Movies had to adapt to these tragic deaths. For this list, we’ll be looking at famous film franchises that adapted their tales when an actor they had in their universe sadly passed away, ending the character’s existence. Keep in mind, there will be spoilers ahead.
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00:00 I know what you're gonna say.
00:02 I changed my hair.
00:05 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at 10 movie franchise deaths that happened because the actor died in real life.
00:11 Since my customary farewell would appear oddly self-serving, I shall simply say, good luck.
00:18 For this list, we'll be looking at famous film franchises that adapted their tales when an actor they had in their universe sadly passed away, ending the character's existence.
00:26 Keep in mind, there will be spoilers ahead.
00:28 Which actor loss affected you the most? Let us know below.
00:32 Dr. Samuel Loomis, Halloween franchise
00:35 I met this six-year-old child with this blank, pale, emotionless face and the blackest eyes, the devil's eyes.
00:49 There are several different Halloween continuities, but the one we're focusing on here is established in 1998's Halloween H20, 20 years later.
00:57 Donald Pleasence had played Michael Myers' arch-nemesis Samuel Loomis for 17 years over the course of five films.
01:03 But sadly, the English actor passed away in 1995 after undergoing heart valve replacement surgery mere months before the release of The Curse of Michael Myers.
01:11 You look good, Sam.
01:12 I feel great. I had surgery, plastic surgery, skin grafts. It cost a fortune, but at least I don't frighten people anymore.
01:22 In one of the first two films, H20 reveals that Loomis' old colleague Marion Chambers took care of him in his final years.
01:28 I remember him. I saw a thing on 60 Minutes on him. Spent his life tracking down that Halloween guy who worked with all his kids up in Haddonfield, right?
01:35 Michael Myers.
01:36 Loomis' voice is heard in the film, but this was done by voice actor Tom Kane.
01:39 I met this six-year-old child with his blank, pale, emotionless face and the blackest eyes. The devil's eyes.
01:52 Queen Aeolian Joffre - Coming to America Franchise
01:55 While not a critical success, the 2021 sequel Coming to America did reunite Eddie Murphy with his on-screen father, James Earl Jones.
02:02 However, one actor who tragically couldn't reprise her role was Madge Sinclair, who played Queen Aeolian Joffre to Jones' King in the 1988 film.
02:10 I love her.
02:11 Then go after her.
02:13 The King! The King! I forbid you!
02:22 Put a sock in it, Joffre. The boy's in love.
02:24 After living with leukemia for 13 years, Sinclair sadly passed away in 1995 at just 57 years old.
02:30 While the death of King Jaffe is a major plot point in the sequel, it doesn't forget Queen Aeolian either.
02:35 What do you think your mother would say now?
02:38 My mother?
02:41 The Queen. I always thought that she was the wisest of all the Joffres. What do you think she would say to you now, son?
02:50 While the character also passed away sometime between installments, her memory plays a pivotal role in Akeem's character art late in the film.
02:56 I may not have been as brave as you, Lavelle Johnson, but I know true love.
03:03 And when I told my mother that my true love was my Queen Lisa, she urged me to go to her, just as you have for your bride.
03:13 Doc Hudson, Cars franchise
03:15 May Doc have mercy on your soul.
03:18 Cars pulled off a huge coup in 2006 by signing the legendary multi-award winning actor Paul Newman to lend his voice to Doc Hudson.
03:24 Lightning McQueen's hero and mentor.
03:26 Unfortunately, in 2008, the 83-year-old icon passed away reportedly from cancer.
03:31 You're the fabulous Hudson Hornet. You still hold the record for most wins in a single season.
03:35 Oh, we gotta talk. You gotta show me your tricks, please.
03:38 I already tried that.
03:39 I mean, you won the championship three times. Look at those trophies.
03:42 You look. All I see is a bunch of empty cups.
03:45 For 2011's Cars 2, the story acknowledged Newman's passing by including a plot that Doc had perished too.
03:51 The piston cup was even renamed in the character's honor, and Doc's clinic became a museum of his achievements.
03:56 I know Doc said these things were just old cups, but to have someone else win it just didn't feel right, you know?
04:03 Boy, Doc would have been real proud of you. That's for sure.
04:10 In 2017's Cars 3, with Lightning struggling, he visits Doc's old friends to learn more about the racer.
04:15 There, with flashbacks of Newman's role, Lightning discovers how much his mentor loved coaching him,
04:20 inspiring the red car to do better with Cruz Ramirez.
04:23 Racing wasn't the best part of Hud's life. You were.
04:28 Greetings, my excellent friends.
04:33 Do you know when the Mongols ruled China?
04:37 Wow. Perhaps we could ask them.
04:41 This cult classic franchise had comedian George Carlin going all sci-fi by playing the time-traveling guide Rufus
04:46 in 1989's Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and 1991's Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey.
04:51 So when 2020's Bill & Ted Face the Music was announced, fans were unsure what would happen to Rufus,
04:56 as Carlin had sadly passed away in 2008 from heart failure at 71.
05:00 Greetings, my excellent friends.
05:03 Do we know you?
05:05 I'm Kelly.
05:08 Wait, you're Rufus's daughter!
05:10 I am, and I've been wanting to meet you my whole life.
05:13 The movie hints at Rufus's passing and brings in a new character, Kelly, who is his daughter to fill a similar role.
05:19 The name Kelly is significant since that's the name of Carlin's real-life daughter, who also has a cameo in the movie.
05:25 Rufus also appears in the sequel as a hologram used from archival footage from the original.
05:29 Your father would be so proud of you.
05:31 Marcus Brody, Indiana Jones franchise
05:34 Ah! That! Genius of the restoration.
05:38 Aid our own resuscitation.
05:40 Henry! What are you doing here?
05:42 It's a rescuable. Come on.
05:43 Often successful franchises have a character that not only acts as comic relief, but also as a moral compass.
05:48 And for the Indiana Jones series, that part was Denham Elliott's Dr. Marcus Brody.
05:53 Nearly 3,000 years man has been searching for the lost Ark.
05:57 That's something to be taken lightly.
06:01 Appearing in 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark and 1989's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,
06:06 the English actor captured the fans' hearts for his portrayal.
06:09 However, by the time 2008's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull came out,
06:13 the 70-year-old Elliott had sadly passed away in 1992 from AIDS-related tuberculosis.
06:18 The film mentions Brody's passing and then gives tributes to the actor and character
06:22 with a statue, a portrait, and a photo of him on Indy's desk.
06:25 First dad and Marcus seem to have reached the age where life stops giving us things and starts taking them away.
06:33 Joliet, Jake Blues and Curtis, Blues Brothers franchise
06:36 Jake! Edward! Curtis!
06:39 You look fine man! Good to see you man!
06:42 Hey, buy you boys a drink?
06:44 1980's The Blues Brothers quickly became a comedy classic with its ear-worming music and hilarity.
06:49 18 years later, we finally got a sequel with 1998's Blues Brothers 2000.
06:54 However, there were two problems.
06:56 Firstly, 33-year-old John Belushi, who starred as Jake Blues, unfortunately passed away in 1982 from an overdose.
07:02 Secondly, jazz musician Cab Calloway, who played Curtis, sadly died in 1994 at 86.
07:08 Is that Elwood Blues?
07:10 Yes sir, released yesterday.
07:12 Did you tell him about Jake?
07:16 No sir, I thought you told him.
07:18 The sequel begins with Elwood Blues leaving prison and being told about his brother's demise.
07:22 Shortly after, he discovers Curtis has also perished.
07:25 Where is Curtis?
07:27 Curtis has gone on as well, Elwood. I'm sorry.
07:32 So that's why he stopped writing me.
07:34 However, Elwood goes on a mission to bring Curtis' son, Cable Chamberlain, into the band, keeping it in the family.
07:39 Egon Spangler, Ghostbusters franchise
07:42 Oh, you're here!
07:43 Yeah, what have you got?
07:44 This is Big Peter, this is very big, there's definitely something here.
07:47 Egon, this reminds me of the time you tried to drill a hole through your head, remember that?
07:52 That would have worked if you hadn't stopped me.
07:54 On top of writing, producing and directing one comedy smash hit after another,
07:57 Harold Ramis was also an icon in the acting realm, with his most famous work coming in the Ghostbusters franchise.
08:03 You never even had a slinky?
08:05 We had part of a slinky, but I straightened it.
08:08 After he played the role of Egon Spangler, Ph.D. in the 1984 original and the 1989 sequel, Ghostbusters 2,
08:15 fans were excited for the 2016 reboot and what that would bring.
08:19 But sadly, Ramis wasn't able to cameo in it since he passed away in 2014 at 69.
08:24 The Ghostbusters reboot did include a bronze bust of Ramis, which was nice.
08:28 Then, in 2021's Ghostbusters Afterlife, Spangler plays a key role in the plot
08:32 as he was CGI'd into the film as a ghost, even briefly reuniting the original four Busters.
08:37 I'm sorry. I didn't believe you.
08:40 I shall call. I miss you, my friend.
08:46 Spock Prime, Star Trek franchise
08:49 James T. Kirk.
08:53 Excuse me?
08:54 How did you find me?
08:56 How did you know my name?
08:59 I have been and always shall be your friend.
09:04 As the original actor in the Star Trek TV shows and films as Spock, Leonard Nimoy is synonymous with the role.
09:10 I have been and always shall be your friend.
09:15 When director J.J. Abrams started the reboot franchise in 2009,
09:19 Nimoy was included as an alternate older version of Zachary Quinto's Spock.
09:23 But in 2015, the 83-year-old sadly passed away from a lung disease.
09:27 In 2016's Star Trek Beyond, this is addressed when present-day Spock is informed of Ambassador Spock's death.
09:33 When you've lived as many lives as he, fear of death is illogical.
09:40 Fear of death is what keeps us alive.
09:47 This profoundly affects the character who contemplates leaving Starfleet to help New Vulcan in his older version stay.
09:53 However, after he goes through the Ambassador's items and discovers an old photo of him from Starfleet, Spock decides to remain with the crew.
09:59 I thought you had to finish your mission report.
10:02 I do. But I thought it would be more pleasing to engage with you socially.
10:08 You old romantic.
10:11 Leia Organa, Star Wars franchise
10:13 Who are you?
10:16 Someone who loves you.
10:20 After the announcement of the sequel trilogy to the original three films, Carrie Fisher made her long-awaited return as Leia Organa in 2015's Star Wars The Force Awakens.
10:29 Delighting fans.
10:30 But shortly after shooting her scenes for The Last Jedi, the iconic actor and writer died from a heart attack in 2016 at 60.
10:37 Leia, I'm sorry.
10:40 I know. I know you are. I'm just glad you're here at the end.
10:49 Fisher and Leia get an emotional send-off in 2019's The Rise of Skywalker.
10:53 Using unused footage from The Force Awakens and her real-life daughter, Billie Lourd, stepping in for a flashback scene, Fisher was added to the movie.
11:01 Ben.
11:03 Ben.
11:05 Ben.
11:07 Ben.
11:09 Ben.
11:11 As Kylo Ren and Rey fight, Leia, who's losing her life, heroically uses her remaining strength to contact her son to bring him back to the light.
11:19 Goodbye, dear princess.
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11:37 T'Challa, Marvel Cinematic Universe
11:40 In my culture, death is not the end.
11:45 After debuting as T'Challa, the Black Panther, in 2016's Captain America Civil War, Chadwick Boseman quickly became a standout star in the MCU.
11:53 But secretly, the beloved star was living with colon cancer.
11:56 In 2020, Boseman unfortunately passed away from the illness at 43.
12:00 After Marvel confirmed they wouldn't recast the role of T'Challa.
12:03 Instead, 2022's Black Panther Wakanda Forever begins with Shuri attempting to cure her brother's terminal illness.
12:09 Before she can save him, he passes away.
12:11 Your brother is with the ancestors.
12:16 We then witness a beautiful tribute to Boseman's reign as T'Challa as Wakanda holds a funeral for their fallen monarch.
12:22 Shuri later takes up the Black Panther mantle and continues the legend.
12:25 The Black Panther lives!
12:30 [music]