MCU fans argue the merits of whether to recycle or recast key characters

Up until the beginning of Phase Four, there was really no logical way for the Marvel Cinematic Universe to recast key characters who aren’t played by Terrence Howard or Edward Norton, unless of course it’s a younger character who ages up to factor into another project set later down the line, as we saw with Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau and Kathryn Newton’s Cassie Lang.

However, now that the multiverse is in play as the major storytelling device of the franchise’s latest stage, all bets are well and truly off. Technically, Marvel could recast any marquee superhero and explain it away with a single use of the word “variant”, but is that something the fans would be on board with?

That’s the debate happening over on Reddit as we speak, with users diving deep into the past, present, and future of the MCU to argue whether or not some roles should eventually be recast, or recycling heroes and passing on mantles like that of Captain America, Black Panther, or potentially even Black Widow is the way to go.

As you can imagine, there are some intriguing takes put forward, as well as a few spicy ones. The X-Men appear to be the elephant in the room, though, with Patrick Stewart’s brief Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness cameo being viewed as a missed opportunity, while the discussion over how the next Wolverine could possibly hope to follow in Hugh Jackman’s footsteps continues to rage.

Spider-Man: No Way Home delivered the best of both worlds, but we’re very curious to see where the MCU goes from here, especially when Phase Four looks to toe the line between established favorites, ready-made replacements, and brand new names.