Summary
- Many Marvel movie recasts have provided great iterations of iconic characters.
- However, some Marvel recasts have not worked quite as well, though this is usually not down to a lack of acting talent but rather other factors.
- Performances like Tom Hardy as Venom and Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk show how Marvel recasts can enhance characters.
Both in the movies of the MCU, Hollywood has been drawn to the characters and stories of Marvel Comics, seeking to bring them to life on the big screen. Over the years, many adaptations have been made, with some characters appearing multiple times across different iterations and continuities.
When adapting or rebooting a previously adapted story, it’s often necessary to recast specific roles to help mark the shift in continuity. This isn’t always the reason for a recast role, however: across the MCU’s movie timeline, actors have departed the franchise and Marvel has been forced to bring in a new actor to fill their role. Regardless, some of these cast changes work remarkably well, while others fall decidedly flat. With that in mind, here are 5 Marvel movie recasts that turned out great, and 5 that didn’t work.
Every Marvel Movie: Full MCU Phase 5 & 6 List (& Beyond)
Between Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment, here is every Marvel movie release date and what we know about the projects so far.
10 GREAT: Mark Ruffalo As The Hulk
Previously played by: Edward Norton
Perhaps the most prominent recast role in the entire MCU is that of the Hulk. First appearing in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk played by Edward Norton, the role of Bruce Banner/the Hulk then ed to Mark Ruffalo for 2012’s The Avengers after Norton’s contract negotiations broke down. The role turned out well for Ruffalo, who has become a mainstay of the franchise in the years following his debut.
What made the recast work so well is Ruffalo’s comedic ability. While Norton is an accomplished dramatic actor, he was unable to bring the level of levity expected of the MCU to the role. Ruffalo proved himself able to find the perfect balance between comedy and emotion for his iteration of Bruce Banner, firmly establishing his casting as an excellent choice for both the character and for the MCU as a whole.
9 DIDN’T WORK: Jennifer Lawrence As Mystique
Previously played by: Rebecca Romijin
X-Men: First Class
- Release Date
- June 3, 2011
- Runtime
- 131 minutes
- Director
- Matthew Vaughn
Cast
James McAvoyCharles Xavier
Erik Lehnsherr
WHERE TO WATCH
Mystique has long been one of the most prominent figures in Fox’s X-Men movie franchise. Initially played by Rebecca Romijin in X-Men and two subsequent movies, the role was cast for the prequel X-Men: First Class. The younger iteration of the character was played by Jennifer Lawrence, although sadly, the Oscar-winning actor’s role in the franchise didn’t quite work out as well as it deserved to.
Lawrence was excellent in the role, but it was her popularity that proved to be the issue. With Lawrence becoming one of the world’s foremost movie stars, the franchise opted to have her appear on-screen more, undermining the shape-shifting nature of her character. By attempting to use the A-list actor as much as possible, the franchise actually made her casting seem much worse than it deserved by shoehorning Mystique into stories she traditionally should have had no real part in.
8 GREAT: Josh Brolin As Thanos
Previously played by: Damion Poitier
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Avengers: Infinity War
- Release Date
- April 27, 2018
- Runtime
- 149 minutes
- Director
- Joe Russo
Cast
Tony Stark / Iron Man
Steve Rogers / Captain America
WHERE TO WATCH
Thanos proved to be the main antagonist of the MCU’s entire Phase 1 through 3’s Infinity Saga arc, spending the first portion of the MCU’s timeline collecting Infinity Stones. His presence wasn’t confirmed until the MCU’s post-credits scene at the end of Phase 1’s final movie, The Avengers. In his brief cameo, he was played by Damion Poitier, a lesser-known actor who provided a motion-capture performance and voice for the Mad Titan.
For Thanos’ subsequent appearances, Marvel opted to recast the role with a higher-profile actor playing the villain. For his next appearance, Thanos was played by Josh Brolin. Brolin went on to reprise the role in multiple movies, most notably Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Brolin’s acting talents weren’t wasted in the MCU, and despite being hidden behind the Mad Titan’s CGI frame, Brolin’s distinct voice and screen presence proved to be an excellent choice.
7 DIDN’T WORK: John Krasinski As Reed Richards
Previously played by: Ioan Gruffud, Miles Teller
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Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness
- Release Date
- May 6, 2022
- Runtime
- 126 minutes
- Director
- Sam Raimi
Cast
Doctor Stephen Strange
Xochitl GomezAmerica Chavez
WHERE TO WATCH
Perhaps the most insulting piece of casting in MCU history was that of John Krasinski as Reed Richards as part of cast. After arriving in the alternate reality Earth-838, Doctor Strange encounters the Illuminati, a group of that universe’s most prominent heroes. Among them is Reed Richards, making his MCU debut. Unlike other characters in the scene, Richards wasn’t played by a previous actor reprising the role, but by popular fan-cast choice John Krasinski.
The reason that casting Krasinski in the role didn’t work is down to the swift and disappointing dismissal of the character. Those hoping to see Krasinski play Mister Fantastic in the MCU proper had their hopes dashed by his abrupt death. Acknowledging the long-time fan casting only to give the character a minimal amount of screen time was practically insulting, and failed even to live up to previously underwhelming iterations of the hero.
6 GREAT: Tom Holland As Spider-Man
Previously played by: Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield
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Spider-Man: Homecoming
- Release Date
- July 7, 2017
- Runtime
- 133 minutes
- Director
- Jon Watts
Cast
Peter Parker / Spider-Man
Adrian Toomes / Vulture
WHERE TO WATCH
Spider-Man is one of the most iconic heroes in pop culture, and he’s perhaps Marvel’s most beloved crime-fighter. Having appeared prior to the MCU in two separate franchises, played by Tobey Maguire and then Andrew Garfield, recasting the role came with an inherent risk due to the inevitable comparisons between the three different versions. Tom Holland was eventually cast and first appeared in the MCU in Captain America: Civil War ahead of his first solo outing in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
It's not that Holland proved better than Maguire or Garfield, but rather that he was the perfect choice for the MCU itself. Holland’s ion for the role, combined with his physicality and his ability to mix a light-hearted performance with a more dramatic one made him a brilliant choice for the MCU’s Spider-Man. Getting the casting of such a popular character right was imperative, and thankfully Holland proved himself a stellar choice.
5 DIDN’T WORK: Dane DeHaan As Harry Osborn
Previously played by: James Franco
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The Amazing Spider-Man 2
- Release Date
- May 2, 2014
- Runtime
- 142 minutes
- Director
- Marc Webb
Cast
Felicity Jones
WHERE TO WATCH
Across Spider-Man’s cinematic past, Harry Osborn has been one of the hero’s most important ing characters. Prominently appearing in Sam Raimi’s trilogy played by James Franco, Harry Osborn’s narrative arc sees him go from Peter Parker’s wealthy and carefree best friend to a bitter, revenge-driven antagonist intent on killing the hero. For The Amazing Spider-Man franchise’s second instalment, the role was recast with Dane DeHaan as Harry Osborn.
Despite DeHaan’s impressive talents as an actor, the recast simply didn’t work. Though his Harry Osborn was an interesting character early in the movie, the script saw him turn into a grotesque Green Goblin in the latter half of the film. The rushed narrative development took the dramatic weight out of the change, making his story feel like an underwhelming villain origin rather than the tragic fall from grace Osborn underwent previously in Raimi’s trilogy.
4 GREAT: Emma Stone As Gwen Stacy
Previously played by: Bryce Dallas Howard
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The Amazing Spider-Man
- Release Date
- July 3, 2012
- Runtime
- 136 minutes
- Director
- Marc Webb
Cast
Denis Leary
WHERE TO WATCH
Another role recast between Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy and The Amazing Spider-Man was that of Gwen Stacy. The prominent love interest for Peter Parker first appeared in Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 played by Bryce Dallas Howard, acting as a secondary romantic interest to Mary Jane Watson. The Amazing Spider-Man’s Gwen was introduced as Peter’s primary love interest, played by Emma Stone shortly after her rise to Hollywood superstardom.
What made Stone’s casting work so well is the extra attention given to her character. The script allowed for Stone’s performance to convey a depth to Gwen that Raimi’s trilogy hadn’t offered, making the recasting seem even better as a result. Stone’s tenure in the role was outlined as one of The Amazing Spider-Man franchise’s best, thanks in large part to the way in which the movies elevated her to a more primary role.
3 DIDN’T WORK: Edward Norton As The Hulk
Previously played by: Eric Bana
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The Incredible Hulk
- Release Date
- November 4, 1977
- Runtime
- 95 minutes
- Director
- Kenneth Johnson
- Writers
- Kenneth Johnson
- Franchise(s)
- Marvel Cinematic Universe, Hulk
Cast
Bill BixbyDr. David Bruce Banner
Lou FerrignoThe Incredible Hulk
The Incredible Hulk is still considered one of the MCU’s worst efforts, despite being the origin story of one of the franchise’s most popular heroes. The role of Bruce Banner/Hulk was played by celebrated actor Edward Norton, taking over the role from Eric Bana, who had played the titular green behemoth in 2003’s Hulk. For all the hype around Norton’s acting abilities, his casting in the role simply didn’t work.
Norton’s performance as Bruce Banner felt flat and uninterested, and was far too reserved for the rage-fueled hero he was playing. By comparison, Bana’s performance just five years prior had been significantly more nuanced, and had offered a more interesting glimpse into Banner’s psyche. Though the consensus remains that Hulk was a much worse movie, Bana’s performance as Bruce Banner was significantly more substantial than Edward Norton’s, making the latter’s casting appear to be a mistake.
2 GREAT: Tom Hardy As Venom
Previously played by: Topher Grace
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Venom is one of Spider-Man’s most iconic foes, partly down to the visual parallels between the characters. The character’s first live-action appearance in Spider-Man 3 was the cause for much excitement ahead of the film’s release. Topher Grace played Eddie Brock, Peter Parker’s professional rival who finds himself bonded to an alien symbiote that feeds on his hatred for Spider-Man. Grace’s turn as Venom was not met with positive reactions from fans or critics alike.
Tom Hardy was later cast to play Brock in 2018’s Venom, and his casting turned out to be a perfect choice. Hardy’s ability to play the dual role of Brock and Venom was excellent, as was his balance of straight-faced comedy with sci-fi action. The actor's performance brought Venom back into the discussion of Spider-Man’s greatest movie villains, proving that the role being recast with Hardy was by far the best choice.
1 DIDN’T WORK: Jamie Bell As Ben Grimm
Previously played by: Michael Chiklis
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Fantastic Four
- Release Date
- August 5, 2015
- Runtime
- 100 minutes
- Director
- Josh Trank
Cast
Reed Richards / Mr. Fantastic
Johnny Storm / The Human Torch
WHERE TO WATCH
Ben Grimm is the best friend of Reed Richards and an important member of the Fantastic Four. In the 2005 movie and its 2007 sequel, Grimm is played by Michael Chiklis, whose gruff and stony demeanor worked well to bring The Thing to life in live-action. Josh Trank’s 2015 reboot, also named Fantastic Four, went in a different direction, casting Jamie Bell in the role as the team’s rocky heavy-hitter.
The reason Bell’s casting didn’t work was purely physical. The more slight frame and boyish features of Bell didn’t totally match up with the tough, everyman character of Ben Grimm, and comparing him to his predecessor Michael Chiklis makes Bell look particularly unfavorable. Though Jamie Bell is an excellent actor, he was simply wrong for the role of Ben Grimm - though The Thing may soon have a better future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe now it's been confirmed he will be played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach.
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