15 Movie Actors Who Were Asked Back For Sequels & Refused

Summary

• Actors refusing to return for sequels can lead to characters being written out, recast, or sequels failing.
• Notable recasts in movie sequels include Katie Holmes in
  The Dark Knight
  and Rachel Weisz in
  The Mummy 3
  .
• Actors leaving can be due to personal decisions, disputes, script concerns, or not wanting to be part of unnecessary sequels.

Movie sequels have cut main characters from the story when the actor who played that character refused to return for the sequel. Rather than risk a replacement actor failing a major movie franchise, they decided to write the character out with the most serviceable explanation they could muster. However, sometimes the character is too important to the story, and the producers are forced to recast and hope for the best.

Movie recasts that work are not impossible or even especially rare, but that is not to say they are easy. Actors refusing to return for a sequel puts the movie in a difficult situation, especially when the original actor was a hit with audiences. If the subsequent movie fails, it may be argued that it was because of that actor’s absence. People might also say that the sequel was always unnecessary and the actor in question dodged a bullet by turning down the chance to return — but there are some notable exceptions.

Related 10 Movie Actors Who Weren’t Asked To Return For The Sequel

Certain actors were not asked to return for movie sequels because of changes to the story or behind-the-scenes disputes with co-stars and the crew.

15 Katie Holmes As Rachel Dawes

Did Not Return For The Dark Knight (2009)

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The whole situation surrounding Rachel being recast for The Dark Knight was very professional. Katie Holmes said (via Business Insider) that she enjoyed making Batman Begins — in which she plays Bruce Wayne’s childhood friend and love interest — but that she made a personal decision at the time to pursue other projects which she does not regret. Director Christopher Nolan was understanding and lucked out with Maggie Gyllenhaal, another talented actress who bears some resemblance to Holmes. However, it is impossible not to think that Holmes missed out when she turned down The Dark Knight.

• Batman Begins PG-13ActionAdventureCrimeDocumentaryDrama Where to Watch
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  Christopher Nolan’s take on Batman’s origin story sees Christian Bale take up the mantle of the Caped Crusader. Batman Begins follows young Bruce Wayne who, reeling from the murder of his wealthy parents, decides to become a vigilante in order to save Gotham City. This pits him against the mysterious League of Shadows, an organization intent on destroying Gotham with the help of the villainous Scarecrow and his powerful fear toxin.  

  Director Christopher Nolan Release Date June 15, 2005 Cast Ken Watanabe , Liam Neeson , Gary Oldman , Tom Wilkinson , Linus Roache , Christian Bale , Katie Holmes , Mark Boone Junior , Michael Caine , Rutger Hauer , Cillian Murphy , Morgan Freeman Runtime 140 Minutes

• The Dark Knight PG-13ActionThrillerDramaCrimeSuperhero Where to Watch
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  Christian Bale once again embodies the man behind the mask in The Dark Knight, reuniting Bale with Batman Begins director Christopher Nolan. With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman has been making headway against local crime—until a rising criminal mastermind known as The Joker unleashes a fresh reign of chaos across Gotham City. To stop this devious new menace—Batman’s most personal and vicious enemy yet—he will have to use every high-tech weapon in his arsenal and confront his beliefs if he hopes to stand a chance against the Clown Prince of Crime.

  Director Christopher Nolan Release Date July 18, 2008 Cast Nestor Carbonell , Morgan Freeman , Ritchie Coster , Cillian Murphy , Chin Han , Gary Oldman , Eric Roberts , William Fichtner , Aaron Eckhart , Maggie Gyllenhaal , Christian Bale , David Dastmalchian , Michael Caine , Anthony Michael Hall , Heath Ledger Runtime 152 Minutes Expand

14 Tami Stronach As The Childlike Empress

Did Not Return For The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter (1990)

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The NeverEnding Story is not the best fantasy movie but a fun cult classic. However, it wasn’t built to have a sequel. The second movie’s dramatically poor reviews prove that Tami Stronach (or her parents) made the right decision not to return. Stronach explained (via THR) that her parents “[prioritized] [her] having a normal childhood and felt strongly that if [she] wanted to pursue this path, it should be something that [she] chose to do as a young person in [her] 20s.”After her ethereal performance as the Childlike Empress, Stronach became a dancer instead, and now teaches and produces.

13 Keanu Reeves As Jack Traven

Did Not Return For Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997)

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The critical and commercial fallout of Speed 2 is all the evidence one needs that Reeves’ concerns were well-founded. This did not stop 20th Century Fox from refusing to work with Reeves for 10 years.

After the smash hit of Speed, then-rising star Keanu Reeves turned down Speed 2: Cruise Control because he didn’t like the script (via PEOPLE). The critical and commercial fallout of Speed 2 is all the evidence one needs that Reeves’ concerns were well-founded. This did not stop 20th Century Fox from refusing to work with Reeves for 10 years. Maybe they thought that Reeves’ absence was part of the reason the movie failed. Meanwhile, Reeves scored the lead role in The Matrix and suddenly became far more famous than any of his previous movies had made him.

• Speed RThrillerActionAdventure Where to Watch
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  In Jan de Bont’s 1994 action thriller Speed, LAPD officer Jack Traven (Keanu Reeves) works alongside passenger Annie (Sandra Bullock) to safely stop a bus that will explode if it goes below 50 mph.

  Director Jan de bont Release Date June 10, 1994 Cast Dennis Hopper , Sandra Bullock , Joe Morton , Jeff Daniels , Keanu Reeves Runtime 116 minutes

• Speed 2: Cruise Control PG-13ActionAdventureCrimeRomanceThriller Where to Watch
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  Director Jan de bont Release Date June 13, 1997 Cast Sandra Bullock , Jason Patric , Willem Dafoe , Temuera Morrison , Brian McCardie , Christine Firkins Runtime 121 minutes

12 Geena Davis As Veronica Quaife

Did Not Return For The Fly II (1989)

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Geena Davis was interested in The Fly‘s unmade sequel due to how The Fly II handled her character. Davis and Jeff Goldblum led The Fly to success, with Goldblum’s character Seth dying in the final act while Davis’ character Veronica survives. However, The Fly II was then mostly a disappointment for fans and critics. Davis refused to return due to Veronica dying in childbirth at the beginning of the movie (via Bloody Disgusting). She was replaced by Saffron Henderson for this scene. Davis had her own ideas for a better sequel to The Fly, which never came to fruition.

• The Fly

  From legendary director David Cronenberg, The Fly tells the story of Seth Brundle, a scientist who, in attempting to create a device that facilitates teleportation, accidentally merges his DNA with that of a fly, and begins to mutate into a human-fly hybrid. The film stars Jeff Goldblum as Brundle, with Geena Davis as Ronnie Quaife, Seth’s partner and love interest. 

• The Fly II

  The Fly II follows Martin Brundle (Eric Stoltz), the son of scientist Seth Brundle, as he grapples with the genetic mutations inherited from his father. Directed by Chris Walas, this 1989 sequel explores Martin’s accelerated growth and superhuman abilities while he confronts those responsible for his condition. The film continues the themes of transformation and ethics in scientific experimentation introduced in the original 1986 film, The Fly.

11 Bill Murray As Dr. Peter Venkman

Did Not Return For Ghostbusters III (Never Made)

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Bill Murray plays one of the four iconic, original Ghostbusters in the first two movies of the franchise. He would eventually reprise the role of Dr. Peter Venkman as a legacy character in Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. With Afterlife technically being the third movie in the franchise (not including the 2016 reboot set in another universe), Ghostbusters 3 took more than 30 years to make. Murray’s hesitance to return always proved to be an obstacle to the continuation of Ghostbusters; he wasn’t sure about doing Ghostbusters II and was more determined not to return for Ghostbusters III.

Ghostbusters 2 (1989) PGActionComedyFantasy Where to Watch

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Ghostbusters II is the first sequel to the 1984 film starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, and Harold Ramis. The sequel follows the Ghostbusters as they investigate a river of ectoplasm and battle against a living painting of Vigo the Carpathia. Sigourney Weaver returns for the sequel alongside Rick Moranis and Annie Potts.

Director Ivan Reitman Release Date June 16, 1989 Cast Dan Aykroyd , Bill Murray , Ernie Hudson , Sigourney Weaver , Harold Ramis , Rick Moranis , Annie Potts Runtime 108 Minutes

10 Robert Duvall As Tom Hagen

Did Not Return For The Godfather Part III (1990)

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Robert Duvall plays the adoptive son and attorney of the Corleone family in The Godfather and The Godfather Part II. However, he left the series due to pay disputes just in time before the disappointing conclusion to the trilogy. Tom is said to have died in The Godfather Part III and his legal work has been taken over by other characters. Duvall had this to say on his exit (via Far Out): “I said I would work easily if they paid Pacino twice what they paid me, that’s fine. But not three or four times, which is what they did.”

• The Godfather Part II rCrimeDrama Where to Watch
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  Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather II continues Michael Corleone’s story as he expands the Corleones’ presence as a crime syndicate. The film is also half devoted to the backstory of Vito Corleone, following his rise to power in 1920s New York City. While The Godfather is considered one of the greatest movies ever made, The Godfather Part II was able to live up to the original and secure six Oscars at the 1975 Academy Awards.

  Director Francis Ford Coppola Release Date December 20, 1974 Cast Al Pacino , Robert De Niro , James Caan , Diane Keaton Runtime 202minutes

• The Godfather Part III rCrimeDrama

  The Godfather Part III is the third and final film in Francis Ford Coppola’s Godfather trilogy. The film again focuses on Michael Corleone, who is now in his 60s and looking for his replacement as the head of the family business. While still getting favorable reviews upon release, the film is often considered a significant drop in quality compared to its predecessors.

  Director Francis Ford Coppola Release Date December 25, 1990 Cast Al Pacino , Andy Garcia , Diane Keaton Runtime 142 minutes

Related 10 Actor Exits That Destroyed A Movie Franchise

Not every franchise depends on its actors coming back for every film, but in some cases, when great actors leave, it lessens the series overall.

9 Crispin Glover As George McFly

Did Not Return For Back To The Future Part II (1989)

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Crispin Glover’s feud with Back to the Future after starring in the first installment is infamous in movie history. The reasons for him turning down Back to the Future Part II *before* the rest happened are muddled. Co-writer Bob Gale has long said it was due to Glover not liking the script and demanding more money, which Glover denies (via Collider). Following this, Glover sued the producers of Back to the Future for using his likeness without his permission when they did their best to make Jeffrey Weissman look like his predecessor.

• Back to the Future PGAdventureComedyFamilySci-Fi Where to Watch
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  Marty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, the maverick scientist Doc Brown. In 1955, he meets his parents when they were his age, and must step in to make sure they wind up together before he gets back to 1985.

  Director Robert Zemeckis Release Date July 3, 1985 Cast Claudia Wells , Christopher Lloyd , James Tolkan , Thomas F. Wilson , Michael J. Fox , Wendie Jo Sperber , Crispin Glover , Marc McClure , Lea Thompson Runtime 116 minutes

• Back to the Future Part II PGAdventureSci-FiComedy Where to Watch
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  Taking up where the first movie left off, Back to the Future Part II sees Marty McFly and Doc Brown travel to the year 2015, where their efforts to fix the future end up causing even bigger problems as Biff Tannen wreaks havoc across the timeline with the help of a stolen sports almanac. Martin J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd return in Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale’s second installment of their iconic trilogy.

  Director Robert Zemeckis Release Date November 22, 1989 Cast Lea Thompson , Elisabeth Shue , Christopher Lloyd , Michael J. Fox , Thomas F. Wilson Runtime 108 minutes

8 Rachel Weisz As Evelyn Carnahan

Did Not Return For The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor (2008)

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There are multiple, contradicting reports on why Rachel Weisz did not return for The Mummy 3. Some outlets claimed at the time that she did not want to spend time away from her newborn son. However, it has also been reported that Weisz took issue with the script for The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor (via SlashFilm). Meanwhile, Digital Spy reported: “Director Rob Cohen has claimed that Rachel Weisz turned down a role in the third Mummy movie because her character was ‘too old’,” as Evelyn would have an adult son in the movie.

• The Mummy Returns (2001) PG-13AdventureThrillerActionFantasy Where to Watch
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  A sequel to The Mummy, The Mummy Returns stars Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz as Rick and Evelyn O’Connell. Now married, the O’Connells are once again drawn into a sinister plot surrounding the evil mummy Imhotep, now attempting to gain power over the army of Anubis by killing the legendary Scorpion King. John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo, and Oded Fehr also star, and the film marks Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s feature film debut as The Scorpion King. 

  Director Stephen Sommers Release Date May 4, 2001 Cast Arnold Vosloo , John Hannah , Brendan Fraser , Oded Fehr , Rachel Weisz Runtime 130 minutes

• The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008) PG-13ThrillerFantasyActionAdventureHorror

  Rounding out The Mummy trilogy, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor stars Brendan Fraser in his return as Rick O’Connell, with Maria Bello replacing Rachel Weisz as Rick’s wife, Evelyn. Set 13 years after the previous film, the story follows the O’Connells as they are tasked with taking a gem called the Eye of Shangri-La back safely back to China, before being caught up in a plot to resurrect an ancient Chinese mummy called the Dragon Emperor along with their now adult son, Alex. Jet Li, John Hannah, and Michelle Yeoh also star. 

  Director Rob Cohen Release Date August 1, 2008 Cast Brendan Fraser , John Hannah , Jet Li , Michelle Yeoh , Maria Bello Runtime 112 minutes

7 Jodie Foster As Clarice Starling

Did Not Return For Hannibal (2001)

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While Hannibal is based upon the official sequel book to The Silence of the Lambs, it did not manage to re-recruit the two main stars linked to the original landmark horror movie. Regarding why she did not star in Hannibal, Jodie Foster said (via gamesradar.com): “[…] I was doing another movie, Flora Plum […] So I get to say, in a nice, dignified way, that I wasn’t available when that movie was being shot.” Given how iconic Foster’s performance is, it’s mildly surprising they didn’t wait for her to make the movie. Anthony Hopkins returned, this time alongside Julianne Moore.

• The Silence of the Lambs RCrimeDramaThriller Where to Watch
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  The Silence of the Lambs follows FBI trainee Clarice Starling, portrayed by Jodie Foster, as she seeks the help of imprisoned Dr. Hannibal Lecter, played by Anthony Hopkins, to solve a series of gruesome murders. Directed by Jonathan Demme, this 1991 psychological thriller delves into the dark world of criminal profiling and the complex relationship between a young investigator and a brilliant, but dangerous, psychopath.

  Director jonathan demme Release Date February 14, 1991 Cast Jodie Foster , Anthony Hopkins , Scott Glenn , Ted Levine , Anthony Heald , Brooke Smith , Diane Baker , Kasi Lemmons Runtime 118 Minutes

• Hannibal (2001) RCrimeHorrorThriller Where to Watch
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  Hannibal is a thriller that sees Anthony Hopkins reprising his role as Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer. Directed by Ridley Scott and based on Thomas Harris’s novel, the film follows the intriguing dynamics between Lecter and FBI agent Clarice Starling, played by Julianne Moore, as she seeks to capture him while he remains at large.

  Director Ridley Scott Release Date February 9, 2001 Cast Anthony Hopkins , Julianne Moore , Ray Liotta , Frankie R. Faison , Giancarlo Giannini , Francesca Neri Runtime 132 Minutes

6 Alan Cumming As Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler

Did Not Return For X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

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Nightcrawler does not return in X-Men: The Last Stand because actor Alan Cumming hated the makeup process he went through to get into character (via SlashFilm). The Last Stand was also set to get a new director. X2: X-Men United is possibly the best-received movie of Fox’s first X-Men trilogy, featuring an amazing opening sequence of Nightcrawler infiltrating the White House. Nightcrawler later returned as one of the younger mutants at Charles Xavier’s school in X-Men: Apocalypse, played by Kodi Smit-McPhee. Given what a fan-favorite character Nightcrawler is, he deserved better than to be an inconsistent part of the franchise.

• X2: X-Men United PG-13ActionAdventure Sci-FiSuperhero Where to Watch
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  X2: X-Men United is the follow-up film to Fox’s 2000 X-Men starring Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, and Patrick Stewart. The film features the introduction of Colonel William Stryker (Brian Cox) as he kidnaps Charles Xavier, which leads the X-Men to team up with Magneto. Most of the cast from the original film returned for the sequel, along with the introduction of Alan Cumming’s Nightcrawler.

  Director Bryan Singer Release Date May 2, 2003 Cast Hugh Jackman , Ian McKellen , Patrick Stewart , Anna Paquin , Famke Janssen , Halle Berry , James Marsden , Brian Cox , Alan Cumming , Rebecca Romijn Runtime 134 Minutes

• X-Men: The Last Stand PG-13ActionAdventureSuperhero Where to Watch
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  X-Men: The Last Stand is the third and final installment in Bryan Singer’s original X-Men trilogy. It adapts Marvel’s famous “Dark Phoenix” storyline, with Famke Janssen’s Jean Grey embracing her supernatural power to unleash chaos on mutantkind. Fox’s 2006 superhero movie brings back franchise mainstays such as Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, Patrick Stewart’s Professor X, and Ian McKellen’s Magneto, and it introduces major mutant characters such as Kelsey Grammer’s Beast, Ben Foster’s Angel, and Vinnie Jones’ Juggernaut.

  Director Brett Ratner Release Date May 25, 2006 Cast Hugh Jackman , Patrick Stewart , Ian McKellen , Halle Berry , Famke Janssen , Anna Paquin , Kelsey Grammer , James Marsden , Rebecca Romijn , Shawn Ashmore , Aaron Stanford , Vinnie Jones Runtime 104 Minutes

5 Will Ferrell As Buddy The Elf

Did Not Return For Elf 2 (Never Made)

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Luckily, an ill-advised Elf sequel never disrupted the legacy of the original.

It is safe to say that the producers really wanted to capitalize on the Christmas classic they had made by following it up with Elf 2. However, the idea was dead without the lead star on board. Will Ferrell reportedly turned down $29 million to star in Elf 2 because he felt that he could not promote the movie “from an honest place” when he didn’t believe it was good (via Business Insider). Additionally, Ferrell’s co-star James Caan said that Ferrell and director Jon Favreau didn’t get along. Luckily, an ill-advised Elf sequel never disrupted the legacy of the original.

Elf PGFamilyComedyFantasy Where to Watch

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2003 Christmas comedy classic Elf follows Buddy (Will Ferrell), a human raised among Santa’s elves at the North Pole, when he sets off to New York to find his biological father (James Caan). After learning that children’s book publish Walter Hobbs is his father, Buddy works to immerse himself in human culture – including getting a job in a department store, where he meets and falls in love with fellow “elf” Jovie (Zooey Deschanel). However, when Santa’s sleigh crashes and Christmas is threatened, only Buddy can help save the holidays. 

Director Jon Favreau Release Date November 7, 2003 Cast Will Ferrell , Zooey Deschanel , James Caan , Mary Steenburgen , Edward Asner , Bob Newhart , Daniel Tay Runtime 97 minutes

Related 10 Planned Movie Sequels That Thankfully Never Happened

There have been some brilliant film sequels, but these scrapped ideas could’ve been major disasters, potentially ruining some beloved movies.

4 Julie Andrews As Mary Poppins

Did Not Return For Mary Poppins Returns (2018)

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Legendary actress Julie Andrews was offered the chance to cameo in the legacy sequel Mary Poppins Returns, for which Emily Blunt replaced her as the title character. Andrews turned this down for possibly the most Mary Poppins-reason possible. According to director Rob Marshall (via Variety), Andrews said: “This is Emily’s show and I want her to run with this. She should run with this. This is hers. I don’t want to be on top of that.” They never pitched a specific role to Andrews. However, it would have been fun to see her, Andrews, and Lin-Manuel Miranda on screen together.

• Mary Poppins GMusicalComedyFantasyFamily Where to Watch
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  Based on the classic book series by P.L. Travers, Mary Poppins stars Julie Andrews as the famous magical nanny, who arrives under mysterious means to look after the Banks children in early 1900s London. Considered one of Walt Disney’s crowning achievements, the film blends live-action and animation with whimsical storytelling and song and has been a staple children’s movie since its release in 1964.

  Director Robert Stevenson Release Date June 18, 1965 Cast Karen Dotrice , Glynis Johns , Dick Van Dyke , David Tomlinson , Julie Andrews , Matthew Garber Runtime 139 minutes

• Mary Poppins Returns PGFantasyMusicalFamily Where to Watch
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  The long-awaited sequel to 1964’s Mary Poppins, Mary Poppins Returns stars Emily Blunt as the titular character, who returns to help the Banks family during the Great Depression after the death of the now-adult Michael Banks’ wife. While the original Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews, did not appear in the film, a few of the original film’s actors such as Karen Dotrice and Dick Van Dyke made cameo appearances. Besides Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Wishaw, Emily Mortimer, Colin Firth, and Meryl Streep star as part of the ensemble cast. 

  Director Rob Marshall Release Date December 19, 2018 Cast Lin-Manuel Miranda , Emily Blunt , Angela Lansbury , Meryl Streep , Joel Dawson , Julie Walters , Nathanael Saleh , Colin Firth , Emily Mortimer , Ben Whishaw , Pixie Davies , Dick Van Dyke Runtime 130 Minutes

3 Marlon Brando As Don Vito Corleone

Did Not Return For The Godfather Part II (1974)

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Delivering another Oscar-winning performance as the same character, Robert De Niro took on the role of a young Vito Corleone, the character originated by Marlon Brando in The Godfather. However, Brando was supposed to return for a brief scene in the sequel, in a flashback closer to Michael’s present (via Far Out). Brando famously didn’t show up the day of the shoot, on bad terms with Paramount Pictures and Francis Ford Coppola, forcing the latter to quickly rewrite the scene without Vito’s physical presence. Brando was allegedly unhappy with his pay for the first movie and not being cast as young Vito himself.

The Godfather (1972) RDramaCrime Where to Watch

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Francis Ford Coppola directed this 1978 classic that would go on to become one of the most iconic crime films ever made. Starring Marlon Brando, James Caan, and Al Pacino, The Godfather gives a tense and introspective look into the Corleone crime family of New York City.

Director Francis Ford Coppola Release Date March 24, 1972 Cast Marlon Brando , Diane Keaton , James Caan , Al Pacino , Robert Duvall Runtime 175 minutes

2 Will Smith As Captain Steven Hiller

Did Not Return For Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)

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Independence Day: Resurgence star Vivica A. Fox bluntly attributed the sequel’s disappointing reception to one of the original star’s absence (via Variety): “We had most of the original cast, but I think the one true link that was missing to the success of ‘Independence Day 2’ was that Will Smith wasn’t there.” Smith reportedly did not return as Capt. Steven Hiller due to salary disputes with the producers, while Fox reprised her role as Steven’s wife, Jasmine Hiller. However, given how well the original movie works as a standalone, it might have seen criticism regardless.

• Independence Day PG-13Adventure Sci-FiAction Where to Watch
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  Roland Emmerich’s iconic 1996 sci-fi disaster movie Independence Day chronicles the attack of a hostile race of aliens against planet Earth. When extraterrestrial aircraft occupy Earth without warning, the forces of humanity quickly band together to stop them. At the behest of President Thomas J. Whitmore (Bill Pullman), US Marine pilot Captain Steven Hiller (Will Smith) and satellite engineer David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) organize humanity’s last-ditch counterattack against the technologically-advanced alien mothership. 

  Director Roland Emmerich Release Date July 3, 1996 Cast Will Smith , Bill Pullman , Jeff Goldblum , Mary McDonnell , Judd Hirsch , Robert Loggia , Randy Quaid , Margaret Colin , Vivica A. Fox , Harvey Fierstein Runtime 145 minutes

• Independence Day: Resurgence PG-13Adventure Sci-FiAction Where to Watch
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  Set 20 years after the original, this sequel to Independence Day sees the nations of Earth use the alien technology to develop an advanced defense system for the planet. But nothing can prepare them for an unprecedented force of alien attackers out for revenge. It’s up to a few brave men and women to save the world from extraterrestrials once more.

  Director Roland Emmerich Release Date June 24, 2016 Cast Bill Pullman , Sela Ward , Vivica A. Fox , Jessie Usher , Charlotte Gainsbourg , Liam Hemsworth , Maika Monroe , Judd Hirsch , Brent Spiner , William Fichtner , Jeff Goldblum , Joey King Runtime 120 minutes

1 Linda Hamilton As Sarah Connor

Did Not Return For Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines (2003)

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Linda Hamilton reportedly chose not to return for the third Terminator movie because “it didn’t take [her] character in any new directions […] The film is really about turning the baton over to Sarah’s son John” (via Empire). In other interviews, she revealed that when Sarah was a part of the script, she died with “no time to mourn her” midway through the movie (via MTV). Furthermore, Hamilton repeatedly stressed that she didn’t think it would be as good without James Cameron directing. She was definitely right about that and ended up appearing only in the three best Terminator movies.

• Terminator 2: Judgment Day RAction Sci-Fi Where to Watch
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  Directed by James Cameron, Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a direct sequel to the original Terminator and stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Robert Patrick, and Linda Hamilton. In this installment, John Connor is being hunted by an advanced Skynet prototype from the future. Thankfully, he receives help from a reprogrammed T-800 sent back in time by the resistance to protect him.

  Director James Cameron Release Date July 3, 1991 Cast Arnold Schwarzenegger , Linda Hamilton , Robert Patrick , Edward Furlong Runtime 137 Minutes

• Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) RActionSci-FiThriller Where to Watch
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  Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines is the third installment in the Terminator series, directed by Jonathan Mostow. Released in 2003, the film follows John Connor, played by Nick Stahl, as he faces the threat of a new, more advanced Terminator model, the T-X, portrayed by Kristanna Loken. Arnold Schwarzenegger reprises his role as the T-800, sent back to protect John and ensure the survival of humanity against rising machine threat.

  Director Jonathan Mostow Release Date July 2, 2003 Cast Arnold Schwarzenegger , Nick Stahl , Claire Danes , Kristanna Loken , David Andrews , Mark Famiglietti Runtime 109 minutes

Source: Business Insider, THR, PEOPLE, Bloody Disgusting, Far Out, Collider, SlashFilm, Digital Spy, gamesradar.com, Variety, Empire, MTV