Replacements that were better than the original

[Madmick]

Not quite a John Cusack level fall off, but his career hasn't turned out as great as you'd have thought, especially the last decade as stated. Great early run though.

Think it's partly his own choice, though, after not having good experiences on the likes of The Italian Job and Hulk. He's minted so doesn't need to compromise, good on him.

Born into extreme wealth.....smashed prime Salma Hayak and made enough for 10 life times, so don't need to feel bad for him.

Maybe. I never really figured out how to map expectations. Some said that about Mickey Rourke. People also often used to say it about Robert Downey Jr.

Norton had American History X changed so much the director disowned the film and asked for his name to be taken off the production

The reason why Tony Kaye disowned 'American History X'

Tony Kaye directed 'American History X' with Edward Norton, Beverly D'Angelo, Ethan Suplee and Elliott Gould. He would later work with Adrien Brody...

faroutmagazine.co.uk

A director who went on to do almost nothing else of value in his career. BTW, that same director was once kicked out of the most exclusive actor's workshop perhaps in history, a private one held by Marlon Brando, by Brando himself, one that included an enthusiastic young Leonard DiCaprio in attendance, because he wouldn't obnoxiously stop berating actors in the middle of performances; shoving the camera into their faces, calling for cuts because "that was dogshit" & to start over, etc. Apparently he really pissed off Brando who finally told him to kick rocks.

With Hulk, supposedly he wanted a darker more serious tone and Feige didn't like it.

The Incredible Hulk: Why Edward Norton Never Returned For a Sequel

The Hulk may live on in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but ego clashes and shared universe plans have kept Edward Norton from joining his The Incredible Hulk co-stars in returning to the franchise.

www.denofgeek.com

Feige had the temperature right of the MCU writ large, but that was the worst Hulk movie ever made, so maybe it could have been better.

I've read some articles before that have discussed how apparently difficult Norton can be, and sometimes, maybe that ruins things, but sometimes, it can also lead to greatness.

 

[revoltub]

Personally, I don't really like any of them but the bands success flourished under Brian

Back in black was their biggest album I think but I think they still wouldve been as popular and gotten bigger with Scott

 

[Pliny Pete]

Jerry Stiller replaced the original actor that did George Costanza father for 1 episode and Stiller is just perfect for that role. Jerry Seinfeld dad also were replaced btw

I was wondering if someone was gonna bring this up, Seinfeld without all those classic Frank Costanza moments just wouldn't be the same at all
Replacing the Seinfeld dad was smart too, he wasn't as memorable as Jerry Stiller but he still had some really funny scenes, the original dad was too dull and reserved to pull them off imo

 

[Darkavius]

This is very debatable for some but I would say Tom Holland replacing Toby McGuire for Spider-Man in the MCU. I really like McGuire as Spider-Man but Holland to me was just a better overall Spider-Man imo.

 

[Pliny Pete]

Sweet Stan replacing Loverboy Dennis took the Midnight Express from a great tag team to a legendary tag team

 

[Plutoburn]

This, except I don't see how he's been "irrelevant the past decade". Maybe as a lead. He did Birdman, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and Glass Onion. He also did voice work in Isle of Dogs and Sausage Party.

You also forgot Death to Smoochy in your list. That's one of the greatest black comedies of all time. It's incredible.

Also The Illusionist was a really cool movie that everyone sort of forgets because it came out the same year as The Prestige, IIRC. On top of that, I don't care if everone else doesn't like it, I loved The Italian Job remake with Mark Wahlberg. Such a fun movie.

Ed Norton is fucking great.

I don't know why but I didn't like Death to smoochy. Though I've only seen it once in the theater when it came out a long time ago, I may have to watch it again. I was only listing movies that came out earlier in his career that he was the leading role and great in. Maybe irrelavant is too critical, more accurate to say that he was so successful early on that it feels like he has been irrelavant in comparison later in his career. Of the more recent things he has done, I think Motherless Brooklyn is a good movie, plays a man suffering from Tourette, I think he brought more to the table than what he did in Glass Onion.

 

[Goon Dog]

Timothy B Schmit replacing Randy Meisner in The Eagles. Meisner did a beautiful job, especially on Take it to the Limit, but Schmit's high harmonies are as good as it gets in any genre of music. Don Hendley described it as the beautiful ribbon and bow wrapping the package. A kind soul with an amazing voice.

 

[lakersfan45]

Mike Patton replacing Chuck Mosley in faith no more. I love the Mosley era material but Pattons versatility and input of writing/ direction allowed faith no more to morph into one of the most creative and diverse bands

Not a replacement but drew barrymore not taking the lead in scream and wanting to be Casey decker in the first scene was pivotal in scream becoming a classic

 

[Bacco]

New Bison is best Bison

 

[IanEdwards]

Jimmy Smits replacing David Caruso in NYPD Blue. (Nobody likes a red head.)

good call. I was an impressionable teen when i watched this I still end up aping/ homaging some of his mannerisms to this day, i rewatched quite a few episodes recently and noticed just how much i remembered and copied of how he and Sipowitz would use sarcasm and certain verbal power-moves.

 

[IanEdwards]

Nils Lofgren was a better guitarist than Steve Van Zandt. prove me wrong (i know he didn't permanently replace him, but...)

 

[crabmeat]

Hate to say it, but I refer more of graves songs in the misfits vs danzig

I prefer Dez over Rollins in Black Flag.

 

[crabmeat]

I was wondering if someone was gonna bring this up, Seinfeld without all those classic Frank Costanza moments just wouldn't be the same at all
Replacing the Seinfeld dad was smart too, he wasn't as memorable as Jerry Stiller but he still had some really funny scenes, the original dad was too dull and reserved to pull them off imo

I often lose my wallet in my home. When I search for it I scream, "My wallet's gone! My wallet's gone!"

 

[RoastBeast]

 

[Batjester]

Sweet Stan replacing Loverboy Dennis took the Midnight Express from a great tag team to a legendary tag team

100% truth.

 

[jimbob27]

I guess most people would say Anthony Hopkins played a better Hannibal Lecter than Brian Cox, although I prefer Cox's Lecter

Hopkin's Hannibal Lecter is kinda a victim of it's own success.

He played the serial killer / psychopath so well, it instantly became the stereotype for that role. His performance was emulated to death.... and then arguably ruined by the crappy Hannibal and Hannibal rising follow-ups. Now it seems kinda corny in comparison to Cox's more sober and mature portrayal.

 

[IDGETKTFO]

Jon Anik replacing Mike Goldberg.

 

[Zer]

Hopkin's Hannibal Lecter is kinda a victim of it's own success.

He played the serial killer / psychopath so well, it instantly became the stereotype for that role. His performance was emulated to death.... and then arguably ruined by the crappy Hannibal and Hannibal rising follow-ups. Now it seems kinda corny in comparison to Cox's more sober and mature portrayal.

I think like Brian Cox's Lecter is a serial killer you could see actually functioning in society, like being able to blend in and develop relationships and manipulate people as serial killers do. Whereas Hopkins's Lecter is obviously a serial killer. Like how embarrassing would it be to get killed by that guy? You didn't see the signs? I think Foster was the MVP for how she sold that performance

 

[moreorless87]

I think like Brian Cox's Lecter is a serial killer you could see actually functioning in society, like being able to blend in and develop relationships and manipulate people as serial killers do. Whereas Hopkins's Lecter is obviously a serial killer. Like how embarrassing would it be to get killed by that guy? You didn't see the signs? I think Foster was the MVP for how she sold that performance

Hopkins Lecter is more a caged monster she has to confront were as Cox its more about a macho showdown between him and Peterson, playing the characters as nominally friendly but you can see the hatred behind that.

 

[jimbob27]

Even by the point of Silence of the Lambs, the character had become over-written to the point of not really being a realistic personality type.

He had multiple autistic-savant traits, whilst simultaneously having a sensitivity that put him the far end of the not-autistic spectrum. Savant traits are extremely rare and are always accompanied by severe restrictions in other parts of their brain, yet he's got more than one of them, with no detrimental side-effects.

Hamming it up as the caged monster was fine because him functioning in society was left to our imaginations. It all went to shit for me in Hannibal, when he was hissing at people in the streets like fucking Nosferatu.