Actor Replacements That Ruined The Movie

Movies come in all shapes and sizes and sometimes, we’re lucky enough to get a sequel or two. The problem? There are plenty of times when schedules don’t line up, films don’t do as well as they thought at the box office, or characters don’t go down as well with the fans.

While some changes can be welcomed and really add a new zest of life to a production, there are plenty of actor replacements that ruined the movie. For some, the franchises now end when their favorite stars walk away from the films and not when the sequels end.

Robin Williams as the Genie in Aladdin was iconic, and Dan Castellaneta could never keep up

The 1990s really turned things around for Disney in terms of their animation, and a lot of that was thanks to 1992’s ‘Aladdin.’ After winning an Oscar, it was clear that Robin Williams as the Genie was one of the main reasons that the movie was such a hit. However, when the sequel came out, things were very different.

Robin announced he wouldn’t be a part of 1994’s ‘The Return of Jafar,’ and Genie was instead voiced by Dan Castellaneta. Even though he was a massive star, largely thanks to the animated show ‘The Simpsons,’ Dan just couldn’t give fans what Robin did. It didn’t help that the film was initially made-for-TV before it was bumped up.

Linda Hamilton gave Sarah Connor in Terminator everything, but Emilia Clarke left people wanting more

Finding someone to replace Linda Hamilton in the action sci-fi ‘Terminator’ franchise was never going to be an easy task. After all, Linda’s performance was layered and compelling, but that didn’t stop them from trying. The first came with Lena Headey in a short-lived TV show titled ‘Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles,’ which was canceled after just two seasons.

The second came in 2015 when Emilia Clarke was tasked with bringing Sarah Connor back to the big screen in ‘Terminator Genisys,’ but things didn’t go down well. As well as being criticized for using time travel to essentially rewrite the beginning of the story and having a hugely muddled timeline, people found Emilia “uninteresting” as a replacement.

Michael Keaton refused to return as Batman, meaning Val Kilmer was left with a new director and muddled script

Playing Batman isn't as easy as many think, and doing it wrong could be enough to end someone's career. When Michael Keaton appeared in 1989's 'Batman' and the sequel 'Batman Returns,' he added something incredible to the superhero franchise. Sadly, Michael was adamant he wouldn't do a third movie, placing all the blame on the writers and the displeasing script.

In stepped Val Kilmer. New director to the franchise Joel Schumacher shouldered a lot of the backlash when 1995's 'Batman Forever' hit screens, but Val still wasn't safe. People described his take on the hero as "god-awful" and "utterly lethargic," stating they had given up Michael's "excellent Batman" for someone who was “not quite up to the job.”

Val Kilmer’s turn as Batman somehow wasn’t as bad as George Clooney taking over the role

We know that playing Batman can make or break someone’s career, but what about when going from Michael Keaton to Val Kilmer is somehow not the worst actor replacement in a movie? Hearing that George Clooney is involved in a film usually means we’re in for a good time. That was until 1997’s ‘Batman and Robin’ came along.

Val decided ‘Batman Forever’ was enough and in stepped Clooney. As well as being labeled smug and one-dimensional, Clooney eventually admitted to Vanity Fair that he’s “terrible in it” and “it didn’t work.” In fact, things were so bad that the actor later appeared in 2023’s ‘The Flash’ in a Bruce Wayne cameo poking fun at the ridiculous film.

Richard Harris was the perfect Dumbledore in Harry Potter before Michael Gambon took over

Bringing a ‘Harry Potter’ character to life is always going to go one of two ways, but amazingly, Richard Harris did nothing but win over fans as Dumbledore in the first two movies of the franchise. Sadly, the team had little choice but to replace Richard in ‘The Prisoner of Azkaban’ as the actor lost his battle with Hodgkin’s disease.

The fantasy franchise ultimately landed on Michael Gambon, who was already a seasoned actor. The problem? It’s tough to improve perfection. Fans weren’t impressed with Michael’s aggressive take on Dumbledore, resulting in the third movie being the lowest-grossing of them all. It doesn’t help that Michael didn’t read the books before the role, resulting in that ‘Goblet of Fire’ outburst.

Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs was always going to set the bar high for Julianne Moore

When Ridley Scott announced he was directing a sequel to crime horror ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ called ‘Hannibal,’ he did it without a Clarice Starling in mind. Anthony Hopkins managed to negotiate a whopping $11 million to bring Hannibal Lecter back to life, but Jodie Foster was already working on another movie and wouldn’t be returning to the franchise.

Several big names were thrown around for the part of Clarice, including Angelina Jolie and Cate Blanchett, but in the end, Julianne Moore stepped up to the plate. While Hopkins and Scott were impressed, fans weren’t. Her role was unavoidably compared to Jodie’s take on the character, with many criticizing her accent, mannerisms, and her chemistry with Dr. Lecter.

Jason Statham spent years training to be Frank Martin in Transporter, while Ed Skrein didn’t

Film critic Mark Kermode wasn’t alone when he asked: “What exactly is the point of a ‘Transporter’ movie without Jason Statham?” For three movies, the actor was the one to bring Frank Martin to life in the crime action franchise, but things changed when ‘The Transporter Refueled’ hit the big screen in 2015, and Ed Skrein became the new star.

For years, Statham had been training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and kickboxing for the part, and it wasn’t long before Ed’s lack of experience showed. Although he did take various classes for his upcoming movies, Ed admitted that he was far behind his peers, meaning storylines were limited, and the film was a critical and commercial flop.

Hugo Weaving gave The Matrix something special with Agent Smith, and Jonathan Groff could never keep up

It’s hard to find someone as iconic as Hugo Weaving bringing Agent Smith to life in the action sci-fi franchise ‘The Matrix.’ While the sequels might not have done as well as the original, the on-screen relationship between Agent Smith and Neo (played by Keanu Reeves) was unmatched, and Hugo’s character always shone through above the rest.

Sadly for the franchise, scheduling conflicts meant Hugo couldn’t return for the fourth movie, ‘The Matrix Resurrections,’ in 2021. Rather than scrap the character of Agent Smith, they decided to recast him in the form of Jonathan Groff. The problem? The relationship wasn’t there, and it was always going to be impossible for Jonathan to live up to Hugo’s performance.

Tom Cruise left a huge hole to fill for Stuart Townsend when playing Lestat de Lioncourt in Interview with the Vampire

Long before it hit the small screen, Tom Cruise was the one to bring vampire Lestat de Lioncourt to life in the 1994 gothic horror movie 'Interview with the Vampire.' Of course, Tom is one of the most prominent actors in the game, and his masterful skills were just what they needed to highlight Kirsten Dunst's and Brad Pitt's performances.

Have you wondered why the sequel, 2002's 'Queen of the Damned,' is nowhere near as famous? That's largely thanks to Tom, among the others, being missing. Instead, Stuart Townsend stepped in, but the film was a complete box office failure. While Stuart resembled the novel character more, he just didn't have what Cruise originally brought to the part.

Rachel Weisz was worried about Evelyn O’Connell back to life, and Maria Bello didn’t make things better

People might not have seen it coming, but the action-adventure film ‘The Mummy’ was an unexpected hit for Universal in 1999, bringing home $415 million at the global box office and earning a top-ten spot for the year. As well as cementing Brendan Fraser’s career, it introduced the world to Rachel Weisz as she perfectly brought Evelyn O’Connell to life.

Even the second movie made an incredible amount of money, but when a third film was announced, Rachel was concerned about the direction the franchise was going. She quietly distanced herself from the production, with Maria Bello taking over as Evelyn. Sadly, the results speak for themselves, with ‘Tomb of the Dragon Emperor’ earning just 12% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Rooney Mara was the perfect Lisbeth Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, something Claire Foy couldn’t recreate

When the mystery thriller movie ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ hit the big screen in 2011, it wasn’t long before fans across the world praised everything about the final result. The fact Rooney Mara was so perfectly cast as Lisbeth Salander only made things better, with the actress’ skills perfectly complimented by co-star Daniel Craig.

However, when the 2018 sequel ‘The Girl in the Spider’s Web’ was released, they decided to recast both stars, with Claire Foy becoming Lisbeth. Rooney told Yahoo! that she was “hopeful to come back,” but it wasn’t meant to be. As a result, the sequel and Claire’s lack of cold eccentricities were largely panned, with many thinking she looked uncomfortable.

Matthew Lillard is so iconic as Shaggy in Scooby-Doo that Will Forte was always destined to fail

If ever there was a perfect casting, it was Matthew Lillard as Shaggy Rogers in the fantasy comedy ‘Scooby-Doo’ franchise. In fact, his appearance in the early 2000s movies was enough to see Matthew take over as the voice of the star in several animated shows and films, which is why so many were upset when he was scrapped.

It seems everything needs a multiverse nowadays, and it didn’t help the upset when the animated ‘Scoob!’ reboot hit the screen in 2020. Matthew and most others were out, with Will Forte failing to bring the famous voice of Shaggy to life. In fact, the failure of the project saw Matthew brought back for all future ‘Scooby-Doo’ projects for now.

Laurence Fishburne left a big hole for Yahya Abdul-Mateen II to fill as Morpheus in The Matrix

The action sci-fi franchise ‘The Matrix’ is so iconic that it can be hard to accept there’s a way to improve on perfection. One of the leading stars of it all is none other than Laurence Fishburne, who brought Morpheus to life in all three installments of the original trilogy. So, how was he back for ‘The Matrix Resurrections’?

Apparently, by simply recasting Morpheus as Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. Of course, the story means this version of Morpheus had room to be different, but Yahya’s attempt to try and recreate Laurence’s magic doesn’t go down well. Amazingly it’s reported that Laurence wasn’t even asked to return as his famous character, making the recast even more confusing to fans.

Replacing Kimberly J. Brown as Marnie Piper in Halloweentown with Sara Paxton did nothing but ruin the franchise

There was something so magical about Disney Channel Original Movies, with the fantasy ‘Halloweentown’ really paving the way for so many to come. It was one of the most beloved of them all and even spawned two sequels after first hitting our screens in 1998. Of course, Marnie Piper was always brought to life by Kimberly J. Brown.

That was until she wasn’t. When the darker fourth installment, ‘Return to Halloweentown,’ came in 2006, Sara Paxton was now the lead. As well as sticking out against much of the returning cast, there are differing stories about what happened. While Kimberly claims she wanted to return, producer Sheri Singer claims they could never make a deal with the actress.

Harry Hamlin and Sam Worthington certainly offered very different takes on Perseus in Clash of the Titans

The sci-fi ‘Star Wars’ franchise really did incredible things for the movie industry, which might partly be why the action fantasy ‘Clash of the Titans’ tried to recreate the magic in 1981. This time, it was all about giving Greek mythology a makeover with a dramatic, epic film, all with Harry Hamlin bringing Zeus’ son, Perseus, to life.

Harry has remained active in Hollywood, but the same can’t be said for his replacement, Sam Worthington. He was a huge name at the time thanks to appearing in the sci-fi movie 'Avatar,' but bringing Perseus to life in 2010 and 2012’s Titans didn’t have the same magic. In fact, the negative reviews soon poured in.

Peter Weller was through with playing RoboCop when little-known Robert John Burke joined the franchise

It didn’t take long for the sci-fi ‘RoboCop’ movie to well and truly earn its place in cyberpunk history when it hit our screens. That was largely thanks to how Peter Well brought the cyborg to life, especially when he returned for the sequel. However, the actor announced he was done with the character when the third film came along.

Instead of finding another huge name, they settled on the little-known John Burke to bring RoboCop back to life. The actor had extensive karate training and fit the suit, but for many, John definitely didn’t have the talents to pull off the role. All of this led to 1993’s ‘RoboCop 3’ bombing at the global box office and with fans.

Anthony Perkins was the perfect Norman Bates in Psycho before Vince Vaughn came along

There are some movies that truly never need a remake, as the originals are so perfect. The slasher ‘Psycho’ is one on the list. That didn’t stop them from trying, but things went from bad to worse when director Gus Van Sant decided to make a shot-for-shot remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic original - all without Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates.

The 1960 original was truly iconic, all thanks to the way Anthony brought the lead to life, so casting Vince Vaughn as Norman Bates in the 1998 remake was undoubtedly a choice. Vince has long been known for his comedy work, not playing unsettling characters. While the character is still strange, he’s certainly not as layered as Anthony’s initial take.

Claire Danes gave Kate Brewster a fitting end in Terminator 3, while Bryce Dallas Howard didn’t have much to work with

After director James Cameron did so well with the first two action sci-fi ‘Terminator’ movies, the third installment was always going to be tough to get the same reaction. However, one of the strongest parts of the storyline is Kate Brewster (played by Claire Danes) and her budding romance with John Connor (played by Nick Stahl).

When the film ends with them trapped underground, many wondered what could come next. Half a decade later, ‘Terminator Salvation’ gave us the answer. However, this time, it was with Bryce Dallas Howard playing Kate Connor. As well as providing a one-note performance, there’s barely any time to get into Kate as a character further or move her story forward.

Brendan Fraser seemingly had to be replaced by Christopher Showermanas George of the Jungle due to budget cuts

Sometimes, there are reasons given in movies as to why the main character suddenly looks differently. Sadly, there was one very good reason that Brendan Fraser was replaced by Christopher Showerman as George of the Jungle: Disney couldn’t afford the star. Well, that’s what the opening of the comedy adventure ‘George of the Jungle 2’ tells us, anyway.

Brendan rocked the role in 1997, but he wasn’t the only one to get cut in the sequel. As if losing the star after he got his big Hollywood break wasn’t enough, the bad CGI and even more questionable plot in the second movie really gives away the fact that ‘George of the Jungle 2’ had a direct-to-video budget.

Corey Feldman stepped away from Friday the 13th only for John Shepherd to offer a dull take on Tommy Jarvis

While you’d be forgiven for thinking the 1984 slasher ‘Friday the 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter’ was the final movie in the franchise, that’s far from the case. In fact, there have been eight more versions of Jason Voorhees. While there are arguably worse ‘Friday the 13th’s in the world, things took a turn in ‘Part V.’

Corey Feldman wowed the franchise as Tommy Jarvis and actually appeared in ‘Part V,’ but only in the prologue as a flashback. While Corey was building a successful movie career, John Shepherd stepped up as the painfully dull Tommy. Some people blamed John, and others criticized the script. Whatever the case, the movie simply wasn't the same.

Tom Hanks made a splash as Allen Bauer, unlike Todd Waring as the lead in the sequel

Although many consider the fantasy comedy ‘Big’ to be Tom Hanks’ breakout role, that moment actually came four years earlier in 1984’s fantasy rom-com ‘Splash.’ It’s a cheesy movie about Allen Bauer returning to where he almost drowned to see if he imagined the woman in the water, only to fall for a mermaid and live his life underwater.

‘Splash’ is a beloved film, but the same can’t be said for the made-for-TC ‘Splash, Too.’ Even though the government wanted to lock the mermaid up, they decide to move back to dry land. Another issue? Todd Waring takes over as Allen but somehow lacks every comedic timing and the charm that Tom brought to the original role.

Macaulay Culkin was so iconic as Kevin McCallister in Home Alone that Mike Weinberg’s role felt entirely out of place

Did you know there are six ‘Home Alone’ movies? Probably not, because the first two of the Christmas films are the ones that people really love. Macaulay Culkin bringing Kevin McCallister to life introduced the legendary actor to the world, with the movies coming out time and time again during every holiday season. Sadly, that didn’t last.

While most of the ‘Home Alone’ movies feature a new protagonist, ‘Home Alone 4’ wanted to bring back the original lead - without Macaulay. Kevin is now portrayed by Mike Weinberg, who is nowhere near as loveable as Macalay’s version. Also, not having any resemblance to the original character - or having the same family - makes it feel completely out of place.

James Marsden gave Cyclops plenty of character in X-Men, a joy Tye Sheridan didn’t get to share

It’s perhaps no secret superhero movies have really taken over in recent years, with the original ‘X-Men’ franchise introducing Scott Summers - Cyclops - to many. James Marsden was the one behind the character, but ‘X-Men: The Last Stand’ ended up being his final dance with the franchise as the actor left with director Bryan Singer to work on ‘Superman Returns.’

The timeline of things can get a little confusing, but all you need to know is Cyclops was ultimately handed to Tye Sheridan when the story jumped back in time during 2016’s release. Of course, he’s no longer the lead character, but not having the same features that made Cyclops so popular makes this version hard to love.

Keanu Reeves’ Jack Travern left Speed with him, but Jason Patric‘s Alex Shaw wasn’t the same

Although no one technically took over Keanu Reeves’ time as Officer Jack Travern in the action thriller ‘Speed,’ Jason Patric did become the new lead when ‘Speed 2: Cruise Control’ hit the big screen. Apparently, Keanu wanted to focus on other action projects - a move that more than paid off for the actor - meaning he couldn’t return to the franchise.

That’s where Jason, playing Officer Alex Shaw, came in. Sadly, the sequel did nothing but crash and burn, with many critics calling Jason’s acting the biggest issue. Even co-star Sandra Bullock admitted she wished they could forget the sequel entirely, while Keanu has admitted he would be open to returning to ‘Speed’ in the future.

Ryan Reynolds refused to return as Van Wilder, leading to Jonathan Bennett taking over

Sure, the 2002 comedy ‘National Lampoon’s Van Wilder’ isn’t going down as a classic anytime soon, but there are people who will always fondly remember this film. Offering a way to sit back and not have to think, Ryan Reynolds was the one to bring Van Wilder to life in the original, and he seemed to be the perfect casting.

When the Kal Penn-led follow on bombed, the producers wanted a younger adaptation of Van to star in the third film. However, Reynolds turned it down. Instead, Jonathan Bennett was brought in for ‘Van Wilder: Freshman Year,’ a movie DVD talk called “a terrible mistake.” According to the review, Jonathan was merely “trapped doing an abysmal impression” of Reynolds. Ouch.

Crispin Glover might have still inspired Jeffrey Weissman’s version of George McFly in Back to the Future

If you ignore the fact their version of the future might be a little off, the entirety of sci-fi comedy ‘Back to the Future’ franchise is cast to perfection. It’s a timeless classic that sees a host of big names come together, including Crispin Glover, who plays Marty McFly’s father, George McFly, in what might be his most iconic role.

While the character goes through quite the transformation, did you know ‘Back to the Future Part II’ sees Jeffrey Weissman play George? The prosthetics hide the change for the most part, with it being reported that pay disputes were what caused Crispin to walk away. Either way, they supposedly blended Crispin’s initial performance with Jeffrey in the sequel.

Michael Biehn brought incredible charisma to Kyle Reese in Terminator that Jai Courtney couldn’t recreate

One of the things the action sci-fi ‘Terminator Genisys’ did so well was recreate the original James Cameron opening from the first film. Arguably, some of the changes to the cast also matched their predecessors. Jai Courtney as Kyle Reese? Unfortunately, he in no way resembled Michael Biehn, who originally played the character so many know and love.

It wasn’t just the appearance that many people could move past. The lack of charisma that Jai brought to the part of Kyle made him such a different person from the original. While the film was meant to spark a new franchise in the ‘Terminator’ universe, the failings of ‘Terminator Genisys’ saw the entire thing canceled among the negative reception.

Christopher Lambert set the bar high as Raiden in Mortal Kombat, whereas James Remar was caught in a flop of a sequel

Video game-to-movie adaptations either do well or they flop. Amazingly, 1995’s fantasy action ‘Mortal Kombat’ went down pretty well with the fans, particularly Christopher Lambert as the part of Raiden. Unfortunately, after doing such a good job in the first film, Christopher admitted he didn’t like the script for ‘Mortal Kombat: Annihilation’ when it was released two years later.

Instead, Raiden was now brought to life by James Remar, who didn’t do much to stand out in the role. Sadly for the actor, the rest of the movie’s downsides - including bad CGI, obvious sets, and cheap costumes - brought the entire production down, which didn’t help James to make a good impact on the franchise.

The Flintstones decided to recast the entire leading cast for the second movie

It comes to something when an entire cast of a movie is replaced - and brings the entire franchise down. Sadly, that was the case following the success of the 1994 live-action comedy ‘The Flintstones.’ Here, John Goodman, Rick Moranis, Elizabeth Perkins, and Rosie O’Donnell played Fred, Barney, Wilma, and Betty, respectively. Sadly, they weren’t back six years later.

By the time ‘The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas’ came around, no one was surprised when they wanted to continue the buzz of the first movie. However, Mark Addy, Stephen Baldwin, Kristen Johnson, and Jane Krakowski now played Fred, Barney, Wilma, and Betty, respectively. The first movie was panned by critics, but the second was a downright disaster.

Wesley Snipes had all the comedy timing he needed as Willie Mays Hayes in Major League, unlike Omar Epps

It comes to something when not returning to a franchise means you’re the biggest winner. However, that was the case for Wesley Snipes when he turned down reprising Willie Mays Hayes in the sports comedy ‘Major League II.’ After the first movie was a huge hit, Wesley was already working on his huge acting career and was now priced out.

That’s where Omar Epps comes in. He’d already worked with director David S. Ward on the sports thriller ‘The Program.’ The twist? It was never meant to be funny, but ‘Major League II’ was. His lack of comedy timing quickly showed, with many fans admitting that Omar as Hayes just didn’t fit after seeing what Wesley could do.

Katie Holmes seemingly closed Rachel Dawes’ storyline in Batman until Maggie Gyllenhaal came along

He might be a superhero, but the romantic interest of Batman is something else that keeps people coming back to the superhero movies. When it was Christopher Nolan’s turn in 2005 to bring a new relationship to life in ‘Batman Begins,’ Katie Holmes was cast as Rachel Dawes, who turned out to be a huge part of the plot.

The movie ends with the pair realizing they can only be together when Gotham City no longer needs their Batman. However, that changed when ‘The Dark Knight’ came around. As Katie was busy, Maggie Gyllenhaal was cast as Rachel instead. However, it’s tough to believe she is the same character, largely as she no longer seems interested in Bruce Wayne.

Kevin Spacey set the bar so high as Lex Luther in Superman that Jesse Eisenberg was accused of ruining the sequel

Some people are born to play villains, and that was easily the case when Kevin Spacey signed up to join ‘Superman Returns.’ The superhero movie saw the legendary actor bring Lex Luther to life after inheriting the part from Gene Hackman. Amazingly, Kevin proved just how seamless a new iteration can be when you know what you’re doing.

Sadly, the same can’t be said for Jesse Eisenberg. No one has ever played Lex Luther quite like Kevin, and that didn’t help when Jesse joined ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.’ Instead, the character was more like an eccentric Bond villain than Superman’s greatest nemesis, with many stating Jesse’s parts ruined the entire film.

Billy Dee Williams played Harvey Dent so well that Tommy Lee Jones’s Batman appearance became an alternate timeline

Some people tend to forget that Harvey Dent, aka Two-Face, changed in the ‘Batman’ franchise. Still, that’s the case, as Billy Dee Williams first brought the character to life in Tim Burton’s ‘Batman’ in 1989. However, when the character returned in ‘Batman Forever,’ it was Tommy Lee Jones behind the villain, marking quite the stark contrast.

Even away from the race change going on. Billy played a charismatic leader, while Tommy brought a maniacal sidekick to life, adding to the over-the-top feeling that came with ‘Batman Forever.’ In fact, DC Comics released a comic continuation to the movies in 2021 focusing on Billy’s version of Harvey Dent, making ‘Batman Forever’ an alternate timeline.

Rachelle Lefevre was fully committed to Victoria in Twilight before she was replaced by Bryce Dallas Howard

While Bryce Dallas Howard is far from a bad actress, she had some big shoes to fill when she was brought in to play an already-established character. That moment came in the fantasy ‘Twilight’ franchise. More specifically, it was all over villain Victoria Sutherland, who was originally played by Rachelle Lefevre in the first two movies.

Fans were excited to see Victoria return in movie number three, only to find out Rachelle had been replaced by Bryce. According to Rachelle’s interview with Access Hollywood, she’d “turned down several other film opportunities” and was “fully committed to the ‘Twilight’ saga,” but the studios still decided to move on without her - and fans weren’t impressed.

Ron Perlman won over fans as Hellboy, something David Harbour didn’t manage to recreate years later

Just because Guillermo Del Toro’s take on the superhero movie ‘Hellboy’ didn’t do that well at the box office didn’t mean it was a complete flop. Plenty of fans loved Ron Perlman’s take on the original Hellboy, with plenty rallying to have a sequel. Sadly, that somehow followed the same path and was ultimately a box office flop.

As the first two movies flopped so badly, they decided to completely recast the characters in 2019. This time, David Harbour was brought in to play Hellboy, but he had a dad-like energy that just didn’t fit as the character. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the movie also flopped, proving that the cast wasn’t to blame for the original failures.

Harrison Ford seamlessly fit as Jack Ryan, while Ben Affleck never seemed to grow into the role

So far, there are five movies in the action thriller ‘Jack Ryan’ franchise, but Harrison Ford is the only one to play the CIA analyst more than once. Plenty of people were surprised when Alec Baldwin was given the chop after starring in the first ‘The Hunt for Red October,’ but Harrison more than made up for losing the star.

After 1994’s ‘Clear and Present Danger,’ it took eight years for Jack Ryan to return in ‘The Sum of All Fears.’ Now, Ben Affleck was the one behind the character. Plenty questioned what people were thinking with the casting, with Rolling Stone adding Ben “merely creates an outline for a role he still needs to grow into.”

Edward Norton, unlike Mark Ruffalo, added layers of complexity to the Incredible Hulk

Plenty have tried, but no one has quite brought comic book characters to life quite like the MCU’s Phase One cast. One on the list was Edward Norton, who brought Bruce Banner - better known as the Incredible Hulk - to life, but amazingly, only in 2008’s ‘The Incredible Hulk.’ Even so, this ultimately got the MCU off the ground.

Edward balanced the character’s struggle with impossible intimacy and mental health while still showing off his powerful and fierce rage. Sadly, not being invited back and ultimately being replaced by Mark Ruffalo has left fans with a one-note Hulk ever since. From failed comedy to losing the original complexity of the character, the Hulk just isn’t the same.

Brandon Routh was keen to return as Superman before Henry Cavill was announced as the next Man of Steel

For years, people tried - and failed - to bring Superman to life. There were plenty of failed projects, but things seemed to change when Brandon Routh brought the superhero to life in 2006’s ‘Superman Returns.’ Sadly, the huge budget meant it technically wasn’t a financial success, but Brandon was finally getting people on board with the franchise.

In fact, there was once a time when there was a planned sequel, but with each year that passed, it seemed less and less likely. Brandon was keen to return, too. However, when ‘Man of Steel’ was announced, so was Henry Cavill as the star. Unfortunately, the fact the film is more downbeat didn’t make Henry the most popular Superman.

Michelle Pfeiffer plays one of the most iconic versions of Catwoman compared to Halle Berry’s complete flop

When it comes to actor replacements that ruined a movie, Halle Berry taking over as Catwoman might be one of the most infamous of them all. While the character had appeared in a host of ‘Batman’ productions over the years, it was Michelle Pfeiffer’s time as Catwoman that really stood out to so many people.

Initially, Michelle was meant to return in a solo spinoff before it was eventually pushed to one side. Several actresses were considered as her replacement, but ultimately, Halle won. As if completely bombing at the box office wasn’t enough, ‘Catwoman’ also cleaned up at the Golden Raspberry Awards in 2005, including Worst Actress, with Halle hilariously embracing the flop.

Sean Connery’s appearance as James Bond made George Lazenby’s performance hard for many to swallow

Sean Connery is tied for first place when it comes to appearing in the most ‘James Bond’ movies, with a total of seven under his belt. For many, Connery is the one and only lead of the spy franchise, but that hasn’t stopped plenty of others from taking on the part of 007, including George Lazenby.

The moment came in 1969 during ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,’ and while opinions about the movie have softened over the years, thoughts on George’s performance haven’t. Critics believe George couldn’t hold a candle to Connery’s performance, with Time Out stating it’s a movie with “no redeeming features” while George is a “stunning nonentity” at the front of it all.