of Tony Stark’s father, Howard. The role was initially played by Gerard Sanders, who appeared only in photographs, giving a wordless performance.
With the role expanded in Iron Man 2, Marvel turned to veteran actor John Slattery. Slattery has appeared in several MCU films since, always giving touching performances, especially when he shared the scene with Robert Downey Jr in Avengers: Endgame.
Red Skull — Hugo Weaving to Ross Marquand
Fans were ecstatic when Captain America’s archenemy, the Red Skull, made a long-awaited return in Avengers: Infinity War. Only eagle-eyed viewers noticed that it wasn’t Hugo Weaving under the prosthetics, choosing not to reprise the role he played in Captain America: The First Avenger.
Instead, the actor stepped away from the role due to a contractual dispute, leaving the role free for Ross Marquand to snatch up in the third and fourth installments in The Avengers franchise.
Thanos – Damion Poitier to Josh Brolin
Though it may be hard to believe, Josh Brolin is not the only person who’s played the role of the Mad Titan in the MCU. Thanos’ first appearance in the post-credits scene after The Avengers actually saw Damion Poitier sitting on Thanos’ throne.
However, Brolin played a role in every subsequent movie, beginning with a small part in Guardians of the Galaxy and most recently reprising the role in the animated Disney+ series, What If?It’s unclear if the actor will return, but we still haven’t given up hope of him getting the solo movie he deserves.
Fandral — Josh Dallas to Zachary Levi
Zachary Levi was initially cast as Fandral in Thor but had to leave the role due to scheduling conflicts with his TV show, Chuck. As a result, the role was given to Josh Dallas, who delivered a fine performance in the movie. With his schedule cleared, however, Levi was invited back to take over the role in Thor: The Dark World and a small cameo appearance in Thor: Ragnarok.
Though both are great actors, neither was ever given enough screen time to make Fandral stand out among the many other supporting characters in the MCU.
Cassie Lang — Emma Fuhrmann to Kathryn Newton
Many fans were impressed by Emma Fuhrmann’s performance in Avengers: Endgame, with many enjoying the touching moment she shared with her father when he returned after five years spent trapped in the Quantum Realm.
Fuhrmann’s performance likely isn’t the reason she was dropped, but instead, the fact that Kathryn Newton is a much more recognizable actress with a stronger body of work behind her. If the MCU is building toward a Young Avengers project, as many fans believe, they may want the more well-known Newton to be a part of the team.
Honorable Mention #1 — Gemma Chan
What’s the opposite of being recast in a franchise? We think it’s playing two separate characters in the same franchise, something few actors have done in the MCU. The most high-profile actor to do this is Gemma Chan, who played Sersi, a leading role in The Eternals just two years after she played a villain in Captain Marvel.
Chan was unrecognizable in Captain Marvel, which, of course, helped her portray more than one role, but a lot is owed to her incredible acting range, which helped her successfully differentiate the characters.
Honorable Mention #2 – Laura Haddock
Laura Haddock‘s dual roles within the MCU may not be as prominent or fleshed out as Gemma Chan’s, but Haddock’s did prompt a huge fan theory that has yet to be disproved. She first appears in Captain America: The First Avenger in a blink, and you’ll miss her role as one of Cap’s adoring fans.
She later starred in both Guardians of the Galaxy movies as Meredith Quill, Peter Quill’s mother. Several fans think that the character seen in The First Avenger is actually Peter Quill’s grandmother, and though it is unlikely it will ever be proven, it’s a fan theory that many fans believe in.
