Infamous Actor Replacements That Made Movies Worse (3 of 5)

4. Richard Harris to Michael Gambon (Albus Dumbledore)

Richard Harris gave Dumbledore a gentle gravitas, like a grandfather who might slip you a cookie before dinner and a life lesson. After Harris passed, Michael Gambon took over from Prisoner of Azkaban onward. He chose a more blunt headmaster, which clashed with many readers’ image of the character. The most infamous moment was probably that intense Goblet-of-Fire grab that launched a thousand memes. Gambon is a powerhouse, but the tonal swings did not make the fans appreciate him more.

5. James Marsden to Tye Sheridan (Cyclops)

James Marsden’s Cyclops in the original X-Men films was often sidelined, yet he still radiated “team leader” energy and bounced nicely off Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. Timeline resets brought us a younger Cyclops played by Tye Sheridan. He took over the mutant’s visor in Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix. The problem isn’t Sheridan’s talent, it’s that the movies didn’t allow him to play the Cyclops we know and love. He’s not leading, he’s not sparring, he’s mostly just “there.” When Cyclops lacks presence, the X-Men feel incomplete.