10 More Insulting Ways Characters Were Killed Off Between Movies
7. Tom Hagen Gets Brushed Under The Carpet - The Godfather Part III
Tom Hagen is undoubtedly one of the most memorable, even iconic characters in the Godfather Saga - the Corleone family's consigliere and lawyer who was so often the smartest, wisest man in the room, as played so brilliantly by Robert Duvall.
Yet after making prominent appearances in the series' first two films, Hagen is nowhere to be seen in The Godfather Part III, with Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) making only a passing mention that Hagen didn't live to see his son Andrew (John Savage) become an ordained Roman Catholic priest.
Absolutely no indication is made as to when or how Tom passed away, which only compounded the disappointment many felt by the third Godfather movie as a whole.
It stings all the more given that the reason for Hagen's absence is simply that the film's producers refused to pay Duvall's requested salary. Duvall was offered just a fraction of Al Pacino's fee and so decided to walk.
As a result, Hagen's role in the series was basically swept under the carpet with a single line of dialogue and B. J. Harrison (George Hamilton) was appointed as the family's new lawyer-advisor.
Coppola has since stated that the film feels "incomplete" without Duvall, and for his part the actor has expressed no regrets about turning the offer down. Given that Part III remains a heavily polarising sequel to this very day, it's easy to appreciate why.