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Sometimes actors leave a franchise for good, but every now and then, a star makes a shocking return. From Cillian Murphy in '28 Years Later' to Robert Downey Jr.'s new role in the MCU, here are some of the most surprising actor comebacks planned for upcoming sequels.
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00:00Sequels are of course the gravy that keeps Hollywood chugging along.
00:04And beyond giving audiences more of what they enjoyed the first time around,
00:07it's generally expected that any cast members who made it through the original film in One Piece
00:12will return. But of course, so often that isn't the case, with actors not returning for sequels
00:17due to ever-pesky scheduling issues, salary disputes, or perhaps even good old-fashioned
00:23creative differences. Then there's the possibility that the filmmakers simply want to go in another
00:28direction entirely. And yet sometimes an actor will return for a sequel many years after the fact,
00:34perhaps even long after fans had given up hope of them ever returning to the franchise.
00:38And that's absolutely the case with these actors, each of whom is set to return for upcoming movie
00:44sequels. In most cases, to the surprise of just about everyone. So with that in mind,
00:48I'm Ellie for WhatCulture and let's take a look at these actors returning for upcoming movie sequels.
00:54Starting with Cillian Murphy 28 Years Later, The Bone Temple. Though some were left disappointed that
01:0128 Days Later star Cillian Murphy didn't appear in the recent sequel 28 Years Later, director Danny
01:07Boyle has confirmed beyond any doubt that audiences will definitely get to see him in the next film 28
01:13Years Later, The Bone Temple. Murphy's original protagonist Jim hasn't appeared in the franchise since 28
01:19days later. And considering both the original's enduring popularity and Murphy's skyrocketing star
01:25profile in the near 25 years since, which includes an Oscar win for his performance in Christopher Nolan's
01:31Oppenheimer, there's clearly a burning desire from fans to see him back. Boyle has warned ahead of time,
01:37however, that Murphy won't have a huge role in The Bone Temple. His cameo more or less intended to act
01:43as a tease
01:43for another sequel which will only get made if The Bone Temple hits at the box office. If it performs
01:50anything like 28 Years Later did, then things are looking good. Though that sequel's wildly polarising
01:55ending may well result in this next film trending downwards at the box office. He's hoping not.
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02:14you sign up today. I'd make that deal. Damn good deal. Anna Faris and Regina Hall Scary Movie 6
02:22When a sixth Scary Movie was announced last year, the first question most fans had was,
02:27Are Anna Faris and Regina Hall coming back? After all, the duo, who played leads Cindy Campbell
02:32and Brenda Meeks in the first four films, didn't appear in the critically savage Scary Movie 5.
02:38And in the other, lesser sequels, it was their comedic timing and screen chemistry that kept
02:43things watchable. Thankfully, back in August, the duo were confirmed to be reprising their much-loved
02:48roles in the now-shooting sequel, ensuring that even if the film as a whole is a mess,
02:53we'll have some more Cindy Brenda hijinks to marvel at. As risky as belated comedy sequels go,
02:59there's little indication that Faris and Hall have missed a step in the near 20 years since they
03:04last played these roles. So here's hoping the rest of the film measures up to their outstanding
03:08comedic chops. Robert Downey Jr. Avengers Doomsday There's simply no upcoming sequel return
03:15more shocking than Robert Downey Jr. in Avengers Doomsday. After all, Downey's iconic Tony Stark died a
03:22deeply affecting sacrificial death at the conclusion of Avengers Endgame back in 2019,
03:28seemingly bringing his tenure as the figurehead of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to a fitting
03:33conclusion. While many expected that Downey would return as an Iron Man variant in Avengers Secret
03:39Wars, just about nobody anticipated that he would come back in the film before this,
03:44Avengers Doomsday, as another character entirely. At last year's San Diego Comic Con,
03:49Marvel Studios announced that Downey would be playing supervillain Doctor Doom in Doomsday,
03:55a jaw-dropping revelation which left Marvel fans the world over absolutely shook. Some were excited,
04:01others saw it as a desperate move on Marvel's part. But nobody knows the precise nature of Downey's role.
04:08Is he playing a Tony Stark variant who has taken the guise of Doctor Doom? Or is he straight up
04:13playing a traditional iteration of Victor Von Doom with no multiversal tricks? As ever, we'll have to
04:18wait and see. The potential for messiness is huge. But if the Russo brothers pull it off,
04:24they'll have the MCU's first mega hit in a good while on their hands. Michael Caine, The Last Witch Hunter
04:312.
04:31Back in October 2023, the great Michael Caine announced his retirement from acting, confirming that his last
04:38role would be Dramedy, The Great Escaper, which released the very same month. And considering
04:43that Caine was 90 years of age at the time, there seemed no reason to believe that Caine would come
04:48out of retirement. And if he did, most assumed it would surely be a cameo in a Christopher Nolan movie.
04:54But to the surprise of just about everyone, Caine announced back in September that he was exiting
04:59retirement to reprise the role of the 36th Dolan in The Last Witch Hunter 2. Caine appeared in the 2015
05:06original as the mentor to Vin Diesel's protagonist, Calder. And at the age of 92, he's imminently set
05:12to play the part once again, seemingly as a favour to Diesel, with whom he's been close friends for
05:17decades. If nothing else, it'll give the world a reason to check out this most improbable sequel to a
05:23film that flopped critically and commercially. George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts,
05:28Don Cheadle, and Casey Affleck. Ocean's 14. 2007's Ocean's 13, well and truly seemed like
05:35the final outing for the original starry-eyed ensemble cast, led by George Clooney, Brad Pitt,
05:42Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, and more. 2018's spin-off Ocean's 8, which revolved around Thief
05:47Danny Ocean's sister Debbie, was a mostly standalone affair which teased that Danny had died. But after
05:53years of rumours, earlier this year, Ocean's 14 was confirmed, with Clooney, Pitt, Damon, and Cheadle
05:59set to return, alongside the franchise's other prominent stars, Julia Roberts and Casey Affleck.
06:05Beyond confirming that the plan is for director David Leitch to shoot the sequel next year,
06:10Clooney also hinted that more familiar faces may well join the cast yet, so we'll just have to wait
06:15and see. Whether any of the Ocean's 8 cast are ported over, especially Sandra Bullock's Debbie,
06:20remains to be seen. But considering the overwhelming popularity of the star-studded original trilogy,
06:26there will surely be many fans keen for another go-around with so many legacy cast members coming back.
06:32Lynn Shay, Insidious 6. Ever since its inception, Lynn Shay's psychic character, Elise Rainier,
06:39has been the beating heart of the Insidious franchise. A rather ironic turn of events,
06:44considering she dies at the end of the first film. All the same, the brilliant Shay has been able to
06:48reprise the fan-favourite role in the sequels, either by appearing in flashbacks or as a spirit. Though many
06:54fans were disappointed that she only returned for a tiny cameo in the most recent installment,
06:59Insidious the Red Door. But for the impending sixth entry, it was announced that Shay would be
07:04returning in a major role. And while the particulars of her comeback aren't yet known, the fact that
07:10she's going to apparently have a meaty front and centre role is just what fans needed to hear. At 82
07:16years of age, it's great to see Shay still going strong as the headliner of a major horror franchise.
07:21Paul Walker, Fast 11. Paul Walker's tenure in the Fast and Furious franchise was cut
07:26heartbreakingly short when he died in a car accident in 2013 in the middle of shooting
07:31Furious 7. This prompted production to pivot, completing Walker's performance by having his
07:37brothers Caleb and Cody serve as body doubles combined with cutting-edge digital doubles of
07:42Walker himself. It served as a bittersweet but affecting farewell to Walker's Brian O'Connor,
07:48who retired from Dom's team at the end to live a quiet life with his family, allowing the character
07:53to continue existing off-screen. Brian has been indirectly referenced in every subsequent sequel,
07:59but Vin Diesel recently confirmed that O'Connor is set to return in earnest in the apparently
08:04final entry into the mainline series, Fast 11. Now obviously there's no way for Walker to directly
08:09reprise his role, and so the assumption is that Brian will appear in the film through similar
08:13techniques to those used in Furious 7, a combination of body doubles and digital doubles,
08:18quite probably taking advantage of modern AI and deepfake technology. It certainly stoked mixed
08:24feelings among fans, some considering it a ghoulish artistic choice, while others recognise Diesel's
08:29desire to honour his late friend in the series' big finale. It's a tough one.
08:34Rick Moranis, Space Force 2. Rick Moranis gave an incredible performance in Mel Brooks'
08:39Star Wars lampooning 1987 spoof Spaceballs, where he played the Darth Vader parodying Dark Helmet.
08:46Though Moranis was one of the most recognisable screen comedians of the 1980s, he opted to step
08:51away from Hollywood following the untimely passing of his wife, Anne, in 1991, choosing to focus instead
08:57on raising his young children as a single father. Moranis appeared only occasionally in films throughout
09:03the 1990s, after which it was reported that he had effectively retired from acting, bar an occasional
09:08cameo or voice role. So when Spaceballs 2 was announced last year, there weren't too many fans
09:14holding out hope that Moranis could be coaxed out of retirement to play Dark Helmet once again.
09:19But earlier this year, Moranis was indeed confirmed to be appearing in the sequel, marking
09:24his first live-action film appearance since 1997's Honey We Shrunk Ourselves. Needless to say,
09:30even if Spaceballs 2 is another underwhelming belated comedy sequel that just took too long
09:35to come together, at least it'll be a sure treat to see Moranis back in one of his most entertaining
09:40roles. Matthew Lillard, David Arquette, and Scott Foley, Scream 7. Scream fans were whipped into a
09:46frenzy when it was announced that Matthew Lillard, David Arquette, and Scott Foley would be reprising
09:51their roles in the upcoming seventh movie. After all, their respective characters, original killer
09:56Stu Marker, fan favourite cop Dewey Riley, and Scream 3's solo ghostface Roman Bridger,
10:01are all dead. So how exactly are they going to be returning for a new film, bar supernatural
10:06shenanigans or a surprise resurrection that risks hugely jumping the shark? There are two obvious
10:11possibilities here. One, the new ghostface killer could be using AI deepfakes of dead characters
10:16to taunt protagonist Sydney, and considering the series' satirical throughline, it would make sense to
10:22tackle one of the most polarising subjects in Hollywood right now. The other possibility is
10:27that Stu, Dewey, and Roman will be featured in a flashback sequence, with fans theorising Scream 7
10:32could depict the murder of Sydney's mother, Maureen. Either way, fans are chomping at the bit to find
10:38out exactly how these three are back. Jennifer Grey, Dirty Dancing 2. Jennifer Grey became an overnight
10:45household name courtesy of her iconic performance as Frances Baby Houseman in 1987's Dirty Dancing.
10:51And though her late co-star Patrick Swayze had a cameo in 2004's prequel Dirty Dancing Havana Nights,
10:58Grey herself has largely stayed distant from the franchise. That is until 2020, when a direct
11:03sequel to Dirty Dancing was announced to be in development, with Grey confirmed to be reprising
11:09her role while also serving as an executive producer. The sequel will reportedly take place in the 1990s,
11:15three decades on from the original's 1960s setting, with Baby now working as a dance instructor,
11:21who crosses paths with a young woman not unlike her younger self. Grey gave an update last year,
11:27stating that the filmmakers were still working hard to get the script right, which is intended to pay
11:32vocal tribute to Patrick Swayze, though it'll certainly be interesting to see if the ongoing
11:36popularity of the 87 original can translate into a successful legacy sequel four decades later.
11:43Keanu Reeves' John Wick 5. John Wick Chapter 4 well and truly felt like a fitting end to Keanu Reeves'
11:49tenure as the titular assassin, especially as he seemingly died a heroic, meaningful death at its
11:55conclusion. But of course, money talks, and with the film grossing an astonishing $447.3 million globally,
12:02it didn't take long for Lionsgate to announce that John Wick 5 was in development. In the more than two
12:07years
12:07since, fans have speculated on precisely what a fifth John Wick film would look like, especially with Reeves
12:13and director Chad Stahelski remaining wishy-washy on John's fate at the end of Chapter 4, which is left
12:19just ambiguous enough to keep everyone guessing. In late 2024, Reeves affirmed his interest in playing
12:25Wick again, though cited the physical challenges involved with his increasing age, and back in March
12:31confirmed that John is indeed dead. However, the next month, Lionsgate formally announced that Reeves
12:37would be involved with John Wick 5, prompting speculation that it would be part prequel, with
12:42Reeves playing a supporting role as he did in the recent Wick spin-off Ballerina. Either way, it'll
12:48certainly be interesting to see how John Wick 5 shakes out, considering the great many who felt that the
12:53fourth film delivered a perfect send-off for the character. Meryl Streep The Devil Wears Prada 2,
12:58a sequel to 2006's much-loved dramedy The Devil Wears Prada, has been in the works for well over a
13:04decade. Though for much of that time, stars Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Meryl Streep expressed
13:10little to no interest in actually doing it. But by last summer, The Devil Wears Prada 2 was indeed
13:15confirmed to be happening, even as some questioned whether Streep, being both 75 years of age and
13:21famously sequel-averse, would actually want to reprise her iconic role of magazine editor Miranda Priestly.
13:26After all, the only other time Streep has appeared in a sequel to one of her previous films was
13:31Mamma Mia Here We Go Again, where she only agreed to show up for a cursory cameo. But it's since
13:37been confirmed that Streep will not only co-star in Prada 2, but have a major role alongside Hathaway
13:42and Blunt. Considering that Streep was Oscar-nominated for her performance in the first film, could she
13:47become one of the few actors to be nominated for the same role twice? I personally am very excited about
13:53this particular film. Norman Reedus The Boondock Saints 3
13:57Norman Reedus and Sean Patrick Flannery were the original stars of cult-thriller The Boondock Saints.
14:02And though both returned for the 2009 sequel, The Boondock Saints 2 All Saints Day, it goes without
14:08saying that Reedus' star profile has grown considerably since then. Between his ongoing role
14:13on The Walking Dead and starring in both Dead Stranding video games, Reedus is now a globally recognisable
14:19star, enough that some doubted whether he'd actually be both able or willing to return for
14:25a third Boondock Saints. The Boondock Saints 3 was first announced back in 2021, and though
14:30development has seemingly been slow going, Reedus confirmed earlier this year that the script had
14:35been written and was now being fine-tuned, while reaffirming that he will be co-starring in it with
14:41Flannery. The threequel has been dubbed something of a reimagining for the franchise, likely hoping to enjoy a
14:47boost off the now-heightened fame of Reedus, while original writer-director Troy Duffy reportedly won't
14:53be returning, having sold off his stake in the IP. Daisy Ridley Untitled Ray Film
14:58With the wildly divisive Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker bringing the nine-film Skywalker
15:03saga to an apparent conclusion, many questioned whether the inevitable next Star Wars movie would
15:09start fresh with a new cast of characters. After all, neither Oscar Isaacs nor John Boyega have expressed
15:15much active interest in returning to the franchise. But in 2023, it was announced that a follow-up to
15:20The Rise of Skywalker is in development, revolving around Daisy Ridley's Ray as she attempts to
15:26rebuild the Jedi Order. Given that Ridley has been by far the most enthusiastic of the three original
15:31leads, and Ray is clearly the overall protagonist of the sequel trilogy, it's a decision that makes a
15:37certain amount of commercial sense, even if the fan response to the news has been mixed at best.
15:42For every Ray fan, there are those who would prefer the entire Skywalker saga to be left behind,
15:47and a new trilogy of movies forged from original characters in a distinct setting we haven't seen
15:53before. Bringing Ridley back should seem like a safe choice, but given the unmistakable franchise
15:58fatigue Star Wars is suffering through right now, will Ray be enough of a draw to actually get butts in
16:03seats? Dan Stevens' Godzilla Kong Supernova Despite the last few Godzilla movies introducing a
16:10number of recurring human characters. It appears that only one of them is set to return for the
16:15Monsterverse's latest outing, Godzilla Kong Supernova. Dan Stevens has been confirmed to return as monarch
16:21vet Trapper Beastly, who in fairness was by far the most memorable and likeable of all the human
16:26characters in the previous film, Godzilla Kong The New Empire. Even so, it's surprising that we won't be
16:32seeing the new empire's other prominent characters in this new sequel. Again though, Trapper was easily
16:38the most entertaining human character in the new empire, so it's certainly a relief that he'll be
16:42returning as a hopefully regular fixture in the Monsterverse from this point onward. But if we're being
16:47totally honest, the more the film focuses on the titular titans, the better. Stockard Channing
16:51and Diane Wiest, Practical Magic 2. Shortly after a sequel to 1998's hit romantic fantasy Practical
16:59Magic was announced, it was confirmed that Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman would be returning as
17:04Sally and Gillian Owens, a pair of sisters descended from witches. After Evan Rachel Wood, who played
17:10Sally's daughter Kylie in the original film, confirmed that she hadn't been invited back for the sequel,
17:15disappointed fans immediately began to question what would become of the first movie's other prominent
17:20cast members. But it was soon enough confirmed that Stockard Channing and Diane Wiest, who played the
17:24sisters' aunts, Frances and Bridget in the original film, were indeed back for Practical Magic 2.
17:30Despite their major roles in the first film, there was never any guarantee that the 81-year-old Channing
17:35and 77-year-old Wiest would be invited back for this sequel, especially with Hollywood ageism being what
17:40it is. But thankfully, the two veterans will be back to play the unforgettable pair once again.
17:46Zendaya and Jacob battle on Spider-Man Brand New Day.
17:49Spider-Man No Way Home ended with Peter Parker having himself erased from everyone's memory in
17:55order to correct the unspooling multiverse, seemingly teeing up a sequel where he could
18:00operate as an anonymous Spider-Man once again. This meant there was no guarantee that the next film
18:04would feature substantial, if any, appearances from Peter's girlfriend MJ and best pal Ned.
18:10And as Spider-Man Brand New Day is being positioned as the first entry into a new trilogy of Spider
18:15-Man
18:15movies, there was certainly the possibility that the first film would focus on Spidey operating
18:20solo before attempting to reunite with MJ and Ned in future installments. But Zendaya and Jacob
18:26Batalon have indeed been confirmed to appear in Brand New Day. The size of their roles remain firmly up
18:32in the air. The reports have indicated that neither will have much screen time, which certainly makes
18:37sense considering that they don't even remember Peter at this point in time.
18:41John Astin, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, Organic Intelligence
18:45Now here's one surely nobody saw coming. The legendary John Astin is of course best known for
18:51originating the role of Gomez-Adams in the Addams Family TV series, but also notably appeared in
18:57several entries into the Attack of the Killer Tomatoes horror comedy series. In the second,
19:02third and fourth movies, Astin played mad scientist Professor Mortimer Gangrene. But after the release
19:08of 1992's Killer Tomatoes Eat France, the franchise seemingly came to an end. However,
19:14earlier this year it was announced that a fifth film was in the works, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes,
19:19Organic Intelligence. And even more surprisingly, a 95-year-old Astin was confirmed to be reprising
19:24his role as Professor Gangrene. This is an especially major get, given that Astin's acting career began
19:30winding down at the turn of the century when he became an arts professor at Johns Hopkins University,
19:36a position from which he only retired in 2021. Regardless of how this new Killer Tomatoes movie
19:41turns out, it'll be an absolute trip to see Astin back in the role after over 30 years.
19:47Linnea quickly trashes revenge. 1985's much-loved zombie film The Return of the Living Dead has
19:53spawned four increasingly dire sequels, with 2005's Return of the Living Dead Rave to the Grave seeming
20:00to signal the natural end of the overstretched IP. However, last year, Linnea Quigley, who played the
20:07iconic Trash in the original film, announced her own sequel to The Return of the Living Dead,
20:12called Trash's Revenge. Considering that Quigley's character died in the first film some 40 years ago,
20:18it was certainly inconceivable that she'd ever return for a prospective sequel. And yet here we are.
20:22The crowdfunding page for the low-budget follow-up seems to suggest that Trash will be resurrected
20:27via some sort of meta-narrative conceit, a gambit that could clearly either be total genius or a
20:34complete mess. Shooting began earlier this year, and here's hoping it's a worthy rejoinder to the
20:39original movie despite its evident shoestring budget. And finally, Andy Serkis, The Lord of the
20:45Rings, The Hunt for Gollum. Andy Serkis gave one of the most acclaimed performance in Peter Jackson's
20:50original Lord of the Rings trilogy, his mesmerizing work in front of the camera fusing with state-of-the-art
20:56performance capture tech to make Gollum feel as alive and real as any human character.
21:01Back in 2024, however, Warner Bros. announced The Lord of the Rings The Hunt for Gollum,
21:06an inter-quel of sorts focusing on Gollum. It will be set during the events of The Fellowship of
21:11the Ring, with producer Philippa Boyens revealing that it, quote,
21:15falls after the birthday party of Bilbo and before the mines of Moria. It goes without saying that
21:20there'd be absolutely no point in doing this without the involvement of Serkis. So it's good to
21:26know up front that he'll be returning to portray Gollum. In an interesting wrinkle, Serkis will also
21:31direct the film, and while his filmmaking output to date has been a wildly mixed bag, at least nobody
21:37knows Gollum better than he. And the shoot will be overseen by not only Boyens, but co-producers
21:42is Jackson and Fran Walsh.
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