Actors who’ve played the same character more than once in totally different movies

Role rewinds

Ever seen a familiar character show up in a completely different movie universe? Some actors just can’t quit a role, even when the script, setting, or tone changes entirely.

This list dives into actors who played the same character again, but in totally unrelated films. And no, these aren’t sequels or spin-offs. These are true one-offs that double as delightful déjà vu.

Ryan Reynolds

Ryan Reynolds brought Deadpool to life twice; first in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) and later in Deadpool (2016). But those movies had wildly different tones, stories, and styles.

The 2009 version was muted and barely cracked a smile, while the 2016 version leaned fully into chaotic, R-rated comedy. Reynolds has said the latter was his redemption.

Michael Keaton

Michael Keaton first donned the Batsuit in Tim Burton’s Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992). Decades later, he shocked fans by returning as Bruce Wayne in The Flash (2023).

Both versions showed vastly different Gothams, with the latter mixing timelines and tones. Keaton’s return was one of the film’s biggest hooks and fan-favorite moments.

Patrick Stewart

Sir Patrick Stewart is iconic as Professor X in the X-Men films, but he surprised audiences with a grimmer, alternate version in Logan (2017). Years later, he reprised Charles Xavier again in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022).

Those portrayals were entirely different in tone and setting. One was heartbreaking; the other, multiverse-level strange.

Hugh Jackman

Hugh Jackman closed the Wolverine chapter with Logan in 2017, and then clawed his way back. He returned as Logan/Wolverine in Deadpool & Wolverine, which premiered July 22, 2024, and hit theaters U.S. wide on July 26, 2024.

This version plays in a whole new multiverse sandbox, packed with comic violence and hilarious, fourth-wall‑breaking banter. Fans cheered when Logan reappeared, not as the lone-gun vigilante, but as Wade Wilson’s reluctant sidekick in MCU-style chaos.

Samuel L. Jackson

Samuel L. Jackson played Nick Fury in two totally separate films before the MCU: first as a minor cameo in Iron Man (2008), then again in Secret Invasion (2023), yes, the TV series, but in a drastically different context.

These appearances weren’t standard sequels; they dropped him in unique storylines, each with distinct tones. Each time, Fury’s signature one‑eye glare is the same, but his role’s scope and vibe are totally unrecognizable.

Cate Blanchett

Cate Blanchett technically reprised Galadriel twice; first in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), and later in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013). But the Giant Silver-Haired Elf pops up in wildly different film styles.

The first was sweeping fantasy, the second leaned fantastical and whimsical. Her presence bridged two very different narrative universes, making her return a subtle hook.

Keanu Reeves

Keanu Reeves played Neo in The Matrix (1999) and then popped again as The One in The Matrix Resurrections (2021), but the latter is so different in tone and emotion, it feels like a standalone reinvention. Instead of gritty action, we got surreal, meta, existential sci‑fi.

That’s Neo again, but in a dream state that questions his own reality. Talk about bending minds.

Brie Larson

Brie Larson first appeared as Captain Marvel in Avengers: Endgame (2019), then headlined her own Captain Marvel solo film (2019) before returning once more in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021). Each entry gives her character very different emotional stakes and screen time.

From ensemble epics to a standalone origin story to a heroic cameo, Larson’s portrayal flexed to fit each new tone and narrative.

Bill Murray

Bill Murray famously returned as Phil Connors, his classic Groundhog Day character, not in a sequel, but in a 2020 Jeep Super Bowl commercial. The iconic setup sends him waking up again, “groundhogging” through familiar Punxsutawney routines all over again.

Seeing that deadpan, time-loop grin after 21 years? It’s nostalgia gold. It’s the same character, yet in a totally unrelated 60‑second story, talk about a creative hook.

Robert Englund

Horror icon Robert Englund returned as Freddy Krueger, not in a slasher sequel, but in a 2018 episode of The Goldbergs. There, he crashes a nostalgic 80s family Halloween scene, glitching between two genres in an instant.

Freddy’s neon-lit punchlines fit oddly yet delightfully into the sitcom world. It’s the same razor-gloved nightmare, but now in suburban TV format; surreal, fun, and totally unexpected.

Angela Bassett

Angela Bassett portrayed Betty Shabazz in Malcolm X (1992), and then again three years later in Panther (1995). These weren’t part of a franchise, just two unrelated films centered on Black history.

Both times, Bassett embodied Malcolm’s wife, but each film presented her in a totally distinct narrative and tone. It’s the same real-life role, yet in separate cinematic worlds; informative and emotionally resonant.

Danny Trejo

Danny Trejo first appeared as Machete Cortez in the family-friendly Spy Kids (2001), then again in the R-rated action-thriller Machete (2010). Both movies share the same character, but one is playful and kid-oriented, the other is brutal, bloody, and unapologetically adult.

That tonal leap is wild. You see, Machete gone from whimsical side character to full-on exploitation hero; it’s the same face in two entirely new worlds.

Sung Kang

Sung Kang introduced Han Lue in Better Luck Tomorrow (2002), then brought him back in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006) and beyond. Even though these films aren’t directly related at first, the characters’ attitude and arc shine through in both contexts.

That unexpected bridge between indie crime drama and big-budget franchise is a creative hook; Han stays the same, but everything around him changes.

Anthony Daniels

Anthony Daniels has played C‑3PO in every main Star Wars theatrical film, from 1977’s A New Hope through 2019’s Rise of Skywalker. He even voices the character in animated spin‑offs and video games.

That’s over 11 distinct film entries in very different Star Wars eras. He’s always the same protocol droid, but each time, the tone, stakes, and surrounding story-world shift wildly.

Want to follow C‑3PO’s full journey? Check out our guide to watching Star Wars movies in order.

Mark Ruffalo

Mark Ruffalo vaulted into the Hulk’s big green shoes in The Avengers (2012), then played Banner/Hulk again in Thor: Ragnarok (2017) with a completely new comedic spin. Both are MCU, but Thor: Ragnarok flips the script with slapstick humor and cosmic theatrics.

Watching Ruffalo’s Hulk cracking jokes is a tonal curveball compared to his earlier, brooding Avengers version. For more Marvel shake-ups, see which MCU roles were recast over the years.

Know an actor who totally flipped the script playing the same character twice? Drop your favorite transformation below.

Read More From This Brand:

• Actors Who Have Starred in Both Marvel and DC Movies
• The Best Movie Cameos You Might Have Missed
• Actors Who Passed on Roles That Made History

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This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.