7 Stupidest Ways Movie Characters Were Written Out of Sequels, Ranked

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When a movie does well, it’s both a good thing and a challenge. It’s rewarding to see hard work pay off with success, but making a sequel can be tricky. First, finding a good idea for the next film isn’t always easy, as not all movies naturally lead to a continuation. Then there’s the pressure of meeting fan expectations – after all, they’re the ones who buy the tickets! However, once the script is finished, things usually fall into place, and everyone involved is ready to work together again.

It’s rare for every actor from an original movie to return for the sequel. Often, disagreements over pay or busy schedules lead actors to drop out. When that happens, writers and directors have to explain their character’s absence, and sometimes the results are… awkward. Here’s a ranking of seven of the most ridiculous ways movie characters have been written out of sequels.

7) Mikaela Banes (Transformers: Dark of the Moon)

In the first two Transformers movies, Sam Witwicky unexpectedly gets caught in the middle of a huge war between the Autobots and Decepticons. He has to cope with the chaos and help Optimus Prime and the Autobots, all while trying to stay alive. Luckily, he has his girlfriend, Mikaela Banes, to support him.

At the conclusion of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Mikaela and Sam reaffirmed their love and seemed very happy together. But by the start of Transformers: Dark of the Moon, they had broken up, with the split happening sometime between movies. It’s surprising that a couple who faced an alien invasion together would end their relationship.

6) Lori Collins (Ted 2)

John Bennett appears to be a decent guy when we first meet him in Ted. He’s good to his girlfriend, Lori Collins, and just goes through the motions at his uninspiring job – pretty much what anyone would expect. The only strange thing about John is that he has a talking teddy bear that constantly causes problems.

The first Ted movie starts with Lori trying to come between Ted and John, but she eventually accepts both of them and marries John. The movie ends with a narrator confirming they live happily ever after. However, Ted 2 retcons this happy ending by revealing that John and Lori actually got divorced.

5) Ali (Karate Kid 2)

In The Karate Kid, Daniel LaRusso is juggling the typical challenges of being a teenager with the intense pressure of competing in a karate tournament against a ruthless opponent. Luckily, he’s not facing it alone – he has the guidance of his wise mentor, Mr. Miyagi, and the support of his girlfriend, Ali Mills.

Daniel and Ali’s relationship began in The Karate Kid, but she doesn’t appear in the sequel – which isn’t surprising, as high school romances often end. However, the way they broke up was particularly difficult, as Daniel shared that Ali left him for a football player and was also responsible for a car accident. Cobra Kai later clarifies that Daniel wasn’t entirely honest about what happened, and it’s still a painful memory.

4) Dwayne Hicks/Newt (Alien 3)

It’s amazing when characters manage to survive a scary horror movie, particularly when facing terrifying creatures like aliens. In the film Aliens, Ellen Ripley, Lance Bishop, Newt, and Dwayne Hicks barely escape the Xenomorphs, ultimately entering cryo-sleep to make it through their extended journey.

Instead of letting Hicks and Newt survive, Alien 3 quickly kills them in a crash landing. While Ripley is devastated by their deaths, it doesn’t excuse the fact that they deserved better endings.

3) Agent L (Men in Black II)

Tommy Lee Jones often plays characters who are past their prime. In Men in Black, he’s Agent K, an experienced alien hunter who mentors a new recruit, Agent J, played by Will Smith. The film suggests Agent K is nearing retirement, preparing to pass the torch to someone new to work alongside Agent J.

I was so intrigued when I first saw Laurel Weaver in Men in Black. As a coroner, she stumbled onto this incredible alien world and I was immediately hooked by her desire to understand it all. She quickly became part of the MIB, and honestly, I thought she was going to be a phenomenal agent! It was a real surprise, though, to find out in Men in Black II that she’d gone back to her old life at the morgue. I always wondered what happened to her!

2) Steven Hiller (Independence Day: Resurgence)

Will Smith and aliens have a familiar dynamic. In the movie Independence Day, instead of attempting to communicate with the aliens, Steven Hiller, played by Smith, focuses on defeating them, as they pose a global threat. True to form for a Will Smith character, he succeeds in helping to destroy their main ship.

Okay, so Independence Day: Resurgence just… glosses over what happened to Captain Hiller. Apparently, he died test-piloting a new aircraft – they don’t really dwell on it, honestly. The story then quickly pivots to his stepson, Dylan, who finds himself thrown into the mix when the aliens decide to pay us another unwelcome visit. He teams up with a blend of characters we know and some fresh faces to try and save the day.

1) Duke (G.I. Joe: Retaliation)

When Duke first encounters the G.I. Joe team in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, he’s hesitant to trust them. However, they eventually resolve their differences and team up to defeat a dangerous organization run by Rex Lewis, the brother of Duke’s former fiancée. By the film’s end, Duke has joined the G.I. Joe team and is committed to defending the world at all costs.

Duke is one of the few characters from the first movie who appears in G.I. Joe: Retaliation, but he doesn’t survive for long. He dies in an early explosion, quickly passing the lead role to Roadblock, played by Dwayne Johnson. It’s a disappointing end for such a good character, and it feels like the writers could have easily given him something else to do.

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2025-11-30 20:17