It’s rare for a movie franchise that lasts for many years to keep the same cast throughout. It’s similar to a film like Richard Linklater’s Boyhood, which took a dozen years to make – if a key actor had dropped out, the whole project would have been ruined. Luckily, franchises are more flexible. They can continue even if one or more of the original stars leave. We’re focusing on upcoming installments where that’s happened – movies continuing without actors who were fired, replaced, or have retired.
We’ve removed characters whose voice actors have passed away. This includes Carl Weathers (Combat Carl, now voiced by Ernie Hudson), Don Rickles (Mr. Potato Head, now Jeff Bergman), and Estelle Harris (Mrs. Potato Head, now Anna Vocino).
7) The Super Mario Galaxy Movie — Seth Rogen (As Well As Fred Armisen & Sebastian Maniscalco
Nearly all of the main actors from The Super Mario Galaxy Movie are reprising their roles for the highly anticipated sequel. Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, and Keegan-Michael Key are all confirmed to return.
Seth Rogen, Fred Armisen, and Sebastian Maniscalco – who voiced Donkey Kong, Cranky Kong, and Foreman Spike, respectively – aren’t likely to be in this next installment. They might return, however, if the third movie has a more grounded story.
6) The Devil Wears Prada 2 — Adrian Grenier
It’s understandable that Adrian Grenier won’t be back as Nate Cooper in The Devil Wears Prada 2. He played a more significant role earlier in the first movie than he did later on. Essentially, his main purpose in the original film was to provide a breakup moment for Andy, played by Anne Hathaway, as she became consumed by her job.
Nate’s story wasn’t necessarily closed off for a sequel. At the end of The Devil Wears Prada, he and Andy reconnect in New York, and he shares that he’s landed his ideal job as a sous-chef in Boston. While she’s staying in New York, Boston isn’t far away. There wasn’t a dramatic reason for Adrian Grenier not to return; the filmmakers simply felt his character’s storyline had reached a natural conclusion.
5) Toy Story 5 — Timothy Dalton (& Madeleine McGraw)
As we discussed earlier, some of the original voice actors from the Toy Story films are no longer with us. However, unlike the cases of Don Rickles, Alan Harris, and Carl Weathers, two actors are still alive but won’t be returning for Toy Story 5. Bonnie Anderson, who voiced a young girl in Toy Story 4, hasn’t aged much since Toy Story 3 – she was five in the fourth film and is now eight. Madeleine McGraw, who was ten during Toy Story 4, is now seventeen, making it unrealistic for her to convincingly voice a child again.
It’s unclear why Timothy Dalton isn’t reprising his role as Mr. Pricklepants. He voiced the character in several Toy Story projects between 2010 and 2019, including Toy Story 3, Toy Story Toons: Hawaiian Vacation, Small Fry, Partysaurus Rex, Toy Story of Terror, Toy Story That Time Forgot, and Toy Story 4. Despite such a long run with the character, he didn’t return for Forky Asks a Question, which came out the same year as Toy Story 4, and won’t be involved this time either. This is surprising, as Dalton hasn’t announced his retirement and recently appeared in the show 1923 in 2025.
4) Scary Movie 6 — Shannon Elizabeth (& Much of Scary Movie 2‘s Cast)
Since the third, fourth, and fifth Scary Movie films weren’t made by the Wayans family, it’s no surprise that original stars like Charlie Sheen won’t be in Scary Movie 6—though Anthony Anderson is returning. Unfortunately, several actors from the first and second Scary Movie films also won’t be involved in this new installment.
I’m so excited to see Anna Faris and Regina Hall back for another movie! And it’s awesome that Marlon and Shawn Wayans are returning, along with some of the original cast from the very first Scary Movie – Jon Abrahams, Lochlyn Munro, Dave Sheridan, and Cheri Oteri! It looks like Chris Elliott is the only one coming back from Scary Movie 2, though. Honestly, the one big absence that really stands out to me is Shannon Elizabeth. Bringing back so many people from the first film makes her not being included feel especially noticeable.
3) Avengers: Doomsday — Evangeline Lilly (& Kathryn Newton)
Paul Rudd will be in the next Avengers movie, but his role seems to be more of a standalone story. While Kathryn Newton’s character, Cassie Lang, might make an appearance, Evangeline Lilly’s Hope van Dyne won’t be involved.
Lilly shared in June 2024 that she was stepping away from acting to prioritize her family and dedicate herself to charitable causes. Then, in late May 2025, she suffered a serious head injury after a fall. While she might appear in a film again sometime, it doesn’t seem very probable. She’s content focusing on her recovery and personal life, which is what matters most. Fans are curious about how the plot of Doomsday will address her character’s absence, and many expect it to be similar to how the departures of Pepper Potts and Jane Foster were handled in other films.
2) Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu — Amy Sedaris (& Others)
Currently, Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu stars Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver, and Jeremy Allen White, along with Grogu himself. We can also expect to see some returning characters from the series.
So far, there’s been no confirmation about the return of characters like Migs Mayfeld, Peli Motto, Bo-Katan Kryze, Koska Reeves, Cobb Vanth, Boba Fett, Fennec Shand, or Ahsoka Tano. It’s also confirmed that Gina Carano won’t be back as Cara Dune, and sadly, we’ve lost Carl Weathers. However, many fans would be disappointed if Amy Sedaris doesn’t appear in at least one scene.
1) Scream 7 — Melissa Barrera (& Jenna Ortega)
The 2022 reboot of Scream by Radio Silence was a big success, expertly blending familiar faces with new characters and, of course, plenty of thrills. The film smartly centered on the Carpenter sisters, and the strong connection between actresses Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega was key to making this new direction work. Interestingly, both Barrera and Ortega were only committed to appearing in two movies, and Scream VI provides a fitting and sensible conclusion to their characters’ stories.
The very public firing of Barrera sparked doubts about whether the studio ever planned to renew her contract. Regardless, she shared pro-Palestine views online and was then fired, and soon after, Ortega also left the project. While initially explained as a scheduling issue with Wednesday Season 2, the real reason was that the planned script for Scream 7 was falling apart. Though she hasn’t explicitly stated it, it seems likely Ortega left in support of Barrera.
Who’s an actor you’d love to see reprise their role in a favorite franchise? Share your thoughts in the comments and discuss it with other fans on the ComicBook Forum!
Read More
- Best Controller Settings for ARC Raiders
- Every Targaryen Death in Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon & AKOTSK, Ranked
- The Best Members of the Flash Family
- The Pitt Season 2, Episode 7 Recap: Abbot’s Return To PTMC Shakes Things Up
- Battlefield 6 Season 2 Update Is Live, Here Are the Full Patch Notes
- Dan Da Dan Chapter 226 Release Date & Where to Read
- Duffer Brothers Discuss ‘Stranger Things’ Season 1 Vecna Theory
- Wreckreation Review – Burnout Lite
- 2D ‘Star Wars: Clone Wars’ Series Isn’t Canon, but It Is Great
- Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die review: Clever, infectious and wildly original – AI be damned
2026-02-22 22:16