10 Major Movie and TV Recasts You Probably Didn't Even Notice

In the world of thousands of movies and TV shows, some recastings are so seamless that even the most eagle-eyed viewers might not notice the change. Here are 10 major movie and TV recastings that definitely flew under your radar.

10. George McFly — Back To The Future Part II

George McFly's character underwent a remarkable transformation from a hopeless loser to a super-stud in the Back to the Future franchise. While Crispin Glover originally portrayed the character, a behind-the-scenes dispute led to the actor's absence from the sequel.

To fill the void left by Glover, veteran actor Jeffrey Weissman stepped in, using prosthetics to resemble Glover. This casting choice sparked a lawsuit, with Glover claiming his likeness was used without consent, but something tells us this is the first time you've heard about it.

9. Griphook — Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows

Griphook, the Gringotts banker in the Harry Potter films, has undergone a notable casting change. In Philosopher's Stone, the character was voiced by Warwick Davis, who also played Hogwarts Professor Flitwick, while the late Verne Troyer physically portrayed Griphook.

However, when Griphook's character returned for The Deathly Hallows, Warwick Davis took over the role completely. This was probably due to the requirement that major characters in the Harry Potter series be played by British or Irish actors.

8. The Night King — Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones, a show known for its intricate characters and storylines, experienced a transition with one of its most enigmatic characters: the Night King. After the conclusion of season five, the actor portraying the Night King changed from Richard Brake to stunt performer Vladimir Furdik.

While this change occurred behind the scenes, it was largely unnoticeable to viewers due to the extensive makeup and CGI that shrouded the character.

7. Thanos — Avengers Franchise

In a surprising twist, it may come as news to many that Thanos had a different voice actor before Josh Brolin took on the role. First introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy, Thanos later became the central antagonist in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, with Brolin delivering a memorable performance.

However, those who were early Marvel fans may remember Thanos' first appearance in a post-credits scene in 2012's The Avengers. In that scene, the character was portrayed by Damion Poitier, an actor known for his uncredited roles in various films.

6. Meg — Family Guy

Lacey Chabert, known for her role in Mean Girls, originally voiced Meg Griffin, one of the main characters in the animated series Family Guy. However, after the first season, the role of Meg underwent a change when Mila Kunis took over the voice of the character.

Though unnoticed by some viewers, the voice change was humorously acknowledged in a gag during the show's several seasons.

5. Emperor Palpatine — Return Of The Jedi

Ian McDiarmid, the acclaimed Scottish actor, is best known for his role as Emperor Palpatine in the Star Wars franchise. While he portrayed the character in all three trilogies, his appearance in the original trilogy was added later for the 2004 DVD release of The Empire Strikes Back, demonstrating George Lucas' penchant for refining his creations.

Marjorie Eaton, a former painter, initially provided the visual representation of Palpatine and was voiced by Clive Revill.

4. Carol — Friends

Only die-hard fans of the popular TV show Friends noticed that the character of Carol, Ross' ex-wife, was played by two different actresses. In the first season, Anita Barone played the role of Carol, but an unknown change occurred and Jane Sibbett took over the character.

Sibbett continued to play Carol for the rest of the series, eventually making the character her own and letting viewers forget that someone else had played the role before.

3. Dash — Incredibles 2

Child actors face the inevitable challenge of growing up, and the same thing happened to Spencer Fox, the original voice of Dash in The Incredibles. He was just 11 when the movie was released in 2004, but by the time Incredibles 2 came out in 2018, he was 25.

In the sequel, Dash was recast with Huckleberry Milner, who had a youthful voice to match, while Spencer Fox pursued a career in music, playing guitar for the band Charly Bliss, which achieved chart success in 2019.

2. Cassie Lang — Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Casting changes are an integral part of the MCU, and the Ant-Man universe has seen its fair share of them. The first Ant-Man films originally starred Abby Ryder Fortson as Cassie Lang, but after the jump to Avengers: Endgame, an all-grown-up Emma Fuhrmann took over.

However, in 2023's Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Kathryn Newton stepped into the role of Scott Lang's daughter, leaving Emma Fuhrmann completely devastated.

1. Red Skull — Avengers: Infinity War

In Avengers: Infinity War, one of the most surprising twists was the return of the Red Skull, last seen in Captain America: The First Avenger. After disappearing through a Tesseract portal, the Red Skull reappeared as the guardian of the Soul Stone on Vormir.

While Hugo Weaving originally portrayed the character, he declined to return for Infinity War, opening the door for Ross Marquand, known for his role as Aaron on The Walking Dead. Marquand's impressive performance mimicked Weaving's German accent so well that Marvel continued to use him for the character.