The Surprising Reasons Why 13 Marvel Actors Were Replaced

When we think of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the first thing that comes to mind is the iconic cast of so many characters. It’s hard to imagine anyone else playing the roles. When we think of  Tony Stark we think of Robert Downey Jr.. When we think of Nick Fury then we think of Samuel L. Jackson. It’s hard to imagine other actors following in their footsteps. But other characters transformed in the MCU right before our eyes. Some cast changes are almost invisible but others are dramatic.

Back to the Future filmed scenes with Eric Stoltz for five weeks before finding him lame for the role. Michael J. Fox stepped in and it’s hard to imagine another actor in as Marty McFly.

It happens all the time, but when your movies are in the top 10 grossing movies of all time, it’s just a little more noticeable.

Last weekend news broke that Jonathan Majors was arrested and charged over the weekend after an alleged domestic dispute in New York. Majors plays the villain Kang in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and has already appeared in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantomania and Loki. He’s scheduled to appear in the upcoming Avengers: Kang Dynasty.

Many people asked if he could be replaced if the allegations are true. Would Marvel Studios do it? Would it change the MCU? it’s easy to forget that Marvel has replaced actors before. The list below

1. Hugo Weaving (Red Skull)

In Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) Hugo Weaving plays the sinister German HYDRA leader Johann Shmidt aka Red Skull. His performance was praised and many felt he added a gravitas to the role. However, behind the scenes, Hugo Weaving was not happy.

At the time he was enthusiastic about the role but he soured on it. Weaving said he didn’t want to do it again. In 2012 he told Collider he didn’t want to reprise the role. He’d only return if they dragged him in kicking and screaming.

But by the time Avengers: Infinity War came around he was ready to return. It looked like Red Skull had died in Captain America. But instead, he went to an intergalactic astral plane for 70 years.

Unfortunately when it came time for Schmidt to return to the Marvel movies Disney offered him much less money than they promised him. “By then, they’d pushed back on the contracts that we agreed on and so the money they offered me for ‘The Avengers’ was much less than I got for the very first one, and this was for two films,” he told Time Out. “And the promise when we first signed the contracts was that the money would grow each time. They said: ‘It’s just a voice job, it’s not a big deal.’ I actually found negotiating with them through my agent impossible. And I didn’t really wanna do it that much. But I would have done it.”

So the role went to Ross Marquand. The actor told Entertainment Weekly he “paid homage” to Weaving’s performance but didn’t try to imitate it.

2. Edward Norton (Bruce Banner \ Hulk)

Bruce Banner is the mild-mannered alter ego of the Hulk. The superhero was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby back in 1962. When the scientist gets angry he transforms into the mean, green super strong hero. When Marvel made The Incredible Hulk it was a soft reboot of Ang Lee’s Hulk which came out a few years before. Fight Club actor Edward Norton was a huge fan of the comic book character but was reluctant to take on the role. He agreed on the condition that he could rewrite the script to give Banner more depth. 

After the movie was shot the studio watched a rough cut and wasn’t happy. They decided to recut the movie to focus more on the action. So they cut out most of his changes.

Well, when Norton saw the final version he was furious. He publicly stated it wasn’t a big deal. But when the movie came out he “coincidentally” went to Africa to do charity work. So he couldn’t promote the film or answer any questions. 

Norton was diplomatic about the split and didn’t publicly bad-mouth the studio. That is until it came time to cast Banner for the first Avengers movie in 2012. Norton said he’d be interested in returning to the role but the studio dropped him and cast Mark Ruffalo instead. Marvel CEO Kevin Feige said they wanted an actor who “embodies the creativity and collaborative spirit of our other talented cast members”. That is a serious burn on Edward. “I found it a cheap and unnecessary representation that it was about things other than money,” Norton told The Independent. “They came to me avidly to talk about it and then, at the end of the day, it was just flat out a business decision.” Things worked out well for Ruffalo who’s played the character in several movies including last year’s Thor: Ragnarok. Norton was nominated for an Academy Award for the superhero parody movie Birdman (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) in 2014. So it didn’t hurt him either.

3. Terrence Howard (James “Rhodey” Rhodes / War Machine)

Terrence Howard played Tony Stark’s friend Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes, in Iron Man (2008). Originally Rhodes was a supporting character in the Iron Man comics. Later he took on the mantle of Iron Man after Tony Stark relapsed into alcoholism in issue #170 (1983). The character continued in supporting roles and later reprised his role as Iron Man after Stark’s supposed death in issue #284 (1992). After Stark’s return as Iron Man, Rhodes continued to act as the superhero War Machine with his own bigger and bulkier armor which features more external weapons. 

The movie is a blockbuster hit and grossed more than $300 million. Howard’s role as the military straight man to Downey’s party man was well received. The movie set him up to play the superhero War Machine (“Next time baby”). Everything was set for Howard to become the superhero bromance star of Marvel Studios. But there was a problem.

Howard was the first actor signed to the movie and also the highest-paid. He got more than Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, and even the star Robert Downey Jr. 

When the script for Iron Man 2 came in Rhodes’ role was much smaller. So the studio tried to renegotiate his contract. Howard says he was paid 4.5 million for Iron Man and promised 8 million for Iron Man 2. Some reports suggest his salary for the sequel was cut between 50 and 80 percent. He and his agents pushed back so he was dropped. 

They recast the role with actor Don Cheadle for less money. In a 2015 Rolling Stone profile Howard felt that he was cheated out of hundreds of millions of dollars. “[Downey] got the whole franchise, so I’ve actually given him $100 million, which ends up being a $100 million loss for me from me trying to look after somebody, but, you know, to this day I would do the same thing. It’s just my nature.”

Since then, Cheadle has grown into the role and is set to star in the upcoming movie Armor Wars.

4. Josh Dallas (Fandral)

In the first Thor movie, Josh Dallas plays the swashbuckling Asgardian Fandral. He’s a member of the trio known as the Warriors Three, composed of Volstagg the Valiant, Fandral the Dashing, and Hogun the Grim. Fandral first appeared in the 1965 comic Journey into Mystery #119 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Lee based Fandral on the roles of actor Errol Flynn.

When it came time for the sequel Thor: The Dark World scheduling conflicts forced Dallas to give up the role. He was starring in the popular fantasy series Once Upon A Time. The show started filming its second season around the same time they started filming The Dark World. So Marvel cast Zachary Levi for the role of Fandral. At the time Levi was starring in the hit NBC comedy, Chuck. Dallas left the MCU on good terms and Levi went on to reprise the role one more time in Thor: Ragnarok.

5. Damion Poitier (Thanos)

The mastermind behind many of the events in the early Marvel films is revealed to be Thanos the Mad Titan. Thanos was created by writer and artist Jim Starlin. He first appeared in an Iron Man comic in 1973. Thanos, the Warlord of the moon Titan, is considered one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe.

While there were hints of Thanos’ role he first appeared on screen during the mid-credits scene in Marvel’s The Avengers (2012). His purple face is CGI but the acting is done by Damion Poitier. When Thanos appears again in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) he’s played by actor James Brolin. But why?

Turns out there’s nothing nefarious. When Joss Whedon wanted someone to play Thanos he reached out to his old friend Poiter. But when Marvel decided to give Thanos a key role they looked for a bigger-name actor to play him. Meanwhile, Damion Poitier returned to the MCU as a stunt person and played a mercenary in Captain America: Civil War. It’s all perfectly balanced.

6. Abby Ryder Fortson / Emma Fuhrmann  (Cassie Lang / Stature)

Cassandra “Cassie” Lang is the daughter of Ant-Man Scott Lang. She was created by David Michelinie and John Byrne in 1979. She later took on the mantle of the superhero in Young Avengers #6 (2006) and assumed the identity of Stinger in The Astonishing Ant-Man #6 (2016).

At four years old Abby Ryder Fortson plays Cassie in the first Ant-Man movie. She’s adorable and has some of the best lines. But there’s a five-year time jump between Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. So Marvel Studios needed to age Cassie up for the role. They cast Emma Fuhrmann in the role of a teenage Cassie. She only has a minor role in Endgame.

But, Cassie was given a major role in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. So, for unknown reasons, they cast 26-year-old Big Little Lies star Kathryn Newton as Cassie and the superhero named Stature.

But Newton tried to bring qualities of Fortson’s performance into the role. “Abby was so cute and joyful and just magical in both movies,” she told The Hollywood Reporter. “So we thought about her a lot, especially in creating what she looks like now. We wanted her to stay brunette, so I had a seamless transition, and I was so excited to introduce this new phase of Cassie. She still has that same spark of energy, that joy, that love and a big, big heart.”

Meanwhile, Emma Fuhrmann, the actress who plays the role in 2019′s Avengers: Endgame gave her support of the recasting.

“Thank you for all your support,” she said on Twitter. “It has meant the world to me. I was as sad as you all were to hear the news Thursday. I can only hope that this means there is something else for me in the future of the MCU.”

7. Fred the Dog (Cosmo the Spacedog)

In Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)  Cosmo the Spacedog appears as an item in the Collector’s museum on the space station named “Knowhere”. Cosmo is a telepathic Soviet space dog that first appeared in 2008. In the comics, Cosmo is the security chief of the space station  and a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy. The character was created by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning in an imitation of the Soviet dog Laika who was the first to orbit the Earth. 

In the movie, Cosmo is played by a Labrador Retriever mix named Fred. Gunn is a fan of the character and also included him in a picture during the end credits of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. When it came time for Cosmo to return for The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special Fred was replaced by a dog named Slate. Sort of. 

It turns out the dog in the holiday special is completely computer generated. But they did use Slate as a reference for lighting and behavior. Marvel has yet to explain what happened to Fred. But we’re sure he’s a good boy.

8. Akira Akbar (Monica Rambeau)

In Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers’ high-flying best friend is Maria Rambeau. Akira Akbar plays her young daughter in 1995. The character of Monica Rambeau first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16 (1982). She was created by Roger Stern and John Romita Jr. Monica gained superpowers after being bombarded with extradimensional energy generated by an energy disruptor weapon. In the comics, Rambeau was also known as Captain Marvel, Photon, Pulsar, and Spectrum.

Rambeau returns to the MCU in the Disney+ limited series WandaVision. The show is set decades after Captain Marvel so Akbar just wasn’t old enough to play the role. Rameau is played by 30-year-old Mad Men actress Teyonah Parris. 

Parris will return in the Captain Marvel movie sequel later this year, titled The Marvels. Meanwhile, Akira Akbar has gotten critical acclaim for her role as new-age Ashley Banks on the drama reboot of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air titled Bel-Air.

8. Yevgeni Lazarev (Anton Vanko)

Iron Man 2 starts with a heart-wrenching scene. Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) tends to his sick father, Anton Vanko (Yevgeni Lazarev). In the comics, Anton is a soviet scientist who creates a superpowered armored suit and calls himself Crimson Dynamo. He first appears in a 1960s comic and was created by Stan Lee and Don Heck.

As the elderly man dies he tearfully wishes that he could have given his son more. Anton Vanko was a Soviet scientist working with the tech genius Howard Stark at Stark Industries. The two created the first Arc Reactor. But Vanko sold the designs onto the black market and Stark had him deported. Vanko sank into despair and drank himself to death. his son blamed Stark and vowed revenge on the Stark family.

That seems like the end of the story. But Anton Vanko returned. In the prequel television series, Agent Carter he returned. A younger Vanko is played by Costa Ronin.

9. William Hurt (Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross)

General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross is a senior military official first introduced in Marvel Comics in 1962. He’s a primary antagonist of the Hulk. Ross eventually leads a team of anti-heroes known as the “Thunderbolts.” When Ross first appeared in The Incredible Hulk he was played by veteran actor William Hurt. Ross played a key role in Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and Black Widow (2021). 

Sadly on March 13, 2022, the veteran actor passed away at age 71. But Marvel Studios decided not to kill off the character for future movies. They cast 80-year-old Indiana Jones actor Harrison Ford as General Ross. His first appearance will be in the upcoming movie Captain America: New World Order.

10. Gerard Sanders as Howard Stark

The first Iron Man starts with an award ceremony for Tony Stark. During the presentation, the montage discusses the history of Stark Industries. Gerard Sanders, an actor who’s played in a few episodes of television shows like Nip\Tuck plays Tony Stark’s father Howard. The role is small because the movie is about Tony. But For the sequel, Howard plays a key role in the history of the villain Whiplash. Instead of still photos Jon Favreue needed an actor to play in the vintage footage. So he cast Mad Men actor John Slattery for the role of the Disney-Like patriarch. Slattery perfectly captures the look of a mid-20th-century man of authority.

While Dominic Cooper played Tony Stark as an even younger Hugh Hefner-like character. Slattery returned to play the elder statesman in several other movies including Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Endgame.

11. Deborah Ann Woll (Karen Page)

The Netflix superhero show is known for it’s gritty and dark feel. But there are touching moments too. True Blood actress Deborah Ann Woll plays Matt Murdoch’s office manager Karen Page. She gives an emotional depth that was critical to the story arc of Daredevil and the Punisher.

The character first appears in the first issue of Daredevil and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett in 1964.

When Kevin Feige announced the Disney+ reboot of the Netflix show fans were hoping all the actors would be back. While Charlie Cox and Jon Bernthal are returning as Daredevil and Punisher it looks like some of the other actors are not.

12. Ayelet Zurer (Vanessa Fisk)

In the first season of the Netflix series Daredevil, the evil crime boss Wilson Fisk aka Kingpin fell in love. An art director named Vanessa captured his heart. She discovered his criminal enterprise but stood by her man. Israeli actress Ayelet Zurer plays her with compassion and grace through three seasons. Although prison separated the couple they stayed strong. But it looks like something else is finally going to come between them.

When Marvel decided to do a soft reboot of the superhero show they parted ways with Zurer. In the upcoming 18-episode limited series Daredevil: Born Again Vincent D’Onofrio is returning as Fisk. But House of Cards actress Sandrine Holt is taking over as Kingpin’s beloved Vanessa. Marvel hasn’t given a reason why she’s been recast. But the actress confirmed she’s not returning on her personal Instagram account. She said, “Sad to not take part. But will always be [Vincent D’Onofrio’s] biggest fan.”

13. Elden Henson (Foggy Nelson)

Franklin “Foggy” Nelson is played by Elden Henson in the Netflix Daredevil series.

Foggy is Matt’s best friend and legal partner for much of the comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Bill Everett back in 1964. Fans held hope that the messy haired friend would be by Murdoch’s side in the new Daredevil series. But The Hollywood Reporter confirmed Henson is not on the call sheet for the show.

Fans are heartbroken and There’s no word on if Nelson will return and who the actor will be.

14. Miley Cyrus (Mainframe)

Back in 2016 Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus became a Key Advisor in Season 10 of the reality singing competition The Voice. James Gunn watched her and thought her voice was interesting.

“I was admiring the tone of Miley Cyrus’s voice,” Gunn told BuzzFeed News during a press conference. “I find her funny and likable and sweet. I liked that she cared about the contestants. So I was like, I think she would be a funny person to have as a voice [in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2]. So we contacted her, and she said yes. She came in and recorded, and she was a delight to work with.”

It probably didn’t hurt that she was married to Liam Hemsworth, the brother of Thor actor Chris Hemsworth at the time. She plays the voice of Mainframe in a short post-credits scene.

In the comics a character named Mainframe was created by Jim Valentino and first appears in Guardians of the Galaxy #5 (1990). The computer is an alternate reality version of Vision. Mainframe is the chief operating system of an entire planet and the guardian of Captain America’s shield before joining the Galactic Guardians.

In the sequel Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) the character of Mainframe returns but is voiced by a new actress. Miley Cyrus wasn’t able to return for the second movie in the trilogy. The studio hasn’t said why but It’s probably not a coincidence that she and Liam divorced after appearing in the MCU. Would she want to take a role that reminds her of her ex-husband? Who can say?

Anyway Tara Strong provided the voice of Miss Minutes in season one of Loki and took over the role.  

These are all the actors that were replaced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Will more be replaced? We don’t know. But the future of the franchise is strong and whoever is cast will make the most of the opportunity.

Who’s your favorite actor in the Marvel universe? Who are you sad got replaced? Who do you think they should recast?