The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has undergone several recasts over the years, with some characters being replaced by different actors. Here are 11 notable recasts, along with explanations and additional context:
- Cassie Lang: Emma Fuhrmann took over the role of Cassie Lang in Avengers: Endgame, playing a 16-year-old character, five years older than Abby Ryder Fortson's portrayal in Ant-Man and the Wasp. This recast was justified by the character's age progression in the story.
- Reed Richards: John Krasinski's portrayal of Reed Richards in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was a fan-service casting, as he was imagined by many online as the character. This recast was more about fitting the actor's image to the character rather than a traditional replacement.
- Mainframe: Miley Cyrus, who voiced Mainframe in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, was replaced by Tara Strong for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 due to her unavailability. This recast was a result of scheduling conflicts.
- Howard Stark: John Slattery replaced Gerard Sanders in the role of Howard Stark, with Dominic Cooper taking on the character in Captain America: The First Avenger. Slattery's portrayal is considered a replacement of Sanders, not Cooper.
- Hulk: Edward Norton's Bruce Banner was replaced by Mark Ruffalo due to Norton's preference for bouncing between roles and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige's desire for a team player.
- Fandral: Josh Dallas was initially set to play Fandral in Thor: The Dark World, but had to back out due to scheduling conflicts. Zachary Levi stepped in and played the role in both The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok.
- Wiccan: Joe Locke took over the role of Billy Maximoff in Agatha All Along, playing a character two years older than Julian Hillard's portrayal in WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. This recast involved a complex backstory involving the character's resurrection.
- Red Skull: Ross Marquand replaced Hugo Weaving as Red Skull in Avengers: Endgame, with Weaving declining the role due to a low financial offer and lack of affinity for the character.
- Thanos: Damion Poitier's portrayal of Thanos in the MCU was a temporary replacement, with Josh Brolin taking over the role in Guardians of the Galaxy.
- Thaddeus Ross: William Hurt's portrayal of General Thaddeus Ross was initially intended to be a one-time appearance, but the MCU embraced the character, leading to Hurt's return in multiple films. Hurt's passing in 2022 led to a one-time replacement by Harrison Ford.
- War Machine: Don Cheadle replaced Terrence Howard as James Rhodes in the MCU, with Howard's character being written out due to his rising clout and Downey Jr.'s status as the franchise's main draw.
