Actors Removed From Franchise:
Running a franchise can either get you a fortune or throw you out of the window forever. In today’s time of intense competition, most of the production houses are adopting franchises for they are breaking box office records. One of the primary reasons for a successful franchise is the loyalty of fans towards the character. The gradual character building from scratch grows the audience attached to the lead. It becomes big news and shock when a leader who is considered as the fuel of a franchise is thrown out of it. Letting go of the protagonist of a franchise is always a risky call so there is usually a mountain of reasons to push the decision. Find out the actors on whom the impossible fate befell.
1. Rooney Mara
Rooney Mara’s breakthrough performance in The Girl With A Dragon Tattoo earned her critical acclamation. In fact, there was no fault at her part and the audience would have loved to continue with her. However, the studios adopted a lower budget for its sequel and replaced the entire cast thus taking away the essence of the movie.
2. Edward Furlong
Edward was in his teen years when he starred in Terminator 2 alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger as John Connor. He earned early fame but didn’t last long for his heavy substance abuse. He was signed for the 3rd installment but later dropped from it as his infamous drug issues were tarnishing the image of the franchise.
3. Jared Leto
Casting for the Joker in DC is as crucial as for the superheroes. But it is rather easier to cast an actor for other heroes than for the Prince of Crime. Even the best of the best have failed to fit in the Joker’s shoes. He has a complex mind and it is not everyone’s cup of tea to comprehend that. The late actor Heath Ledger raised the benchmark for Joker so high that it has become next to impossible to meet the audience’s expectations. Jared Leto was finally trusted with the coveted role for his history of impressive performance. He was also promised a standalone with Harley Quinn during Suicide Squad. Since his portrayal of the Joker disappointed the audience and the timing of Joaquin Phoenix’s successful Joker clashed with his, WB dropped Leto and went ahead with Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn.
4. Megan Fox
Megan used to be a part of the blockbuster franchise, Transformers. But her name was dropped from the banner after she made a statement against the makers. Claiming that the franchise only used Megan for her hotness didn’t bode well with the directors. As a result, they replaced her with Rosie Huntington.
5. Alec Baldwin
Before John Krasinski’s series Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan hit the internet, the series of books was popularly adapted for the silver screens. Alec Baldwin starred in the first film as Jack Ryan in The Hunt for Red October and his work was lauded by everyone. But the actor was replaced by Harrison Ford for the following installments. There are two different versions of the story; one says that the producers went behind Alec’s back to recast while the other says that Alec refused to accept the script for the 2nd installment.
6. Kristen Stewart
The Twilight Saga star got roped in a massive scandal while she for shooting for Snow White and The Huntsman. She was dating her Twilight costar Robert Pattinson when she got caught getting too cozy with the Snow White and The Huntsman director Rupert Sanders. The notorious affair left a big dent on the franchise which, as a result, decided to continue the series without Kristen.
7. Edward Norton
There has never been any doubt about Edward Norton’s acting chops. He was one of the first actors to be cast by MCU in its earliest movies. But instead of reaping the advantage, Norton became the first actor to be fired from the studios instead. He did an incredible job as the protagonist in The Incredible Hulk but personal issues got in his way. Dissent on creative opinions got him replaced by Mark Ruffalo in Avengers. This recasting luckily played well for MCU.
8. Rebecca Romijn
Rebecca wasn’t technically fired from the X-Men franchise but her contract with the productions had worn out. Both Rebecca and the audience were keen for her to continue as Mystique in the upcoming movies but she was let go and Fox cast an even bigger name, Jennifer Lawrence.
9. Louis C.K.
So Far the animated movie, The Secret Life of Pets has released 2 installments. Louis C.K. did the voice record for Max in the 1st part. But the franchise cut ties with the comedian following accusations of his sexual misconduct.
10. Noomi Rapace
Noomi left a lasting impression over her fans from Prometheus but her character was cut short after the movie. The directors ditched her by abruptly killing off her character in the next prequel film.
