Just because someone is cast in a role doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed to make the final cut of the film.
Everyone knows the story of how Eric Stoltz was originally set to play Marty McFly before eventually being replaced by Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future.
That’s not the only time a role has been replaced after filming had begun. Here are some other notable examples you may or may not know.
Aragorn – Lord of the Rings
One of the other more famous examples of a recast, Stuart Townsend was set to play the character of Aragorn.
However, he was fired and replaced by Viggo Mortenstein, as director Peter Jackson wanted an older, more seasoned actor to play the part. Townsend also reportedly wasn’t taking the role seriously.
Sgt. Elias – Platoon
Here’s a case where Mortenstein was on the opposite end of things. Originally, he was set to play the role of Sgt. Elias in Platoon, only to learn that he had been fired and replaced by Willem Dafoe.
The reason? Director Oliver Stone had a bigger budget and wanted to go with a more famous star for the part.
J. Paul Getty – All the Money in the World
Kevin Spacey was all set to play the role of Getty until allegations of his misconduct came out.
As a result, in an attempt to save the movie, the role was recast, and Christopher Plummer stepped into the role instead, with a complete reshoot taking place.
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Samantha – Her
Sometimes you wrap on a movie and realize someone isn’t right for a role. That’s how Spike Jonze felt with Samantha Morton’s performance as Samantha, the A.I. character in the film.
After filming and during the editing process, Jonze realized Morton wasn’t right for the role and replaced her with Scarlett Johansson.
Captain Benjamin L. Willard – Apocalypse Now
The production of Apocalypse Now was, in a word, cursed. It’s a miracle that the film was as good as it turned out to be.
One reason for that is Martin Sheen’s performance as U.S. Army Captain Benjamin L. Willard, though Sheen wasn’t supposed to play the part. He replaced Harvey Kietel after production had begun. Director Francis Ford Coppola quickly realized that Kietel was the wrong actor for the part.
Captain Queenan – The Departed
Speaking of Martin Sheen, here’s another example of him stepping into a role that previously belonged to someone else.
Gerard McSorley was originally filming the role of Captain Queenan in Martin Scorsese’s incredible (and very Boston) crime drama, but had to withdraw from the role. To be honest, it’s hard to picture anyone else but Sheen in the part.
The Tin Man – The Wizard of Oz
Unlike McSorley, the original Tin Man (Buddy Ebsen) did not withdraw on his own accord; Ebsen was allergic to the make-up required for the role.
As a result, Jack Haley stepped in and replaced him. As far as we know, Haley didn’t have the same allergic reaction.
Wolverine – X-Men
It’s impossible to view anyone but Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, but here’s a fun little plot twist: he wasn’t supposed to play the character!
Instead, Dougray Scott was initially cast in the role, but had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts with Mission: Impossible 2, as well as injuries from a motorbike accident. The rest, as they say, is history.
Lenina Huxley – Demolition Man
Like Jackman with Wolverine, Huxley is one of Sandra Bullock’s early breakout roles that helped launch her career. Also like Jackman, Bullock was never supposed to play the character.
Instead, Lori Petty was the original choice as filming opened up. Instead, Petty and producer Joel Silver did not agree on the character, resulting in Petty’s removal from the film.
Eli Sunday – There Will Be Blood
Speaking of breakout roles, Paul Dano burst onto the scene with his performance in There Will Be Blood. It’s not often someone can go toe-to-toe with Daniel Day-Lewis, but that’s exactly what Dano does.
There’s a world where he never has that chance, though; Kel O’Neil was originally cast in the character before being replaced by director Paul Thomas Anderson.
Shrek – Shrek
On a sadder note, as iconic as Mike Myers is as everyone’s favorite big green ogre, another iconic comedian was supposed to voice Shrek.
Chris Farley had already begun to record lines for the character before his unfortunate death.
Tony – The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
We end on another sad note. Heath Ledger was set to play the role in the 2009 Terry Gilliam film, but he sadly passed away during production.
As a result, other actors stepped into the same role, playing different versions of the same character.
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