10 Movie Characters Who Were Killed Off Way Too Soon

After the success of Breaking Bad, Bryan Cranston had gone from playing the comedic dad role on Malcolm in the Middle to being one of the hottest properties in the industry. It's understandable, then, that 2014's Godzilla put him front and center of the marketing.

Cranston played Joe Brody in the movie that would kick off the MonsterVerse, a man who became obsessed with tracking the seismic anomalies, ultimately caused by the King of the Monsters, that took his wife's life. He was a compelling character with a strong motivation for what he was doing.

Barely halfway into the film, however, Joe was unceremoniously killed and replaced as the protagonist by his son, Ford (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). This was a baffling decision on the part of the filmmakers, not just because they wasted Cranston's star power and a strong character, but because he was replaced by Ford, who was far less equipped to lead the story.

Joe had a chip on his shoulder and nothing left to lose, whereas Ford was almost just there out of bad luck and circumstance. He wasn't compelling or charming enough, as the audience wasn't really given a reason to connect with him, while Joe would have made the story far stronger had he remained at the center for the duration.