10 Actor Replacements That Actually Improved Movies

The curious case of El Mariachi might well be the biggest no-brainer on this list.

In Robert Rodriguez's 1992 feature debut El Mariachi, the part of the title character was played by Rodriguez's friend and co-producer Carlos Gallardo, who had scarcely little acting experience prior to taking the role and likely played it himself in order to keep the budget down.

After the film became an indie hit, Rodriguez was approached to make a sequel, and soon enough came up with Desperado.

However, now armed with a larger budget and having to answer to major Hollywood studios, Rodriguez had Gallardo replaced in the lead role by a more recognisable actor, Antonio Banderas, while Gallardo remained onboard as a co-producer.

It was certainly the right call - 99.8% of the people alive today couldn't compete with Banderas' rugged handsomeness and infectious charisma, so it's difficult to argue with the replacement of Gallardo, who all things considered did a totally respectable job in El Mariachi.

But when you're presented with a studio budget and all the resources to make a bigger, more successful movie, you'd be silly not to play ball.

Rodriguez did, and Desperado was a massive commercial success, enough that Rodriguez, Banderas, and Gallardo all returned for the again-successful 2003 sequel, Once Upon a Time in Mexico.