To recast actors the MCU should create the MUU

[cognizant]

It seems obvious. So obvious I'm tempted to believe it's inevitable...

As you know, some actors will be looking to retire from the MCU, such as Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans. The idea of recasting these roles is tough, both in terms of actors as well as narratively (i.e - recasting a young-looking actor playing Stark would be weird, they'd have to get someone similar in age to Downey Jr, but then that doesn't really help Marvel from a business perspective). But the idea of Marvel not using these characters anymore is also ludicrous considering how much money they bring to the franchise.

So the MCU should continue to be inspired by the comics and create the Marvel Ultimate Universe. An exceptionally easy and graceful way to recast actors and continue raking in money. With the MUU Marvel can start it with characters not existing in the MCU, and then after a while they can reintroduce characters like Iron Man, and Cap with new younger actors without disrupting the main universe movies.

Naturally the Ultimate universe will have films that all have 'Ultimate' in the title making it easy for casual movie goers to digest the concept of a parallel universe unrelated to the MCU. Ultimate She-Hulk. Ultimate Fantastic Four, etc, etc.

In the MUU we can have Miles as Spidey, maybe Iron Man's origin is completely different, Young Avengers, you name it. Heck maybe the MUU has X-Men but the MCU doesn't. Maybe the MUU can have R rated movies, while the MCU doesn't. The possibilities are endless.

What do you think? Is this gonna happen? How do you foresee Marvel handling recasting actors and dealing with their characters? If Evans retires from the MCU, what happens to Cap, and how would Marvel bring him back in the future? They've recasted before without incident, Don Cheadle for Terrence Howard but he wasn't the main star and they both looked the same age. Recasting Iron Man and Cap is gonna be interesting. I really think reintroducing the characters in the MUU would be great, more characters for us, more money for Marvel.

Kids in the future will be like:
"What's your favourite cinematic universe?"
"I like the MCU!"
"Why?"
"Because the MUU sounds like a cow."
"...yeah, but the MUU has Iron Man now and the MCU doesn't."
"haha, you sound like a cow!"

 

[VAD]

Yeah I want to watch an Ultimatum movie and Asshole Captain America.
I think the MCU is already the adaptation of anything worthwhile in the Ultimate universe.

 

[R0b1n]

I would pay money NOT to see the ultimate universe adapted (especially ultimatum). So many more alternate universes are better, hell I'll take Marvel 1602 over that

But if it's completely divorced from the comics I won't mind that much

 

[Soapbox Killer]

The comics have recast heroes in the cannon, the MCU should be no different.

You dont recast Steve Rodgers, you change who Captain America is.

 

[Harry Potter Obama]

That would be really confusing for audiences

 

[Potterson]

MCU 2: Revengeance

 

[Deleted member 7051]

Could just not recast them. There are literally hundreds if not thousands of superheroes they can use and if they can make weird stuff like a talking tree work they'll have no problems making just about anyone popular.

Might be weird to never see Tony Stark again but he's hardly the only Iron Man anyway.

 

[cognizant]

I would pay money NOT to see the ultimate universe adapted (especially ultimatum). So many more alternate universes are better, hell I'll take Marvel 1602 over that

But if it's completely divorced from the comics I won't mind that much

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Oh yeah they can totally ignore actual Ultimate storylines, it's more of a branding thing really.

 

[jon bones]

MCU doesn't need Iron Man - BP & Carol are already billion dollar franchises ONE movie in

 

[thecouncil]

Have other established characters take on the name and costume of Captain America, make movies about other superheroes that aren't Captain America, recast Steve Rogers in 10 years.

Use this process for all of the mains.

 

[Hey Please]

The new face of next decade of Marvel's timeline:

 

[cognizant]

Could just not recast them. There are literally hundreds if not thousands of superheroes they can use and if they can make weird stuff like a talking tree work they'll have no problems making just about anyone popular.

Might be weird to never see Tony Stark again but he's hardly the only Iron Man anyway.

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I used to think that way, that Marvel has so many characters to adapt from the comics, and they made a talking racoon a memorable character....and yet...I just can't imagine Marvel not using Iron Man and Cap again, there's simply too much money left on the table from a business perspective. Sure the new characters like BP are making money, but put yourself in the uncomfortable shoes of a witless exec, shareholder and CEO. They're not gonna leave Iron Man and Cap dead for long.

 

[Pai Pai Master]

No. No thanks.

Just focus on the one Marvel Cinematic Universe. it's fine to branch out and tell stories that take place in other universes but setting up an entirely separate narrative like that just muddies the waters. Plus they've already done some work setting up Miles and the Young Avengers in the MCU. New, younger heroes replacing the older ones is the way to go.

Feige said originally they were just gonna recast the characters like Bond. But I think at the time he underestimated how much these actors would embody the characters and connect with fans the way they have. Now, they just need to respect that and let the characters move on as the actors do. Give them all a satisfying conclusion to their arcs, and let other characters take up their mantles or just give their supporting heroes the spotlight they deserve.

There's always gonna be other media in which to tell those characters' stories. The MCU will eventually run its course and they'll start again. But for now, they need to respect the legacy of the characters and let them gracefully exit the stage.

 

[Ukumio]

Honestly, I'd rather they "retire" characters who have actors who have retired. Marvel has more than enough characters to keep them going for decades without having to recast characters.

I used to think that way, that Marvel has so many characters to adapt from the comics, and they made a talking racoon a memorable character....and yet...I just can't imagine Marvel not using Iron Man and Cap again, there's simply too much money left on the table from a business perspective. Sure the new characters like BP are making money, but put yourself in the uncomfortable shoes of a witless exec, shareholder and CEO. They're not gonna leave Iron Man and Cap dead for long.

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You forget that when the MCU started Iron Man and Captain America were among their most unpopular books. The MCU made them into household names and in so doing boosted the sales of the respective books.

 

[cognizant]

No. No thanks.

Just focus on the one Marvel Cinematic Universe. it's fine to branch out and tell stories that take place in other universes but setting up an entirely separate narrative like that just muddies the waters.

Feige said originally they were just gonna recast the characters like Bond. But I think at the time he underestimated how much these actors would embody the characters and connect with fans the way they have. Now, they just need to respect that and let the characters move on as the actors do. Give them all a satisfying conclusion to their arcs, and let other characters take up their mantles or just give their supporting heroes the spotlight they deserve.

There's always gonna be other media in which to tell those characters' stories. The MCU will eventually run its course and they'll start again. But for now, they need to respect the legacy of the characters and let them gracefully exit the stage.

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I agree with you in spirit, I should add that I don't really want an MUU, ideally I want Marvel to just go through all the characters in the comics rather than recast them, but I see recasting as a cynical business inevitability, and the MUU could be a neat way to deal with that. Otherwise I don't know how they cast a younger Iron Man in the MCU without it being really weird.

 

[SturokBGD]

Might be weird to never see Tony Stark again but he's hardly the only Iron Man anyway.

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This. It's not uncommon for the same superhero be the alter ego for different people in the comic book world. The Ant-Man movies have alluded to this already, and it's the costume that makes the merchandising.

 

[Callibretto]

I used to think that way, that Marvel has so many characters to adapt from the comics, and they made a talking racoon a memorable character....and yet...I just can't imagine Marvel not using Iron Man and Cap again, there's simply too much money left on the table from a business perspective. Sure the new characters like BP are making money, but put yourself in the uncomfortable shoes of a witless exec, shareholder and CEO. They're not gonna leave Iron Man and Cap dead for long.

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unlike the comics where they always keep going back to legacy character even after introducing the next Captain America, Iron-Man, Thor etc, MCU is the one place I could see passing the mantle thing actually work.

 

[cognizant]

This. It's not uncommon for the same superhero be the alter ego for different people. The Ant-Man movies have alluded to this already, and it's the costume that makes the merchandising.

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That's a good point, totally slipped my mind while writing the thread lol. Yeah that's pretty effective, bringing the superhero back but with a new character/actor playing them. Much more convenient than recasting the character under the mask.

Guess it's Riri's time to shine!

 

[WellbornWarrior]

MCU doesn't need Iron Man - BP & Carol are already billion dollar franchises ONE movie in

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You really think those movies would have been as successful as they are without the insane hype the movies before them built up?

 

[ZeoVGM]

You really think those movies would have been as successful as they are without the insane hype the movies before them built up?

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You misunderstood what he said. He's saying the MCU doesn't need them going forward, not that they never needed them.

 

[Pai Pai Master]

That's a good point, totally slipped my mind while writing the thread lol. Yeah that's pretty effective, bringing the superhero back but with a new character/actor playing them. Much more convenient than recasting the character under the mask.

Guess it's Riri's time to shine!

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Yeah. For a bunch of heroes it's also not just one new character that can eventually take up the mantle. Give Rhodes some movies as THE Iron Man. Then introduce Riri or Iron Lad or whoever you want. And there are offshoot characters that are similar enough to their predecessors for marketing purposes. Stature will replace Ant-Man eventually even if she doesn't have the exact same look and power set.

And keep in mind these are all characters still being introduced in comics today. The well won't dry up because the pipeline from comics to movies will continue to be populated with new, interesting and diverse superheroes to replace the old ones. And as someone mentioned above it's fine to keep the old guard around while focusing on the new heroes in the comics, but reality and movies can't work that way. So just let the older characters retire gracefully and give way to the new ones.

 

[jon bones]

You really think those movies would have been as successful as they are without the insane hype the movies before them built up?

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You misunderstood what he said. He's saying the MCU doesn't need them going forward, not that they never needed them.

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Right, the MCU brand is too strong now - people know now if a new thing comes out like GotG or BP or CM they will like it.

So bring on Shang-Chi , The Eternals and add new billion dollar IPs to the portfolio.

 

[LewieP]

They don't need to recast them, they can just pay them/their families a license for their likeness and have digital actors portray them.

 

[WellbornWarrior]

Right, the MCU brand is too strong now - people know now if a new thing comes out like GotG or BP or CM they will like it.

So bring on Shang-Chi , The Eternals and add new billion dollar IPs to the portfolio.

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Ah, I got it now. We'll see if that really is the case when Endgame is done and the whole thing starts fresh again with a complete new meta-plot, assuming they even try to do such an insane thing again.

 

[LL_Decitrig]

What Marvel Studios have learned is that good directors, good writing and good casting help to build a franchise. That's their brand. That's what they'll continue to concentrate on.

 

[jsnepo]

Can't they just stop doing comic book cinematic universes? It has to end right?

 

[Edward]

Soon as the fox deal was happening i said it's the best way to introduce the x-men and the best way to recast is to do Secret Wars P1/P2 as the new phases "avenger" film then ending it out with Avengers vs X-Men when it's time to kill off more characters.

 

[jon bones]

Ah, I got it now. We'll see if that really is the case when Endgame is done and the whole thing starts fresh again with a complete new meta-plot, assuming they even try to do such an insane thing again.

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I doubt we see a new meta-plot for years, in effort to make it feel fresh.

Don't immediately start the next big arc, but rather diversify the cast so you grow in markets like India & China and bring in more women to the fanbase.

Can't they just stop doing comic book cinematic universes? It has to end right?

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If Endgame is a total bomb, you may see it start to slow down.

I suspect the opposite will happen, though 🥰

 

[Deleted member 7051]

I used to think that way, that Marvel has so many characters to adapt from the comics, and they made a talking racoon a memorable character....and yet...I just can't imagine Marvel not using Iron Man and Cap again, there's simply too much money left on the table from a business perspective. Sure the new characters like BP are making money, but put yourself in the uncomfortable shoes of a witless exec, shareholder and CEO. They're not gonna leave Iron Man and Cap dead for long.

Click to shrink...

The thing is they're just superhero names. Anyone can adopt them or receive them. Just because Steve Rogers stops being Captain America doesn't mean Bucky or Sam can't become Captain America instead. The kid from Iron Man 3 is seventeen now. Why can't he step up to the plate and become the new Iron Man?

Even Thor is really straightforward. All you'd need to do is have Thor seal his own power inside Mjolnir and leave it for someone he deems worthy of it. He'd then retire to Asgard with the Odinforce and wait for his successor to figure out how to get there.

 

[Pai Pai Master]

Can't they just stop doing comic book cinematic universes? It has to end right?

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Yeah like when the Marvel comics universe ended?

(Well I guess technically it did. Praise be to God King Doom)

 

[Ryuelli]

I would prefer to just see already established characters "graduated" up. Have Falcon or Bucky become the next CA, Rhodey become the next IM, etc...

[QUOTE="SturokBGD, post: 19592165, member: 7695" The Ant-Man movies have alluded to this already[/QUOTE]

Same with Black Panther.

 

[WellbornWarrior]

Even Thor is really straightforward. All you'd need to do is have Thor seal his own power inside Mjolnir and leave it for someone he deems worthy of it. He'd then retire to Asgard with the Odinforce and wait for his successor to figure out how to get there.

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I don't know if you seen Thor 3 but that particular thing couldn't actually happen unless they go really far back in time in Endgame.

 

[RoninRay]

Just pass the mantle. Like make Shuri the new iron man and eventually Peter can pass the mantle to Miles

 

[Pai Pai Master]

I don't know if you seen Thor 3 but that particular thing couldn't actually happen unless they go really far back in time in Endgame.

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There's actually no reason that Thor couldn't just put the same enchantment on Stormbreaker.

Just pass the mantle. Like make Shuri the new iron man and eventually Peter can pass the mantle to Miles

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I don't understand why I keep seeing this Shuri/Iron Man thing pop up. Shuri has no connection to Iron Man, there are other characters more suited to becoming Iron Man, and Shuri is next in line to be Black Panther.

 

[Deleted member 7051]

I don't know if you seen Thor 3 but that particular thing couldn't actually happen unless they go really far back in time in Endgame.

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I was thinking more of a nod to the original comics. In the very beginning, Odin really did enchant Mjolnir with the spirit of Thor and whoever was worthy of wielding it would be "taken over" by him. They later changed it when it was easier to just say Donald Blake had always been the real Thor and merely forgot, but there's no actual reason why Thor can't just seal his own power inside Mjolnir so that Earth will always have a Thor to protect it even as he turns his own sights to the wider cosmos.

That way you get to recast Thor without replacing him, because the Chris Hemsworth Thor will still have existed and would still exist somewhere off screen.

 

[Ravelle]

We don't need replacements, just introduce a new Generation of Avengers.

 

[WaffleTaco]

Nah, people want new characters, not the same old ones. Also people associate those actors with their characters.

 

[Vic_Viper]

The MCU is already pretty close to the Ultimate universe, at least it was when it first started out. Hell, they were crediting Millar in some of the movie's credits.

I don't think they will "recast" the roles of Tony Stark and Steve Rodgers. Instead I think they will just pass down the mantle to a new character. So someone new will play Captain American, like Bucky or Sam, and someone else will take over as Iron Man. Also they can do a Jane Thor and even a Amadeus Cho Hulk, or She-Hulk (if they can use either). Cap would be much easier to do this with since there's already fan expectation for it. For others like Iron Man they might just "retire" the character, in universe, until there's a reason.

They also have soooo many other characters to use there's almost no need to recast/pass down the roles yet.

 

[SaintBowWow]

I think when major heroes are eventually re-cast there will be some in-universe explanation for it like what the OP is describing. I don't think they'll start a brand new cinematic universe though, but may start digging into the multiverse and somehow get an alternate universe Captain America into the main MCU universe. Or they'll administer some new super soldier serum to an aging Chris Evans Cap and have him morph on-screen into the new actor or something.

 

[Deleted member 7051]

For others like Iron Man they might just "retire" the character, in universe, until there's a reason.

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The best part about that is there's no reason why they can't cameo later on. Instead of recasting Cap, for example, you'd have Bucky taken over. Then when it's time for Bucky to pass the torch, the next Captain America will likely have never even met Rogers. You could play off that insecurity and have Chris Evans show up when they're at their lowest and give a few words of encouragement.

Imagine something like that happening fifteen years from now.

 

[DeaconKnowledge]

I used to think that way, that Marvel has so many characters to adapt from the comics, and they made a talking racoon a memorable character....and yet...I just can't imagine Marvel not using Iron Man and Cap again, there's simply too much money left on the table from a business perspective. Sure the new characters like BP are making money, but put yourself in the uncomfortable shoes of a witless exec, shareholder and CEO. They're not gonna leave Iron Man and Cap dead for long.

Click to shrink...

You have it twisted. They're not going to want any one character get too big lest the actor try to hold them over a barrel. Constants retirings and new blood means contracts stay low, and the fate of your entire universe doesn't rest on some temperamental actor.

 

[Vic_Viper]

The best part about that is there's no reason why they can't cameo later on. Instead of recasting Cap, for example, you'd have Bucky taken over. Then when it's time for Bucky to pass the torch, the next Captain America will likely have never even met Rogers. You could play off that insecurity and have Chris Evans show up when they're at their lowest and give a few words of encouragement.

Imagine something like that happening fifteen years from now.

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Yea I think that would be best out of all the options being discussed. Having them come back later on would be awesome, even if its just for a small role or cameo.

 

[t26]

We somehow managed with 3 different Peter Parker and Bruce Banner. We can deal with new Steve Rogers and Tony Starks if we find the right actor. I need a new Tony Starks, not a new guy or girl in the Iron Man suite.

 

[Bear and bird]

I don't want recasts unless there is a story reason for it. Like Loki returning as Kid Loki, for example.

If they want to continue using characters like Iron Man, Captain America and Hulk, I'd much rather want them make new characters pick up the mantle.

Iron Man -> Riri / Ironheart
Captain America -> Falcon or Winter Soldier
Hulk -> She-Hulk or Amadeus Cho

We somehow managed with 3 different Peter Parker and Bruce Banner. We can deal with new Steve Rogers and Tony Starks if we find the right actor. I need a new Tony Starks, not a new guy or girl in the Iron Man suite.

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What do you think about the Ant-Man movies?

 

[I KILL PXLS]

Or, when they get to the point where they want to bring a bunch of these characters back, they could just do a universe rebooting event like they do in the comics. Recast the ones they want to bring back and keep any around they want.

 

[Anthony Hopkins]

They should not make movies with the retired actors characters for a few years then introduce new actors once it's settled.

 

[Rob]

If they do the MUU, they would more than likely have to do origin movies again, and re-setup the pieces they've spent 10 years working on. Of course they could start in media res, but they would more than likely spend sometime and show how things are different. With a new character, sure they would show the origin again, but it's not Tony getting the suit again. Or Steve being experimented on in WWII.

 

[NameUser]

MCU doesn't need Iron Man - BP & Carol are already billion dollar franchises ONE movie in

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I agree. I think at this point they don't need to remake any of the old movies anytime soon.

 

[lunarworks]

While comic book fans can handle all the absurd intricacies going on in Marvel and DC, I don't think the general audience is going to be able to. Just because the mainstream is into these characters now doesn't mean they're ready for the full geek experience.

 

[cognizant]

While comic book fans can handle all the absurd intricacies going on in Marvel and DC, I don't think the general audience is going to be able to. Just because the mainstream is into these characters now doesn't mean they're ready for the full geek experience.

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We're gonna find out soon how much they can handle thanks to DC's continuing clusterfuck franchise. A Joker origin movie disconnected from the cinematic universe and starring a completely different actor than the last, sequels to Wonder Woman and Suicide Squad that the studio are saying aren't 'sequels' lol.

But I really think the mainstream are now ready for something like an Ultimate universe running concurrently with the main universe, you just have to market it correctly. All moot though, I like the suggestions in this thread that MCU can keep the superheroes but change up the characters putting on the masks/suits. That'll work for a while anyway, they'll eventually want to bring back iconic characters like Stark, etc.