Getting a movie off the ground is a tall task. There are countless meetings, auditions, and roadblocks, and that’s all before the cameras even start rolling. Once the film is complete and in theaters, though, the burden moves over to the audience, which has to speak with its money and do enough to make all the hard work worth it. Things don’t always go in the creative team’s favor, but when they do, the assembly line starts back up, as it’s time to start cooking up a sequel that should be able to do as good, if not better, than the original.
Running it back with the same cast and crew isn’t always in the cards, however. Sometimes, a new director comes in to put their own stamp on the series, and other times, an unfamiliar face plays a major character. Here are seven movie sequels that recast original characters and completely ruined them.
7) Mulan II
Mulan is one of Disney’s more interesting movies, as it tells the story of a woman who poses as a man to join the army and fight for her people. The titular character isn’t alone on her journey, though, as she has her trusty sidekick Mushu by her side, voiced by the incomparable Eddie Murphy. When the duo returns in Mulan II, the hilarious dragon sounds a bit different, and that’s because Mark Moseley takes the reins from Murphy. The change is noticeable, with Mushu’s comedic timing being way off, and it doesn’t help that the character is a major part of the film’s plot.
6) Return to Halloweentown
The first three Halloweentown movies introduce a fascinating world full of magic and monsters. At the center of it all is the Cromwell family, who are some of the most powerful magic users in the world and help keep Halloweentown safe. Marnie, played by Kimberly J. Brown, takes her job seriously for three movies before Sara Paxton takes over the role in Return to Halloweentown. The recast makes the fourth entry in the franchise feel different than the rest, to the point that many diehard fans skip it during their rewatch.
5) Batman & Robin
Tim Burton’s exit from the Batman franchise leads to the character’s downfall. Batman Forever doesn’t reach the heights of the previous two entries, with lackluster villains and a convoluted story. Val Kilmer does all he can to keep the movie afloat, but George Clooney doesn’t pick up the baton in the much-maligned Batman & Robin. The Dark Knight is a shell of himself as he pulls out a Bat-Credit Card and falls under Poison Ivy’s spell.
4) Aladdin: The Return of Jafar
Like Murphy, comedian Robin Williams is synonymous with an animated character, the Genie from Aladdin. He helps the titular hero on his journey by making him appear rich and powerful. Even though Genie returns in the second installment to grant more wishes, he doesn’t sound the same. Dan Castellaneta takes over the role in Aladdin: The Return of Jafar, and a lot of the magic of the character is gone. Fortunately, Williams returns for the third installment in the franchise.
3) The Avengers
The Marvel Cinematic Universe makes it clear that Bruce Banner will be an important part of the franchise by having its second movie be The Incredible Hulk. Edward Norton stars in the lead role and brings humanity to the monster that’s absent from all his other live-action appearances. Mark Ruffalo isn’t bad, but the Hulk hasn’t been the same since he fought the Abomination in Harlem.
2) The Dark Knight
Batman Begins tries to remove the stink of Batman & Robin by turning in a grounded story that asks the hero to tackle moral conundrums. The heart of the movie is Rachel Dawes, played by Katie Holmes, who helps Bruce reacclimate to life in Gotham. While the Internet believes that Holmes is miscast, the truth is that Rachel is far worse in The Dark Knight than in Batman Begins. Maggie Gylennhaal loses the plot while taking Harvey Dent’s side and dies before the movie ends.
1) Hotel Transylvania: Transformania
It seems pretty hard for kids’ movies to keep top talent, since Adam Sandler follows in the footsteps of Murphy and Williams and isn’t part of the Hotel Transylvania franchise after the third movie, making way for Brian Hull to nab the Count Dracula role. Losing a star like Sandler makes Hotel Transylvania: Transformania a bit of a snooze-fest, as every time Count Dracula is on screen, the tone is noticeably different. It might have been better to leave Dracula out of the adventure rather than recast him.
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