18 movie stars who were replaced mid-shoot (19 photos)

When something goes wrong during filming, producers and directors have to make the most difficult decisions to adapt to the ever-changing process. But sometimes unexpected changes turn out to be for the better, and this list is proof of that. After all, if these actors hadn't been fired mid-production, these iconic characters would have been completely different from the ones we know and love.





Michael J. Fox replaced Eric Stoltz in Back to the Future

Michael J. Fox was initially offered the iconic role of Marty McFly, but he was busy with other projects at the time, so the role ultimately went to Eric Stoltz.



Sid Sheinberg, head of Universal, even supported the decision. But despite filming most of Stoltz's scenes, his performance was ultimately deemed overly dramatic and lacking the humor the creators were looking for in the role. Fox was then contacted again, and his availability was resolved.

Zemeckis decided to personally inform Stoltz of the decision and later said it was "the most difficult meeting I've ever had, and I was to blame for it. I broke his heart."

Eddie Murphy replaced Sylvester Stallone in "Beverly Hills Cop"

"Beverly Hills Cop" is considered a comedy classic.





When Sylvester Stallone was cast as Axel Foley, he wanted to make changes to the script and add more heroism to his character, essentially making him an action hero. This vision didn't please the creators, and Stallone was replaced by Eddie Murphy, who brought his unique charm to the film.

Viggo Mortensen replaced Stuart Townsend in The Lord of the Rings

Stuart Townsend, then a relatively new name in the film industry, was cast as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings, but only lasted a few days on set.



The director quickly realized Townsend was too young to play the Wanderer, and the role was given to Viggo Mortensen, who made the character iconic.

Jodie Foster replaces Nicole Kidman in "Panic Room"

Nicole Kidman had already begun filming the thriller "Panic Room," but she suffered a knee injury, which she had previously injured on the set of "Moulin Rouge," and was unable to continue.



The role was given to Jodie Foster, who was scheduled to direct another film at the time, but filming had to be canceled because the film's star, Russell Crowe, also suffered an injury.

Hugh Jackman replaces Dougray Scott in X-Men

Everyone knows Wolverine from the X-Men franchise, as well as the actor who plays him.



But the role of the gruff hero was intended for Dougray Scott, who was rapidly gaining popularity in 1999. However, Scott's other project was delayed, and he was unavailable when filming began on X-Men, so the role was given to Hugh Jackman, and you know what happened next.

Ed Harris replaces Dennis Hopper in "The Truman Show"

The Truman Show is an impressive film with many profound themes and ideas, and the brilliant cast made it twice as good.



The role of Christoph, the main creator of the fake city, was originally Dennis Hopper's choice; however, the actor had difficulty portraying the character (rumor has it he forgot his lines), so the role was given to Ed Harris, who certainly excelled in it.

Michelle Pfeiffer replaces Annette Bening in "Batman Returns"

Catwoman, a rather important figure in Batman's life, was originally played by Oscar nominee Annette Bening, but she had to leave the project due to pregnancy, and Michelle Pfeiffer took her place.



The replacement was unexpected, and Pfeiffer said she even had to wear clothes prepared for Bening, as filming was rushed to begin.

Sandra Bullock replaces Lori Petty in "Demolition Man"

In the 1990s, Lori Petty established herself as a reliable actress and was slated to appear in Demolition Man alongside such acclaimed actors as Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes.



However, she reportedly didn't get along with Stallone and was replaced by then-newcomer Sandra Bullock.

Michael Biehn replaces James Remar in Aliens

Fans of the Alien franchise will immediately recognize Michael Biehn, who played Hicks, but the role didn't land him right away.



James Remar was originally slated to play the character, but he was fired after a few weeks of filming, citing creative differences. The actor himself later admitted to suffering from drug addiction and lost the role due to a drug test.

Hugo Weaving replaces James Purefoy in "V for Vendetta"

The iconic character from "V for Vendetta" might have had a completely different demeanor if the director had stuck with his first choice for the role.



James Purefoy played V for six weeks of filming until the creators decided he couldn't emote properly behind the mask. Hugo Weaving was offered the role of V, and it is his performance that we see in the film.

Kevin Peter Hall replaced Jean-Claude Van Damme in "Predator"

Of course, the Predator is usually recognized by his mask, not the actor behind it, but it's still intriguing that that actor could have been Jean-Claude Van Damme himself.



The real reason Van Damme left the project and was replaced by Kevin Peter Hall remains a mystery: according to one theory, the actor felt too stuffy in the makeup and costume, to the point of fainting.

Christopher Plummer replaced Kevin Spacey in "All the Money in the World"

Some replacements had to be made out of dire necessity. This was the case with "All the Money in the World," in which Kevin Spacey was originally supposed to play the oil tycoon.



Due to sexual assault allegations against the actor, director Ridley Scott quickly removed him from the film and reshot all of Christopher Plummer's scenes, who even received an Oscar nomination for the role.

Martin Sheen replaced Harvey Keitel in "Apocalypse Now"

Harvey Keitel was cast as Captain Benjamin L. Willard in "Apocalypse Now," although the director had another actor in mind for the role.



Keitel was ultimately unable to fulfill the director's vision, and his place was taken by Martin Sheen, who had originally been offered the role, but was then busy with other projects.

Scarlett Johansson replaces Samantha Morton in "Her"

Two-time Oscar nominee Samantha Morton was cast to voice the artificial intelligence character Samantha in the film "Her."



However, during post-production, it became clear that the AI's voice was lacking something. "As we began editing, we realized the character/film needed something different, something that Samantha and I had created together," the film's director said. So, Scarlett Johansson lost the role.

Paul Dano replaced Kel O'Neill in There Will Be Blood

Kel O'Neill was cast as Eli Sunday in There Will Be Blood, opposite superstar Daniel Day-Lewis.



However, after filming began, it became clear that O'Neill wasn't quite right for the role, and even the actor himself realized it. The role was then given to Paul Dano, who was already on set playing Eli's brother (the script was simply adjusted to make them twins).

Melissa McCarthy replaced Julianne Moore in "Can You Ever Forgive Me?"

Julianne Moore was fired from "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" just six days before filming began.



Moore admitted that her opinion differed from the director's:

"I think her vision of the character was different from my vision of the character."

The actress is said to have wanted to film in a "fat suit" to better resemble the real woman she was portraying. Moore was replaced by Melissa McCarthy, who was even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress.

Mark Wahlberg replaces Ryan Gosling in The Lovely Bones

The film The Lovely Bones tells the story of a missing girl and her family.



The role of the father was originally intended for Ryan Gosling, who gained weight specifically for the role. Gosling decided it was logical for a distressed father whose daughter had gone missing, but director Peter Jackson disagreed, and Gosling was replaced by Mark Wahlberg.

Ben Whishaw replaced Colin Firth in Paddington

Colin Firth was originally supposed to voice the wonderful talking bear Paddington.



But at some point (after the actor had almost finished recording), it became clear that his voice didn't match the animation of the adorable bear.

"It was both joyful and heartbreaking to watch this delightful creature take shape and come to the sad realization that my voice simply wasn't right for him."

Firth was replaced by Ben Whishaw.