Some movie characters are so iconic that it’s difficult to picture any other actor playing them. Indiana Jones, for instance, is forever tied to Harrison Ford. It’s part of why audiences love seeing characters over and over again. When the viewer falls in love with an actor in a particular role, there’s a natural resistance to reject anyone else who tries to step into those shoes.
Over the years, however, several movie franchises have spawned sequels, prequels, and spin-offs that require different actors to play younger versions of our favorite movie characters. Although de-aging technology now exists, it’s often easier and more cost-efficient to find a great younger actor to fill these roles instead. Some of these actors, like Jake Lloyd, have experienced the hate of the internet, while others, like Michael Fassbender, have thrived and used the role as a huge stepping stone in their careers. These are some examples of times when other actors have been used to fill younger versions of the famous roles that we know and love.
10Jake Lloyd - Anakin Skywalker
Back in 1999,Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menacetook fans back in time to discover Anakin Skywalker’s origins. Anakin is seen as a slave to a junk dealer, and the only way for him to break free is to win a pod race that Qui-Gon Jin (Liam Neeson) bets on. Anakin ends up winning his freedom and begins to study the Force under Qui-Gon. He’s eventually turned to the dark side, however, and becomes a villain in the original trilogy.
The movie casts Jake Lloyd in the role of young Anakin, a departure from the menacing evil foe that viewers know as Darth Vader (James Earl Jones). As Anakins, Lloyd did a respectable job but still faced the wrath of the internet. Those who didn’t like the film argued that his acting was wooden and emotionless and that he didn’t show any hints of the dark side of the force starting to overtake him. Lloyd eventually gave up on acting and has run into some personal and legal troubles since theStar Warsprequels came out in the late 1990s/early 2000s.
9Ewan McGregor - Obi-Wan Kenobi
Speaking ofStar Wars, another famous character that fans know and love is Obi-Wan Kenobi. In the original trilogy, the character is played by Alec Guinness. He acts as the face of the Jedi, the person who is in command of the Force and who wants to teach young apprentices how to harness it for good. Guinness does a spectacular job in the role, so it was hard for audiences to picture anybody else filling those shoes. The prequels may not be the favorites of some Star Wars fans, but they contain somepretty good lines.
In 1999, however, Ewan McGregor stepped in forThe Phantom Menaceand showed the world that he was capable of carrying a feature film. Alongside Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jin, the pair showed the early days of the Jedi and how they attempted to recruit Anakin Skywalker to fight for good. In the decades since the original prequel trilogy, McGregor has continued to play Obi-Wan, even earning himself a series on Disney+, simply titledObi-Wan Kenobi.
8Dante Pereira-Olson - Bruce Wayne
2019’s drama movieJokerwas a tour de force. The film was the first one thatgave Joker a proper origin story, and it did an excellent job of doing so. Joaquin Phoenix plays the infamous title character, a loner whose real name is Arthur Fleck. Arthur works odd jobs as a clown and children’s entertainer, but his life is falling apart as he has few prospects, no friends, and an anger management problem. He dives into his past and realizes that his frail relationship with his mother is based on lies and secrets.
In the film, Arthur encounters a young Bruce Wayne outside of Wayne Manor. Of course, Bruce eventually grows up to become his arch-enemy, Batman. But in Joker, Bruce is only eight years old and is played by Dante Pereira-Olson. It’s a brief appearance from the young actor, but he does a good job of interacting with Phoenix and subtly showing his emotions.
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7James McAvoy - Professor Charles Xavier
The X-Men movies have gone through many incarnations over the years. In 2011, Marvel Entertainment needed a new approach to keep the franchise fresh, so they decided to go back and create a movie about many of the famous characters that people know and love from the comics.X-Men: First Classdives into the beginnings of Professor Charles Xavier’s (James McAvoy) school for mutants.
For the film, Marvel needed an established actor with enough star power to drive audiences to theaters and enough range to understand the complexity of a character like Professor X. They settled on Scottish actor James McAvoy, who played the role respectably.First Classperformed well and there are rumors that director Matthew Vaughn could eventually be tapped for anMCU movie too.
6Michael Fassbender - Magneto
Another character inX-Men: First Classthat needed a powerful younger actor was Magneto. As a Nazi hunter, the character, whose real name is Erik Lehnsherr, forms a friendship with Professor X at an early age. The two eventually diverge, though, as differences in how they deal with fellow mutants cause cracks in their relationship.
Michael Fassbender played the role of Magneto in First Class and was a standout in the film. At that point, Fassbender was already known for his stellar performances in movies likeJonah HexandInglourious Basterds, so it was no surprise that he was able to give Magneto the power, prestige, and reverence that the character deserves. Fassbender also has a ton ofother great moviesthat are worth checking out.
5River Phoenix - Indiana Jones
Harrison Ford has been the face of the Indiana Jones franchise for so long that it is hard to remember that there was another actor who helped play the character. In 1989’sIndiana Jones and the Last Crusade, River Phoenix portrayed Indie as a young man. The role was brief but memorable. Unfortunately, Phoenix died of an overdose outside the Viper Room in Los Angeles in 1993.
Ford’s latest turn as the iconic whip-cracking, fedora-wearing hero is Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which hit theaters in 2023. The film was a bit of a box office disappointment but rebounded with somepromising VOD numbers. Phoenix went on to star in Gus Van Sant’s dramaMy Own Private Idaho in 1991, which became a critical hit. It’s considered one of thebest River Phoenix movies.
4Lilly Aspell - Wonder Woman
After teasing the idea for several years, DC Films finally teamed up with Warner Bros. Pictures in 2017 to bring comic fansWonder Woman. The character first debuted on the big screen inBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but this film was all about the woman known as Diana Prince. Gal Gadot stars as the leading title character, with Lilly Aspell playing the younger version of Wonder Woman.
Before 2017, Aspell had limited acting experience. Her passion was actually equestrian riding, and she competed in several competitions before becoming an actor. Once she hit it big as the young version of Wonder Woman, however, she was able to land a few more roles. Aspell appeared in the Will Ferrell filmHolmes & Watsonin 2018 and reprized the role of Diana Prince for 2020’sWonder Woman 1984.
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3Gaspard Ulliel - Hannibal Rising
In 1991, the classic psychological horror filmThe Silence of the Lambsbecame a surprise worldwide hit. The film is based on the Thomas Harris novel of the same name and stars Anthony Hopkins as a deranged, homicidal cannibal named Hannibal Lecter. Jodi Foster plays a detective tasked with finding out who a killer named “Buffalo Bill” is, and she needs an imprisoned Lecter’s help to find him and stop him before he claims more victims.
2007’sHannibal Risingis a prequel that explores Hannibal’s transformation into a killer as a young man. French actor Gaspard Ullieil played a young Hannibal. Aaran Thomas also appeared in the movie as an even younger Hannibal. Tragically, Ullieil’s story was cut short as the actor died in a freak skiing accident in his native France. He turned in somegreat performancesbefore his passing in 2022.
2Troye Sivan - Wolverine
After several successful X-Men movies,X-Men Origins: Wolverinewas released in 2009. The film takes viewers back to the early days of James Howlett (Hugh Jackman) He’s a drifter from the Canadian wilderness who realizes at a young age that he’s a mutant with the ability to protrude and retract bone claws. He’s also able to heal himself from deadly wounds.
Australian musician and actor Troye Sivan plays a young James in the film. At the time of the movie’s release, Sivan was only 14 years old. He’s since become a worldwide sensation, signing with EMI Australia in 2013 and touring the world as a popular pop singer. X-Men Origins: Wolverine was not as successful, however. EvenDeadpoolactorRyan Reynolds humorously called the movie “awful”.
1Benedict Clarke - Snape
Harry Potterfans know the late Alan Rickman as the dark Professor Severus Snape. Through eight films, Rickman brought a special type of acting to the role. He was able to portray a cold exterior while still making the audience feel empathy for the character. Put simply, he was the anti-hero that everyone was secretly rooting for.
For the finale of theHarry Potterseries, Warner Bros. Pictures went back in time and showed viewers Snape as a young wizard, attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry himself. Benedict Clarke was chosen for the role in 2011’sHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2. Clarke was only 15 at the time and hasn’t been in any major films since.
