Actors get recast all the time, however, although it’s rare for that to happen in major Hollywood roles it doesn’t mean it won’t happen from time to time. What’s even rarer is when the people who have to succeed any beloved actor actually end up doing a better job than the original.
Sure, some parts like James Bond, Spider-Man, Doctor Who or Batman get swapped constantly, either as part of each the story’s natural course or simply the franchise being rebooted, but this isn’t exactly a fair comparison. Henry Cavill leaving The Witcher is proof that recasting is way more common in TV shows, thus making it more shocking when a film manages to pull off a successful recast, albeit sometimes the end result having more to do with the script rather than the actors themselves, such as the first mention right here.
Michael Gambon As Albus Dumbledore (Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban)
For the casual Harry Potter fans out there, this recast might not even be that noticeable but beneath that long scraggly beard, Richard Harris and Michael Gambon’s Dumbledore are actually quite different. Granted, many of the changes derive more from the franchise’s own ongoing transformation as Harry Potter and company grew up, and the series went to darker places, nonetheless, they’re still there for everyone to see.
Unfortunately, Harris passed away at 72 years old right before Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets premiered, so fans never got to see how he would have tackled the later Dumbledore. Some of the elements Gambon adds to the character are not too popular with fans of the Harry Potter books, instead preferring Harris’ calmer portrayal, but five movies and the saga’s peak dramatic moments guarantee Gambon’s face is the one most people imagine next to the name Albus Dumbledore.
Mark Ruffalo As The Incredible Hulk (The Avengers)
Eric Bana may have been the first 21st-century Hulk, nevertheless, only Edward Norton still gets proper credit as the MCU’s original Bruce Banner. While Ang Lee’s The Incredible Hulk may be far down the pecking order for many fans when it comes to ranking Marvel movies, there’s really not a lot one can object to Norton’s performance with him being the brilliant actor that he is.
As to why Ruffalo ended up being a better Hulk for the MCU, it all comes down to the overall tone Kevin Feige wanted for his massive cinematic project since Ruffalo oftentimes acts as comic relief for the Avengers. Norton’s exit was quite controversial, but considering the type of films he tends to prefer, it’s hard to imagine he would have been happy showing up in the MCU from time to time without a proper solo sequel, which is a near impossibility considering Universal Pictures still control both Hulk and Namor.
Maggie Gyllenhaal As Rachel Dawes (The Dark Knight)
There are a ton of Bruce Waynes, but only two Rachel Dawes, and again Maggie Gyllenhaal’s take surpasses that of Katie Holmes, with the caveat of the former playing a bigger character in The Dark Knight’s plot than her predecessor does in the first movie. Batman Begins is a film about Bruce finding his place in Gotham as the Caped Crusader and the audience sees the movie through his eyes, whereas the lauded sequel now had Batman deal with the full consequences of being Batman.
Holmes’ Rachel is there to be saved, but Gyllenhaal gets a bigger share of the spotlight so her death hits even harder and that requires setting her up as the perfect woman to break Bruce’s heart, be it dead or alive.
Elisabeth Shue As Jennifer Parker (Back to the Future Part II)
Marty McFly’s sweetheart Jennifer was played by Claudia Wells in the first Back to the Future, however, due to personal reasons she stepped away from acting altogether and the role had to be recast. Shue picks up right where Wells left off in the second movie, and besides an increased presence and time travel in the sequel, she had the massive benefit of already playing Ali in The Karate Kid, meaning she was perfect for the part.
As a bonus, it bears saying that Michael J. Fox was not originally cast to play Marty, instead, filming began with Eric Stoltz playing the character before he was ultimately fired for lacking the comedic chops that made Fox’s performance such an iconic piece of pop culture.
Ian McDiarmid As Emperor Palpatine (Episode VI – Return of the Jedi)
One of the most fearsome villains in cinema history was a bit of an afterthought in The Empire Strikes Back as no thorough casting was conducted before George Lucas finally opted for a mixed solution with regard to Emperor Palpatine. Marjorie Eaton gave life to Darth Sidious’ first physical appearance, yet Clive Revill lent his voice to the character in this makeshift solution.
It was really McDiarmid who shaped Palpatine to his own image, and he did such a good job he was called back to reprise the role 16 years later for the entire Prequel Trilogy and even The Rise of Skywalker. That last appearance may still be controversial for many Star Wars fans, but there’s hardly a better compliment to McDiarmid's work than J.J. Abrams having to bring back the baddest man in the galaxy.