Hollywood loves sequels and most recently, it was announced that Robert Pattinson and director Matt Reeves have signed up for a follow-up of The Batman. And if the reception continues to be good, fans can expect a trilogy that'll probably rival Christopher Nolan's take on the iconic DC superhero.
Sequels always make sense because they not only enable studios to earn more money but also satisfy the appetites of fans who desire to see more of the same fictional universe. However, many popular actors have never made a sequel to any of their movies. Some have appeared in an existing franchise but have never really played the same character twice.
Daniel Day-Lewis
As the only person to win the Oscar for Best Actor 3 different times, Daniel Day-Lewis' legacy will forever remain intact. Interestingly, in a career that spanned 4 decades, Day-Lewis was never part of a continuation.
The actor's failure to appear in sequels is all because he has a preference for appearing in movies of a slow-burn nature. These rarely lead to franchises. In the past, Day-Lewis also had a reputation for being one of the most selective actors in Hollywood, at times taking 5 years before accepting a new role. Given his nature, playing the same character twice is something he might never consider. At the moment, fans are hopeful that they'll get to see them again. After all, u-turns are quite common in Hollywood as several retired actors made a comeback.
Jodie Foster
Foster began her acting career when she was 6. She could thus count as one of the best child stars ever since she went on to have a successful career as an adult too.
Preference could be singled out as the only reason Foster hasn't appeared in sequels. She had the perfect chance to reprise her role as Agent Clarice Starling in The Silence Of The Lambs sequel, Hannibal, but she turned it down. Additionally, there were plans for a Hotel Artemis sequel but given the movie's failure to make a profit, this is unlikely to happen. Moreover, Foster is focused on her directorial work nowadays, and as such, dedicating her time to a single character won't be the top of her priorities.
Kavin Bacon
From Friday The 13th to X-Men, Kevin Bacon has been a part of numerous franchises. Unfortunately, his characters never became the main faces of these particular franchises.
Not being in follow-ups might not bother Bacon that much as he rarely lacks work. He already has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame too. Recently, the actor had the chance to continue the tale of the cult classic, Tremors, on TV. Unfortunately, the series wasn't picked up by SyFy. The majority of his movies lack an angle for a sequel too.
Leonardo DiCaprio
Undoubtedly one of the most in-demand actors of the past 3 decades, Leo has never had a bad spell in his career. And he happens to be a magnet for accolades.
Leo frequently teams up with directors who like working with the same actors, the most notable ones being Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino. Since these directors aren't fans of sequels, it's unlikely that Leonardo will ever appear in one if he continues teaming up with them. Interestingly, his first-ever movie was a sequel, the 1991 horror movie, Critters III.
Jessica Chastain
Like Bacon, Chastain has frequently starred in franchises of which she wasn't initially a part. The most notable examples are X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, and It: Chapter Two.
The trend might not change anytime soon since there has been no announcement of any of her recent movies being expanded. The 355 had plenty of sequel potential but unfortunately, it didn't do so well at the box office. However, with many acting years ahead of her (she got her first role in 2008), there is still enough time for her to be a major part of a film series.
Ryan Gosling
The 2-time Oscar nominee has never known a life without fame. He started as a child actor in The Mickey Mouse Club and has landed big roles ever since.
Directors love working with Ryan Gosling but the fact that his numbers aren't so good might be a good indicator as to why most of his movies never lead to follow-ups. The 18 movies he has starred in so far have only grossed $504,331,349 collectively at the domestic box office.
Nicole Kidman
One of the most prolific Hollywood actors of all time, Nicole Kidman has starred in over 80 movies and 20 TV shows. A couple of them had continuations but she wasn't a part of them.
That Kidman has never appeared in a "Part 2" isn't all down to refusal. She was willing to be a part of The Golden Compass for a long time but after a poor box office performance, a sequel was canceled. Luckily, she'll break the solo movie curse in 2023 when she reprises her role as Queen Atlanta in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
Richard Gere
Gere ruled Hollywood in the '70s, '80s, and '90s but only appeared in one-shot movies. Recently he has taken a step back from the limelight.
Gere's decision to focus on indie films lately has to do with the fact that he is a big critic of China, a market where most blockbusters make plenty of profits. And fans can expect to see a lot less of him since he hasn't starred in anything in the last 2 years. Still, he''ll have a lot to be thankful for when he looks back at his glory years.
Jon Hamm
Hamm's rise to prominence began when he was cast as the ad man, Don Draper in Mad Men. However, he has chosen to focus more on movies than TV shows.
While Hamm was a giant in the TV landscape, he isn't quite the box office draw. This explains why he hasn't been considered to lead a franchise. On a positive note, he continues to land supporting roles in major blockbusters, years after his ad executive fame. Fans can expect to see him again in Top Gun: Maverick.
Russel Crowe
Russel Crowe might not be appearing in the tabloids as much as he used to but he is still getting the good roles. The actor plays Zeus in the upcoming MCU movie Thor: Love & Thunder.
As great as most of Crowe's movies have been, plans for more productions of the same kind just never materialized. Fans shouldn't lose hope though because the MCU is known for using characters in multiple movies. If he's good enough as Zeus, he'll reprise the role in the franchise.