Upcoming Franchise Movies Replace Key Actors:
Sequels, Prequels & Spin-offs of flagship franchises have become a pretty common norm in Hollywood. One could argue that the industry actually runs on them. Some of the franchises are continuing in the present day even after having their previous films come out in the 80s, 90s & the early 2000s. Since a lot of time has passed, it is understandable that the franchises are now replacing key actors in order to acclimatize to the current times. So, here are the movies that are replacing the actors who were a driving force in the previous films of the following franchises:
Tron: Ares
Jared Leto will be the new face of the Tron franchise. The previous two films starred Jeff Bridges in the lead. But Leto recently confirmed that he will play a character called Ares in the third Tron movie, which is rumored to be titled, Tron: Ares.
The Suicide Squad
James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad will be very different from Ayer’s Suicide Squad. It will be sort of a reboot sequel. That is why we are going to see a mix of old & new actors. Along with Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, Will Smith’s Deadshot was initially the leading man. But now, the likes of Idris Elba and John Cena are playing the leading characters in the film. Will Smith may or may not return in the future films of the franchise.
Space Jam: A New Legacy
The first Space Jam movie had Michael Jordan as the lead. But now, the new Space Jam movie will star King Lebron James, who’d team up with the Looney Tunes. Space Jam 2 is set to arrive in 2021.
Candyman
Next year’s Candyman movie is set in the same universe as 1992’s Candyman film. But it will have a new cast as Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Teyonah Parris are the two leads in the movie.
The Matrix 4
The Matrix 4 is bringing back Keanu Reeves & Carrie Ann Moss. Along with them, a bunch of new actors like Neil Patrick Harris, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jessica Henwick and Priyanka Chopra are going to star in the film. But they are coming at the cost of franchise veterans like Laurence Fishburne & Hugo Weaving. They played the important characters of Morpheus and Agent Smith respectively, within the original trilogy. But now, we might be getting new versions of Morpheus & Agent Smith.
Gladiator 2
Russell Crowe isn’t set to return in Gladiator 2. It will be a sequel to the original, since director Ridley Scott is returning to helm the movie. Because Russell Crowe’s Maximus died in the original, we will be following a new actor playing as the lead on the franchise.
Furiosa
Director George Miller is coming up with a Mad Max prequel centered on Furiosa. But sadly, he is going with a young new actress instead of Charlize Theron. And even Tom Hardy’s Mad Max won’t be involved in the film. Instead, Chris Hemsworth is the new lead alongside Anya Taylor Joy, who has been cast as the young Furiosa.
Fantastic Beasts 3
Recently, the verdict of Johnny Depp & Amber Heard’s case went against the Pirates of the Caribbean star. Judge Andrew Nicol from the Royal Courts of Justice in London stated that The Sun’s piece from 2018, which called Depp a “wife beater” was “substantially true.” Despite the fan support that Depp has had, this verdict wasn’t going to do his career any good. And so, Depp was asked to resign from the role of Gellert Grindelwald. Now, the studio is eyeing Mads Mikkelsen to play the role in Fantastic Beasts 3 and beyond.
Pirates of the Caribbean
The next Pirates of the Caribbean movie will be set in the same universe as the previous 5 Pirates movies. But, it will pick up the story from a new end with Margot Robbie as the lead. Captain Jack Sparrow will probably never return in the franchise, especially after what transpired with Johnny Depp’s legal battle.
Black Panther
The tragic and sudden demise of Chadwick Boseman will certainly call for a change in Black Panther’s cast. Either T’Challa will be killed off and Shuri will be given the mantle of Black Panther (which has probably been denied) or we will see a forceful recasting of T’Challa. But a change will happen regardless of the path that will be chosen. As of now, Marvel is just trying to figure out a way to honor Chadwick & the Black Panther franchise.
