10 Movie Franchises That Stupidly Killed Off Their Best Character
5. Captain Steven Hiller - Independence Day
The primary reason for Independence Day's massive box office success wasn't the spectacle, but rather Will Smith's presence as protagonist Captain Steven Hiller.
Hiller wasn't the only great character in the movie, but Smith's infectious wisecracking performance - coming at the peak of his popularity no less - made Hiller a character fans couldn't wait to see more of.
And so what a crushing blow it was when director Roland Emmerich announced that Smith wouldn't be returning for 2016's belated sequel, Independence Day: Resurgence due to scheduling conflicts with Suicide Squad.
Worse than that, though, Resurgence ill-advisedly gave Hiller an off-screen death, being killed in a crash while test piloting an experimental aircraft, with his grown son Dylan (Jessie T. Usher) taking his place.
Fans understandably hated it, and Smith's total absence from the film is largely accepted to be responsible for its underwhelming box office performance.
If the filmmakers had just made Hiller MIA, in turn allowing him to return in one of the many planned - and abruptly cancelled - sequels, things could've worked out quite differently for this bungled attempt at a franchise.