MCU Characters That Were Recast Throughout Time

MCU Recastings

Whether it was to keep the story moving forward, preserve continuity, or just because the original actor wasn’t available, Marvel Studios has had to make difficult choices about actor replacements over the years.

While some of these modifications were ignored, others caused disagreement among fans used to the previous performances. Notwithstanding these changes, the MCU has prospered, bringing well-loved characters to life in fresh and captivating ways.

(Johnny Storm) – The Human Torch

Although there is conjecture over his possible resurgence as a variation in Deadpool & Wolverine, no formal confirmation has been provided. Chris Evans originally brought Johnny Storm to life in 20th Century Fox’s Fantastic Four movie.

Remarkably, Michael B. Jordan and Chris Evans have both played Johnny Storm in different Fantastic Four versions. In the next Fantastic Four movie from the MCU, Joseph Quinn will play the new Human Torch. Michael B. Jordan’s role as Johnny Storm in the 2015 Fantastic Four reboot adds to this history.

(Peter Parker) – Spider-Man

Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield played Spider-Man before Tom Holland took the role in Captain America: Civil War. Maguire starred in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy.

In a surprising and nostalgic twist, both actors reprised their roles in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). This confirmed their versions of Peter Parker as variants in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This crossover lets fans see the three Spider-Men interact. It also brought back their iconic villains.

May Parker

Three women have portrayed Aunt May in various Spider-Man productions. In Sam Raimi’s trilogy, Rosemary Harris played a traditional version. In the Amazing Spider-Man movies, Sally Field adopted a contemporary and self-sufficient role.

Up to her character’s demise, Marisa Tomei portrayed a younger and more vibrant version in the MCU. With both Field and Tomei receiving Academy Awards, Aunt May is one of the few characters played by two Oscar-winning actresses.

Betty Brant

As Betty Brant, Elizabeth Banks and Angourie Rice all played the role of Betty Brant, but in different Spider-Man movie universes and at different stages in the character’s evolution.

Banks played a more mature Betty, who worked as J. Jonah Jameson’s secretary at the Daily Bugle in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man sequels. Rice played Betty, a teenage high school classmate of Peter Parker, in the Spider-Man films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

(Reed Richards) – Mr. Fantastic

The role of Pedro Pascal as Mr. Fantastic in the next Marvel film has been formally revealed. Three performers have played Mr. Fantastic in live-action movies over the years. The role was initially played by Ioan Gruffudd in the Fantastic Four film from 2005.

Additionally, he made an appearance in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, the 2007 sequel. In the 2015 Fantastic Four production, Miles Teller also portrayed Reed Richards, popularly known as Mr. Fantastic.

(Susan Storm-Richards) – Invisible Woman

Invisible Woman, played by Jessica Alba, made her debut in the Fantastic Four movies in 2005 and 2007. In the 2015 remake, Kate Mara came next. In the next Fantastic Four, Vanessa Kirby will play the first Sue Storm in the MCU.

Although her marriage to Reed Richards is shown in the comics, the narrative of the MCU movie is yet unknown. It is expected that Kirby will play a greater version of the role.

(Johann Schmidt) – The Red Skull

In Captain America: The First Avenger, Hugo Weaving made his debut as Red Skull, the Hydra leader and Steve Rogers’ adversary. Many fans observed a change in the character’s voice and gestures upon his reappearance in Avengers: Infinity War.

Weaving was replaced by Ross Marquand, who also supplied the motion capture and vocal acting for Red Skull’s new spectral appearance. From being a villain to an eerie figure, the character was now protecting the Soul Stone on Vormir.

(Frank Castle) – The Punisher

In 2016, the Punisher was first portrayed by Jon Bernthal in the MCU in the Netflix series Daredevil. In 2017, his series was released. The role was previously played by two other actors in independent films before Bernthal’s adaptation.

In the 1989 Punisher movie, Dolph Lundgren played Frank Castle. Thomas Jane portrayed The Punisher in the 2004 adaptation. Ray Stevenson portrayed the part once more in the 2008 film Punisher: War Zone, which was lambasted for its more brutal depiction.

(James Rhodes) – War Machine

Iron Man (2008) featured James “Rhodey” Rhodes for the first time. In the character, Terrence Howard presented him as a senior military officer and Tony Stark’s best buddy. He played a significant role in Stark’s narrative and was positioned to eventually transform into War Machine.

At one point, he looks at one of Stark’s suits and says, “Next time, baby,” teasing what was to come. That future did not involve Howard. When Iron Man 2 was released in 2010, Don Cheadle replaced him and took over the role of Rhodey in the MCU.

(Bruce Banner) – The Hulk

The first well-known actor cast in the MCU was Robert Downey Jr., and Edward Norton came next. He played Bruce Banner in The Incredible Hulk.

Conflicts behind the scenes led to Mark Ruffalo replacing him in The Avengers. Norton was originally set to return in 2012, but Marvel announced a recast before filming. They stated that they wanted an actor who fit better with the cast. Over time, fans learned about disagreements between Norton and Marvel.

Thanos

The first actor to play Thanos was Damion Poitier. He made a fleeting appearance in The Avengers’ post-credits sequence. After that, Josh Brolin assumed the position. He appeared briefly in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 in 2014, marking his official MCU debut as the character.

The complete portrayal of Thanos by Josh Brolin in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame made him a well-known villain in film history. He only made a little post-credits sequence in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Thaddeus Ross

William Hurt first took on the role of Thaddeus Ross in The Incredible Hulk. He did not appear again in the MCU until Captain America: Civil War, where he advocated for the Sokovia Accords.

Following Hurt’s death, Harrison Ford was cast to continue the character’s story in Captain America: Brave New World. In this film, Ross serves as the President of the United States and seeks to restore Captain America’s status as a military leader.

Throughout the movie, he will transform into Red Hulk, bringing his character arc full circle from where it began.

Karen Page

In the 2003 movie Daredevil, Ellen Pompeo, who is well-known for her work on Grey’s Anatomy, played Karen Page. The figure shared screen time with Ben Affleck’s Matt Murdock and had a small plot.

Deborah Ann Woll was chosen to play Karen Page in the Netflix Daredevil series a few years later. In the new Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again, Woll will play Karen Page once more, carrying on her journey through the Marvel world.

(Matt Murdock) – Daredevil

Charlie Cox was among the first Netflix Marvel actors to make an appearance in the MCU. Ben Affleck played Daredevil before him in the 2003 film that introduced Matt Murdock’s story, but made no mention of a larger universe.

Cox was formally incorporated into the MCU by Marvel after his appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Even though the Netflix series is different from the MCU, Cox was the front-runner to keep the part.

Discover Daredevil’s evolution in Charlie Cox’s Daredevil: Journey to the Avengers’ screen and see how he became part of the MCU’s biggest moments.

Foggy Nelson

Jon Favreau’s first Marvel role was Foggy Nelson in the 2003 Daredevil film. He played Matt Murdock’s best friend with a humorous and energetic approach.

Elden Henson subsequently portrayed the character in the Daredevil series on Netflix. His interpretation of Foggy was more moving and had a bigger effect on the narrative. To carry on the character’s adventure, he will make a comeback in Daredevil: Born Again.

His talents as a filmmaker and his role as Happy Hogan in the MCU have made Favreau most famous.

To know more about Daredevil, check out what to expect from Matt Murdock in Born Again for the latest updates on his journey in the MCU.

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This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.