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10 actors who reprised an iconic role in the most unlikely circumstances
Actors sometimes return to famous roles in unexpected settings, as film franchises increasingly draw on nostalgia. Reprising a character can range from a full sequel or reboot-era return to a brief cameo in a comedy or independent film.
The examples include Christopher Lloyd playing Doc Brown in Seth MacFarlane’s western spoof *A Million Ways to Die in the West*, and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine appearing on a poster that comes to life in *Me and Earl and the Dying Girl*. The article also describes Billy Dee Williams voicing Lando Calrissian in *The Lego Movie*, an unusual crossover made possible by Lucasfilm’s relationship with Lego. The supplied article text ends part-way through that example.
In short
- Nostalgia has brought actors back to iconic roles in surprising settings.
- Christopher Lloyd and Hugh Jackman reprised characters outside their usual franchises.
- Billy Dee Williams voiced Lando in *The Lego Movie*.
Explained simply
An iconic role is a character strongly associated with a particular actor, often from a popular film series. When an actor returns to one, it can be in a direct continuation of the story or in a brief appearance that plays on the audience’s familiarity with the character.
These returns can happen in unexpected places, including comedies and films outside the character’s usual franchise. Christopher Lloyd’s Doc Brown, Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine and Billy Dee Williams’s Lando Calrissian are examples of characters appearing in such settings. They show how filmmakers use familiar roles to create surprise and connect with audiences who know the original films.