Everyone has moments where they’ve strongly resonated with a character. This also means that there’s nothing more disappointing than discovering that your favorite character has been downgraded. Due to this, many fans even opt for renouncing the series altogether. Here are 10 characters that were the life of their movies/TV series, but were downgraded by the sequel.
10 Cpl. Dwayne Hicks – Alien 3 (1992)
Aliens follows space warrant officer Ellen Ripley, portrayed by Sigourney Weaver, who faces off against the Alien or Xenomorph, an extraterrestrial life form. One of the most beloved characters from the Aliens franchise was Cpl. Dwayne Hicks, the only space marine who understands Ripley and stands by her side. However, the franchise ruined his character in Alien 3. Ripley wakes up from hyper-sleep only to discover that Hicks, along with Newt, were killed in their sleep. It’s rather disappointing to see the characters being shoved aside as if they were meaningless characters. After everything they did, especially Hicks, the least they deserved was a proper send-off.
9 Marion Ravenwood – Indiana Jones Franchise (1981-1993)
The Indiana Jones Franchise follows the titular character as he goes through a variety of adventures, most of which revolve around finding lost treasures. Marion Ravenwood, portrayed by Karen Allen, is the daughter of archeologist Abner Ravenwood and has a relationship with Indiana Jones. The two characters even have a son together. In Raiders of the Lost Ark, Marion shows that she’s not only capable of holding up her own, but also doesn’t shy away from throwing jabs at her old flame. She’s not seen in Temple of Doom or in Last Crusade. She does appear again in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, where the audience discovers that Jones ditched her right before their wedding. Talk about disappointing.
8 Irene Adler – Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)
Irene Adler is another female character done dirty by a sequel. In the 2009 Sherlock Holmes, Irene proves that she’s one of the few people who matches with Holmes on an intellectual level. The fact that she helps Holmes catch Lord Henry Blackwood, a serial killer with occult powers, is proof enough of how remarkable her character was. At the end of the first film, Irene reveals that she works for Holmes’ greatest nemesis, Moriarty. One would expect that all of this is set up purposely to build up a climax later on in the franchise. However, all these expectations are thrown down the drain. In A Game of Shadows, it’s revealed that Irene is poisoned by Moriarty. What’s truly disappointing is that her body is never seen, and her death is quickly brushed over.
7 Will Rodman – Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
In Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Will Rodman is a key character. He’s the one who sets into motion a dark future for the human race. In an attempt to cure Alzheimer’s, Will creates a sentient baby chimpanzee called Caesar, to whom he teaches virtues and morals. However, things take a darker turn as Caesar grows older and leads a group of primates in order to overthrow humanity. Despite the role Will played in igniting the spark for the explosion that would wipe out human existence, he’s sidelined not long after. In Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, a news article reveals that he passed away from the simian flu. And that’s really it for his character. No farewell, no tears.
6 Scott Summers (Cyclops) – X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
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Imperial CinePix
X-Men: The Last Stand revolves around a mutant cure that has serious side effects amongst humans and mutants alike. Another major plot point in the film is the resurrection of Jean Grey. During the previous X-Men films, Scott played a pivotal part, acting as the leader of the group. He remained level-headed in the face of Wolverine’s unpredictable and often uncontrollable behavior. However, the third film does even hesitate before tossing Scott aside. During the initial portion of the film, he’s shown moping over Jean’s death, still not over losing his fiancé. He goes to visit her grave, and she’s Jean again. The two kiss and then explode into dust as Jean kills him. It’s sad that he’s not given a proper send-off and is discarded just like that.
5 Marie Kreutz – The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
What is with films and TV series killing off characters with great potential? Marie Kreutz is one of those characters who was done dirty by the Bourne franchise. In The Bourne Identity, Marie plays a key part in helping Bourne escape from Zurich. Not to mention that she survived some high stake missions without even having proper spy training. The Bourne Supremacy gives the audience a brief moment with Marie until she’s shot by an assassin while driving Bourne through India. Before Bourne can save her, their car plummets into a river, her body disappearing into the vast body of water.
4 Finn, Rose, And Poe – Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
The final film in the Star Wars sequel trilogy made some questionable choices. Perhaps one decision that made many fans upset was the fact that the film not only reduced screen time but also the usefulness of some of the best characters in the series. Three characters that had great potential in the earlier film, but are reduced to mere extras, are Finn, Rose, and Poe. For instance, Finn is a former stormtrooper who’s trying to find his own pathway, and Poe is a hot-shot X-Wing pilot. Rose has a traumatic past where she was unable to do anything but watch as her sister perished, but eventually Rose becomes a great hero during the Resistance. All three had great story arcs but were sidelined.
3 Padmé Amidala – Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Padmé Amidala is one of those characters who one can’t help but like and feel impressed with. She keeps her audience entertained even when she’s on a boring date with Anakin. What makes her cooler is the fact that she took over the Galactic Senate just when she was a teenager and governed over it quite justly. Unfortunately, the Revenge of the Sith doesn’t use her to her potential and simply dismisses her as a secondary character. The film also closes her narrative arc by showing that she passes away during childbirth due to grief over Anakin.
2 Laurie Strode – Halloween Franchise (1978-Present)
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Aquarius Releasing
Laurie Strode has gone through quite a lot throughout the Halloween series. She’s been de-powered, killed off, brought back to life, portrayed as a drunk, and then redeemed. Watching her die once, twice, thrice, and then more is a bit too much. She survived the incidents of the first, only to be invalid in the second film, waking up during the final moments of the film. In Halloween IV, Strode isn’t even graced with an on-screen death. In Halloween H20, she’s initially shown as an alcoholic who eventually finds strength and is able to take down Michael Myers. However, her victory is short-lived as she’s killed off again in the following film by none other than Michael. Talk about ridiculous. It’s only in David Gordon Green’s new trilogy where Laurie gets an actual send-off.
1 Jane Carter – Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol (2011)
Jane Carter is one of the main characters in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. Throughout the film, Jane tries to get revenge on the hitwoman who killed her lover. Not only does she get her revenge, but she also gets her hands on a set of nuclear missile codes. However, it’s disappointing that her character doesn’t make a reappearance during the sixth or seventh film. The audience doesn’t even get a reference or any mention of her. It’s like she never existed in the first place.
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