12 Movie Recastings That Actually Worked Out

What, there was a Hannibal Lecter before Anthony Hopkins? Yes, indeed. The classy cannibal shows up in Michael Mann's Manhunter, played by Brian Cox of Succession fame. Cox is outstanding as Hannibal and has the booming voice to haunt everyone's dreams; however, this is primarily an adaptation of Red Dragon, so the focus is more on Francis Dollarhyde as the antagonist.

What Hopkins does in The Silence of the Lambs, though, is generational. Hannibal is ruthless, calculating, and charming - all at the same time. He unarms the audience before sinking his teeth into the nerves immediately. Honestly, can you imagine anyone else but Hopkins uttering, “I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti?” Shakespeare must be tossing and turning in his grave, wishing he had written that excellence.

Robert Rodriguez's Mexico Trilogy introduced him to the world, but most people only seem to remember two movies from this series: Desperado and Once Upon a Time in Mexico. In these films, the unconquerable Antonio Banderas portrays the guitar- and gun-slinging El Mariachi.

However, the role of Mariachi was previously played by Mexican actor Carlos Gallardo in 1992's El Mariachi - the first film in the series. Gallardo puts in a decent shift as the titular character, but he lacks the star power, gravitas, and cool factor that Banderas oozes in his portrayal.

Question: How does anyone make a franchise better?

Answer: Put Harrison Ford in it. 

Ford took over the role of Jack Ryan from Alec Baldwin for Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger. While Baldwin is compelling and good as Ryan in The Hunt for Red October, he is overshadowed in the film by Sean Connery's Marko Ramius.

That isn't the case for Ford's turn as the character. He's a pure action star, and his performances elevate Ryan to the main event.

Take nothing away from Tyler Mane, who looks exactly like the comic book character Sabretooth in 2000's X-Men. However, Mane was better known for slamming mats as a pro wrestler than his acting abilities in those days. The role proved to be an excellent stepping stone for him in the long run, as he went on to star as the terrifying and uber-violent Michael Myers in Rob Zombie's Halloween reboot series.

Liev Schreiber is in a different league, though. He is a fantastic, world-renowned actor who steals the show in the less-than-stellar X-Men Origins: Wolverine. He doesn't only capture Sabretooth's violent nature but also his conniving and cunning methods. Turns out the reason for this recasting was because Schreiber looks more like Hugh Jackman, which was necessary since the movie introduces the plot point where Victor Creed and Logan are brothers, as Mane explained to the Hollywood Reporter.

Before Mark Ruffalo, the role of the Hulk was about as stable as a bridge after the green monster smashes it up. First, Eric Bana played the character in Ang Lee's Hulk. Then, Bana made way for Edward Norton in 2008's The Incredible Hulk. The plan always was for Norton's Bruce Banner to join the wider MCU, as the post-credits scene confirmed.

However, Norton's prickly behavior on set didn't mesh well with Marvel Studios, so they parted ways, and Ruffalo entered the group chat, which proved to be best for everyone. Ruffalo plays Banner in a much more compassionate and endearing way than Norton or Bana ever did. He brings a likability to both Banner and the big green lug that simply cannot be replicated. It must be because of Ruffalo's kind eyes.

The Amazing Spider-Man film series didn't exactly light the world on fire. Sure, both movies made more money than the average person will make in 20 lifetimes, but Sony expected more from them. Nonetheless, everything was set for The Amazing Spider-Man 3 to be announced at a big event. 

Then Andrew Garfield allegedly canceled his appearance at the last moment. It turns out that was enough to change Sony's mind about the future of the Spidey films, according to the infamous email leaks. Soon thereafter, a decision was reached to incorporate Spidey in the burgeoning MCU… however, this would be a younger and different Web-Head from The Amazing Spider-Man series. 

The recasting resulted in Tom Holland taking up the Spidey pajamas in Captain America: Civil War and leading a whole host of new films. After breaking box office records and receiving near-universal acclaim for his pitch-perfect portrayal of Peter Parker, it's safe to say Holland is now the definitive version of the character.