Even when a movie part dies , there ’s still a fortune that the actors who depict them can return for more sequels . franchise have discover plenty of creative ways to lend beloved actors back after their lineament have been kill off . It ’s sure not a newfangled phenomenon , but Robert Downey Jr. ’s casting as Doctor Doom in the MCU means that it ’s being talked about more than ever .

There are many ways that franchise can contribute an actor back after their grapheme give way . The unproblematic path is to revive the character , although this is much easier in sci - fi and fantasy franchise , which can concoct inventive ways to bring people back from death . In other cases , the actors return to play completely different characters , whether the enfranchisement offers some account about this or not .

10Robert Downey Jr. In The MCU

Avengers: Doomsday Is Already One Of The MCU’s Most Hyped Movies

Although Robert Downey Jr. has built an telling career outside the MCU , especially with his Oscar win forOppenheimer , he will probably always be most far-famed for his performance as Tony Stark . He has been the face of the franchise ever since 2008’sIron Man , andhis fiber ’s sacrifice at the destruction ofAvengers : Endgameseemed like the double-dyed send - off . However , this death was just the rootage of a novel chapter for Downey Jr. in the MCU .

Throughout the story of the MCU , there have been multiple examples of actors being cast into multiple use across the apportion world .

sealed casting conclusion add up under increased examination in the MCU , and the debate over who should encounter Doctor Doom was one of them . For such an iconic comic book scoundrel , the prevailing look was that the MCU needed someone particular , but not many people were wait the shock announcement that Robert Downey Jr. would bring back to the MCU to work the completely unrelated character . The announcement produce a lot of buzz , but it ’s still unclear how exactly this will meet out in2026’sAvengers : Doomsday .

doctor strange lylla and vision in the mcu

9Sigourney Weaver In Avatar

Weaver Plays Grace And Grace’s Na’vi Daughter

Sigourney Weaver meet Dr. Grace Augustine in the firstAvatarmovie . Grace is a brilliant scientist who has expend old age studying Pandora and the Na’vi way of life . Just like Jake , she occur to admire and respect the Na’vi on a much deep level than most of the other human race . Grace is vote out toward the last ofAvatar , and Jake is unable to transpose her consciousness into her avatar , but Weaver still returns inAvatar : The Way of Water .

Although Grace buy the farm , her avatar gives parturition to a Na’vi daughter name Kiri , who is also played by Weaver .

Although Grace dies , her incarnation give nascence to a Na’vi girl named Kiri , who is also played by Weaver . James Cameron and Sigourney Weaver first worked together onAliens , so they have developed a creative understanding with one another , andCameron has express that he desire Weaver to indulge her inner child when play the young Kiri . Weaver is lay to return forAvatar : Fire and Ashin 2025 .

Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson) and Jim Goose (Steve Bisley) in front of a yellow Interceptor with flames in Mad Max

8Charles Gray In James Bond

Gray Played Bond’s Ally And His Greatest Foe

TheJames Bondfranchise has recycled plenty of actors in the past 60 years , but most of these worker only occupy underage roles . Charles Gray stands out because he fiddle Bond ’s most famous scoundrel , Blofeld . Gray is n’t commonly ranked among the respectable Blofeld actors . Donald Pleasence is probably the most iconic , while Telly Savalas also deliver a hard performance inOn Her Majesty ’s Secret Service . Gray is a fiddling underrated , however , as he get a good deal of sneer transcendence to the function that makes Blofeld a loathsome bully .

Before playing Blofeld inDiamonds Are eternally , Gray played one of Bond ’s allies inYou Only Live Twice , just four years originally . adherence meets fellow British agent Dikko Henderson in Japan , but just as they are settling down for a conversation , Henderson is knife by an assassin through a newspaper publisher wall . It ’s a brief scene , and fans of theJames Bondfranchise might soon blank out Gray ’s role before his more crucial part inDiamonds Are forever and a day .

7Arnold Schwarzenegger In The Terminator

Schwarzenegger Goes From A Villain To A Hero

Arnold Schwarzenegger is perfectly suitable to the persona of the Terminator , so the franchise brought him back for the sequel even though his character was destroyed by Sarah Connor in the first flick . After playing one of the most chilling baddie in sci - fi inThe Terminator , Schwarzenegger plays one of sci - fi ’s corking heroes inTerminator 2 : Judgement Day . For each sequel , Schwarzenegger plays a unlike copy of the same machine .

For each sequel , Schwarzenegger play a unlike copy of the same political machine .

The T-800 inTerminator 2is a much more complex type . Rather than being a persistent killing machine , this reprogrammed version of the T-800 claim on some more human character traits , which helps deal his new role as a fighter . He becomes a friend and a Church Father build , so his eventual ego - forfeiture is extremely emotional , which just goes how to show how different Schwarzenegger ’s character is in James Cameron ’s continuation .

Collage of Willow and Clash of the Titans

6Keanu Reeves In The Matrix

The Matrix Franchise Seemed Dead And Buried For Over A Decade

The Wachowskis wanted to end theMatrixfranchise with 2003’sRevolutions , but Lana was finally convinced to revive the franchise without Lily for 2021’sTheMatrix : Resurrections . The sequel had to voyage the considerable problem that both Neo and Trinity had been kill off at the end ofRevolutions , but Keanu Reeves and Carrie - Anne Moss returned . The sequel probably would n’t have had a shot at working without the franchise ’s two main superstar .

The sequel had to navigate the considerable trouble that both Neo and Trinity had been killed off at the end ofRevolutions .

Rather than immediately being Neo once again , Reeves ' character startsThe Matrix : Resurrectionsas an older version of Thomas Anderson , the edition of himself that exists within the Matrix . Anderson has to go on a journeying of breakthrough just like he does in the franchise ’s first movie . Neo and Trinity were resurrected by The Analyst , who wanted to meditate Neo ’s powers as The One for maximise the vim yield of the Matrix .

Keanu-Reeves-from-(The-Matrix-Resurrections)-and-Robert-Downey-Jr.-from-(Avengers-Endgame)

Custom image by Yeider Chacon

5Pat Roach In Indiana Jones

Pat Roach Played Different Characters In Three Indiana Jones Movies

Before he start carry on acting roles , Pat Roach first made a name for himself as a professional grappler in Britain . He often used his hulking skeleton to play enforcers and thugs , most notably in theIndiana Jonesfranchise . He plays two type inRaiders of the Lost Ark. The first is a minor character who Indy fights in Nepal . The second is the German grease monkey who Indy fights later , although this fictitious character is shredded in the propellor of a grounded airplane .

Although his character was brutally torn to shreds inRaiders of the Lost Ark , Roach returned forTemple of Doom . In the prequel , he play the violent main guard who runs the mines . Once again , his theatrical role is killed in a scrap with Indy , but once again , Roach returned to the enfranchisement . His part as a Gestapo member was supposed to be much more crucial inThe Last Crusade , but most of his scenes were cut .

4James Caan In The Godfather

Caan Returned For Just One Scene

Sonny ’s violent death is a big turn point inThe Godfather , and his legacy shapes the subsequence even though the role is long go . Sonny ’s last inspires Vito to end the pack war , and this facilitates Michael ’s return to America . James Caan delivers a captivating public presentation as Sonny , so it ’s a pleasure to see him render inThe Godfather Part II , even though he only look in one scene .

James Caan refused to devolve for the sequel unless he would get paid the same amount that he got forThe Godfather .

The flashback scene inThe Godfather Part IIshows the Corleone home at heartsease , with Michael telling his brothers that he ’s signed up to join the ground forces . It underscore just how far Michael has come on his journey , and it contrast his sovereignty over the syndicate with the years that his male parent Vito was still in control . James Caan refused to return for the continuation unless he would get paid the same amount that he pay back forThe Godfather . Francis Ford Coppola moot this one fit so crucial that he serve Caan get his way .

Movies

3Yayan Ruhian In The Raid

Gareth Evans Didn’t Want To Make A Raid Sequel Without Giving Ruhian A Role

Yayan Ruhian is just one of the remarkable martial arts principal inThe maraud : Redemptionand its sequel . The casting also include Joe Taslim and Iko Uwais . All three of these actors have since had roles in big Hollywood productions , which underscore the outside success of the twoRaidmovies . Despite this global popularity , it seems likeThe Raid 3will never get made . Fans can look ahead to a remake by Michael Bay and Patrick Hughes instead , although it would be a surprise if this remaking touched the timbre of the original .

Yayan Ruhian shows off his soldierly artistic creation skills inThe foray : Redemptionas Mad Dog , who do as the chief hatchet man for the offense lord Tama . Although he is stamp out by Rama and Andi after a brutal fight , Ruhian also has a role in the sequel . He plays the smaller part of Prakoso , another organized crime assassinator . Ruhian also act as a combat choreographer on bothRaidmovies , showcasing the little - do it Indonesian combat style of pencak silat .

2Ian McDiarmid In Star Wars

Somehow, Ian McDiarmid Returned

Ian McDiarmid first toy Emperor Palpatine in 1983’sReturn of the Jedi , and he developed the character in theStar Warsprequel trilogy . astonishingly , he retrovert forThe Rise of Skywalkerto close up out Disney ’s sequel trilogy . This cease up being one of the dealership ’s most dissentious moves , sincePalpatine ’s return from deathdoesn’t have a solid explanation . The Rise of Skywalkerholds a 51 % score on Rotten Tomatoes , which is a outrageous drop - off compare toThe Force AwakensandThe Last Jedi .

This stop up being one of the dealership ’s most divisive move , sincePalpatine ’s getting even from deathdoesn’t have a satisfying account .

Another common criticism of Palpatine ’s return is that the idea seems to have no basis in the residual of the trilogy , as if it ’s a automatic move to retcon some of the worldbuilding fromThe Last Jedi . Although the decision to bring Ian McDiarmid was a controversial one , he revives the character of Emperor Palpatine with just as much menace as ever , and he effectively replaces Snoke .

1Hugh Keays-Byrne In Mad Max

One Actor Plays Two Iconic Villains

TheMad Maxfranchise start in 1979 , with Hugh Keays - Byrne playing the villain Toecutter . When George Miller revived the trilogy , he cast Keays - Byrne as the villain once again . In 2015’sMad Max : Fury Road , Keays - Byrne plays Immortan Joe , arguably thebestMad Maxvillainof all . Immortan Joe wears a masque that covers most of his face , so fans of the franchise might not even recognise the actor .

After 45 age , Mad Max has become a massive post - apocalyptic dealership , but the first unveiling to George Miller ’s series has n’t age dead .

Toecutter is run over by a semi motortruck at the end ofMad Max , and Immortan Joe die at the hands of Furiosa . Keays - Byrne is far from the only actor who has played two function in theMad Maxfranchise , although he ’s the most high - profile . Bruce Spence , Josh Helman and Max Fairchild all have roles in two movie . Elsa Pataky and Lachy Hulme both have two roles inFuriosa : A Mad Max Sagaalone .