In film and TV, actors and actresses lend their faces to the characters, who eternalize themselves with a single appearance. However, in some not-so-rare cases substitutions do occur and a character ends up being played by more than one person during a TV series or movie franchise.
This is what happened recently with the series “The Witcher”, when Netflix announced that Henry Cavill would not be returning as the protagonist Geralt of Rivia, after the 3rd season. Despite being the most recent, Cavill is far from the only one, and there are several characters from iconic productions who have had more than one face.
Geralt of Rivia: Henry Cavill and Liam Hemsworth
Henry Cavill’s departure from “The Witcher”, where the character Geralt of Rivia lived, was quite shocking. Although it is more common for series to replace secondary characters, the swapping of protagonists is rarer, and this will happen in the fantasy series based on a book series, which is also successful in games.
With Cavill’s return to DC for the role of Superman, the actor’s schedule may have become too busy and fans of “The Witcher” ended up seeing the protagonist leave the series. But, contrary to what often happens when a protagonist no longer wants to continue in a television production, “The Witcher” has not been canceled.
Geralt will instead be played by Liam Hemsworth, who will have to prove his worth as the protagonist of this story with a legion of fans. But that will only happen in season 4, as season 3, first scheduled for 2023, has already finished filming, with Henry Cavill still in the lead role.
Bruce Banner / Hulk: Edward Norton and Mark Ruffalo
Although different actors play the same superhero in the history of cinema, and there are different actors who play Batman, or Spider-Man, it cannot be said that it is a change of actors when it does not happen within the same story. .
So when the example is Hulk, we won’t say that the departure of Eric Bana, who played the Hulk in “Hulk” (2003), and Edward Norton’s debut in “The Incredible Hulk” (2008), is an exchange of actors, despite being the same character.
However, “The Incredible Hulk” is one of the first films set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Norton’s face is not what we know today as the hero. Mark Ruffalo has joined the MCU since “The Avengers” (2012), which was a big change for fans at the time. But, after 10 years, the actor has appropriated the role so much that it is even difficult to associate another face with the Hulk.
Agent Smith: Hugo Weaving and Jonathan Groff
Almost 20 years after the previous “Matrix” film, “Matrix Revolutions”, Lana Wachowski brought us back to this reality with “Matrix Resurrections”. It’s just that while Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss returned as the older Neo and Trinity respectively, other characters have had their actors replaced in the fourth film.
There are two major replacements, and while Laurence Fishburne’s absence as Morpheus was felt with the character’s transition to Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Hugo Weaving’s replacement by Jonathan Groff as villain Agent Smith was indeed remarkable.
Clarice Starling: Jodie Foster and Julianne Moore
Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lecter is, without doubt, the most memorable character in the films “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991) and “Hannibal” (2001). However, Clarice Starling is undoubtedly as essential to this story as he is. She is the star of both films and the best scenes in the feature film are the interactions between Clarice and Hannibal.
But these interactions were different from movie to movie. That’s because Jodie Foster, who won an Oscar for portraying her in the 1991 film, didn’t return for the 2001 sequel. In place of her, Julianne Moore made her debut as Clarice Starling. Despite the mastery of Moore’s role, Hopkins’ return without Jodie Foster was a disappointment.
Emperor Palpatine: Marjorie Eaton and Ian McDiarmid
Not all actor replacements end in homesickness for the predecessor. In the case of “Star Wars”, one of the most iconic characters in the franchise changed his face and the second actor to play him was the one who became most famous. Ian McDiarmid lived the character from 1983 onwards, and has appeared in all trilogies released so far: original, prequel and sequel.
Despite experiencing the character of “Return of the Jedi” (1983), McDiarmid can be seen making a brief appearance in 1980’s “The Empire Strikes Back” in most versions of the film. However, this is one of George Lucas’ famous post-launch changes.
In the original 1980 film version, Palpatine is played by Marjorie Eaton and her voice is Clive Revill. The change makes “The Empire Strikes Back” fit in better with the other films, even though Lucas modified the film to make it happen.
Henry Cavill’s post in “The Witcher” and more: 5 Actors Who Have Been Replaced first appeared on Digital Look.
Source: Olhar Digital
Emily Jhon is a product and service reviewer at Gossipify, known for her honest evaluations and thorough analysis. With a background in marketing and consumer research, she offers valuable insights to readers. She has been writing for Gossipify for several years and has a degree in Marketing and Consumer Research from the University of Oxford.
