Nostalgia is a powerful tool. As Hollywood relies more and more on the franchises of yesteryear, studios bring back treasured characters from across fiction. That pattern obviously leads to many familiar faces as actors sign contracts for endless sequels. Audiences get used to seeing the same guys over and over. Not every appearance is so predictable, though.
Certain stars revisit their characters years after their debut. They might spend upward of a decade on other projects while the franchises evolve in their absence. Despite those diverging paths, these actors somehow find their way back to their onscreen icons. That time away from the roles usually results in tremendous fanfare upon their return. Good things are far more satisfying after a long wait, and the same goes for fan service.
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10 Claudia Wells
Although the Back to the Future trilogy largely maintained the same cast for multiple characters, one of the few changes occurred with the hero’s love interest. Claudia Wells played Marty McFly’s girlfriend, Jennifer, in the 1985 original. She didn’t have many scenes, but her warm charisma provided an endearing contrast to all the wacky misfortune. Sadly, her mother’s cancer diagnosis prompted Wells to step away from the role. Elizabeth Shue replaced her in the sequels, and that seemed to be the end of her tenure.
That was until Back to the Future: The Game in 2010. Assisted by series co-creator Bob Gale, this episodic adventure title continued the heroes’ time-traveling exploits. Their actions inadvertently led to an alternate version of 1985, where the town was a totalitarian police state. Wells returned to voice Jennifer, who was now a punk rock anarchist. Such a radical shift suited her surprising reprisal.[1]
9 Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Nimoy accumulated a vast character catalog over his career, but he was practically synonymous with Spock. With dry humor and meticulous nuance, he played the Vulcan science officer for numerous entries in the Star Trek franchise. His tenure across the TV shows, movies, and games initially lasted until 1993. At that point, the focus shifted to other crews across the galaxy. Later years saw a drastic reset, however.
Star Trek (2009) altered the series’ history and took the focus back to the original Enterprise crew. Obviously, new actors assumed these roles, but Nimoy also joined in the fun. He appeared as the future version of Spock, who partly caused this new timeline and strove to guide his younger friends. The position was a symbolic passing of the torch—both for the character and the franchise.[2]
8 Harrison Ford
Though limited as an actor, Harrison Ford has headlined some of the biggest movies in cinematic history. The most famous was Star Wars. His turn as the roguish Han Solo charmed audiences in the original trilogy from 1977 to 1983. He seemed done with the franchise until 2015 when The Force Awakens brought back the old cast as backup for the younger players. The franchise’s sister series had gotten a grand return a few years earlier.
Arguably as iconic was Indiana Jones. Ford played this plucky archaeologist for three historic adventures from 1981 to 1989, but he made two belated returns: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in 2008 and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny in 2023. Of course, he didn’t stop at Lucasfilm properties.
Blade Runner was nearly as iconic. The 1982 neo-noir film positioned Ford as Rick Deckard, a detective tasked with hunting down rogue androids. The dystopian world was more interesting than the star, leading the 2017 sequel—Blade Runner 2049—to focus on a new cast. That said, Ford showed up as an elderly Deckard in the third act. Revisiting past hits has become a habit of his, possibly due to his lack of range.[3]
7 Linda Hamilton
Few action heroines have matched the heights of Sarah Connor. With her son destined to lead the humans to victory against genocidal machines, this unassuming woman had to grow up fast to defend herself and her child from time-traveling assassins. Linda Hamilton lent intense pathos to that journey in The Terminator (1984) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991).
Unfortunately, subsequent films marginalized or omitted Sarah entirely, so Hamilton’s only contribution afterward was a vocal cameo in Terminator Salvation (2009). With other actresses taking over the character, her turn seemed to be firmly in the rearview mirror.
Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) surprised everyone in that respect. The sequel/reboot altered the timeline to feature a new robot apocalypse along with a new savior. Despite those changes, Hamilton stepped back into Sarah’s shoes as a guiding figure. Her presence provided valuable perspective on the temporal struggle, cementing how eerily familiar it all was.[4]
6 Michael Keaton
Michael Keaton has mirrored Harrison Ford in revisiting multiple roles, albeit with more varied results. Many comic fans came to know him as Batman. His dark, gothic take in Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992) redefined the character’s onscreen image and ushered in countless other portrayals. As many as there were, Keaton always maintained a special place in fans’ hearts.
That esteem led to an eventual return in The Flash (2023). This movie tossed multiple DC eras into a blender via time-traveling antics. The multiversal premise enabled Keaton to play an elderly Dark Knight. His gruff demeanor contrasted wildly with the speedy superhero at the center, but he got to have far more fun with his other major return.
Nearly as beloved in Keaton’s filmography was Beetlejuice. He first played this clownish ghoul in the 1988 film of the same name. His unpredictably sleazy energy made for equal parts horror and comedy. What’s more impressive is that he maintained that energy years later. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was a 2024 sequel where Keaton once again donned the grotesque getup. Even amid ever-crazier undead hijinks, he didn’t miss a beat. These distinct icons cemented his strength as a character actor.[5]
5 Stephanie Nadolny
Goku is one of the most beloved anime heroes of all time. Considering his storied history, he’s had numerous actors voice him at various stages of his life. For his younger years, though, the mainstay English portrayal came courtesy of Stephanie Nadolny. Her slight rasp made her convincing as a little boy, but she also perfectly captured the wholesome enthusiasm inherent to this energetic fighter. Beginning in 1999, she played the child version of Goku (and his son, Gohan) in Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, and all the accompanying movies and games.
Dragon Ball Z Kai appeared to end that run in 2010. This show abridged and remastered DBZ, recasting several characters in the process. Thus, Colleen Clinkenbeard took over as Kid Goku/Kid Gohan and remained in the role for fourteen years.
2024 saw a radical shift in the series’ story with Dragon Ball Daima. This show turned the seasoned heroes into kids as an ode to the IP’s long history. To complement that legacy, the English dub brought back Nadolny as Goku. This shocking return was an inspired move. Many longtime Dragon Ball fans grew up with her portrayal, so her presence was fitting for such a tribute.[6]
4 Wesley Snipes
Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) brought back several legacy characters, but the one with the longest absence was Blade. Wesley Snipes played this vampiric hero in three films: Blade (1998), Blade II (2002), and Blade: Trinity (2004). His cool, stoic performance solidified the Daywalker in pop culture and spearheaded the modern age of superhero blockbusters.
Sadly, the films’ declining quality and the actor’s legal troubles made a continuation less and less likely. The announcement that Marvel would reboot the character with Mahershala Ali seemed to be the final nail in the coffin. Imagine fans’ surprise when the immortal slayer showed up in the Deadpool sequel.
In a typically meta twist, he’s one of the heroes in purgatory after 20th Century Fox’s acquisition by Disney, but he’s no less effective at killing bad guys. He even took a shot at the reboot in development hell, saying that there’d only ever be “one Blade.” After over twenty years of costumed crime-fighting flicks, his triumphant return was a full-circle moment for the genre.[7]
3 Willem Dafoe
Another multiverse misadventure saw another slew of happy returns. Spider-Man (2002) was equally instrumental in jumpstarting the superhero movie boom. Not only did it faithfully adapt the web slinger’s origin, but it also did justice to his greatest enemy. Willem Dafoe seamlessly embodied the deranged duality of Green Goblin, his manic talents brilliantly fitting the baddie’s twisted menace. Plenty of Spidey villains came afterward, but none left quite the same impact.
That’s why the Goblin once again took center stage in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). This movie combined the three live-action Web Heads (and their villains) into one chaotic adventure. Dafoe was the antagonist with the longest absence. Sure, he’d popped up for cameos in Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Spider-Man 3 (2007), but he hadn’t suited up as the crazed killer for almost twenty years. That said, his maniacal laugh made it seem like yesterday.[8]
2 Ghostbusters
Pop culture has given us several paranormal investigators, but the Ghostbusters succeeded in star power. The 1984 classic brought Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, and Ernie Hudson together as quirky exterminators. Their comedic talents bounced beautifully off each other, turning these no-name losers into household names. Although the actors only returned for one sequel in Ghostbusters II (1989), fans constantly clamored for more spooky escapades.
They got their wish twice over. First came Ghostbusters: The Video Game (2009). Not only was this title an approved sequel from the series’ creators, but it sported the voices and the likenesses of all four actors.
2021 saw an additional follow-up in Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Although this film introduced a new generation of supernatural fighters, the old guard appeared to aid them in the climax. The only exception was Harold Ramis, who had sadly passed away by then. Regardless, he and his teammates left a palpable impact.[9]
1 Miranda Otto
The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001–2003) was full of unassuming souls stepping up to fight evil. Éowyn was a fine example. A shieldmaiden of Rohan, she was desperate to prove herself and protect those she loved. That love drove her to fight fiercely on the front lines.
Miranda Otto brought enormous empathy to that journey, blending bravery and vulnerability to create an endearing heroine worthy of song. As engaging as she was, though, Éowyn was mortal. That fact meant that Otto was absent as the fantasy franchise dove into other periods of Middle-earth history. Thankfully, fleshing out the heroine’s homeland found a way for the actress’s return.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024) fashioned a prequel tale about Rohan’s heroic king, Helm Hammerhand. Though not a major player, Éowyn bookended the story as a narrator. The film’s anime format meant that Otto could voice her character. Her inclusion was appropriate for the setting and provided palpable authenticity, settling fans into this new format.[10]