10 Movie Sequels That Lost The Main Characters

7. Independence Day: Resurgence

Who Disappeared? Steven Hiller (Will Smith)

Independence Day is often credited as one of the true touchstones for modern blockbuster film-making and while it gave us a revival of the disaster movie genre, it more importantly also gave us Will Smith. This was his breakout moment and while it's an ensemble cast, he is very much the heart of the piece: the young flyboy trying to save the planet and get back to his fiancee.

He's also the key to anchoring the film's tone correctly, adding a cheeky charm and some humour to what might otherwise have been fairly serious. But when the sequel came along, belatedly, his Captain Hillier had been killed off screen and Jeff Goldblum's David Levinson was the new main hero.

Why He Didn't Return

Roland Emmerich initially wanted Smith to return - obviously - but conceded defeat when he claimed Smith was just too expensive. Smith, meanwhile, said that he actually declined to return because he was busy making Suicide Squad, which is a little bit like avoiding the measles by contracting an STD.

Instead, Emmerich pushed Goldblum's role, hired Liam Hemsworth and Jessie Usher (to play Smith's son) and traded the cast quality down significantly.