Summary

• Fisher's absence in Now You See Me 2 was due to her pregnancy conflicting with the filming schedule.
• Lizzy Caplan was cast as a new character to fill in for Fisher's character, Henley.
• Despite missing the sequel, fans speculate on Fisher's return for Now You See Me 3, as the franchise moves forward with a new film.

Following her key role as Henley in the first movie, many fans were surprised not to see Isla Fisher in Now You See Me 2. The original Now You See Me was notable for its ensemble cast, which included Mark Ruffalo, Jesse Eisenberg, Morgan Freeman, and Michael Caine. It followed a team of magicians dubbed the Four Horsemen who turn to crime, pulling off heists with their unique stills. The movie was a hit with its fun premise, which led to a sequel. However, Fisher, who played the only female member of the Four Horsemen, did not return.

Like the Ocean's Eleven movies, Now You See Me set up a franchise that features a star-studded cast in a lighthearted and fun heist movie with a unique twist. Following the success of the first movie with its $350 million worldwide gross (via Box Office Mojo), the franchise was secured with the second movie bringing in even more famous faces with Daniel Radcliffe and Lizzy Caplan. However, Fisher's likable performance in the first movie was missed in the sequel, leading to questions about why she didn't return and if she has a future in the franchise.

Isla Fisher's Pregnancy Conflicted With The Filming Schedule

Lizzy Caplan Was Cast As A New Character To Fill In For Fisher's Absence

While most of the cast returned for Now You See Me 2, Isla Fisher was pregnant at the time of the sequel's filming and therefore bowed out of the production. While it was good to see that Fisher was willing to return to the franchise, it was disappointing that scheduling could not be worked out to allow her to return, especially given how popular her character was in the first film. However, this led to a new character being introduced with Lizzy Caplan playing the new female member of the team, Lula May.

The absence of Henley is explained away in Now You See Me 2 as the character gets bored waiting for orders from The Eye, the secret group of magicians, so she simply leaves. Though it is somewhat of a strange and relatively lackluster explanation, not killing off the character or recasting the role does leave the door open for Fisher to return in Now You See Me 3.

Could Isla Fisher Return For Now You See Me 3?

Now You See Me 3 Was Confirmed To Be In Production

While the second movie fell a little short of the worldwide gross of the first movie with $334 million (via Box Office Mojo), the franchise does still have a future. There have been talks about a third movie since the release of the second one, but that remained just talk for years with no real progress being made. However, it was confirmed in late 2023 that Now You See Me 3 was officially in production and the main cast was expected to return. However, this inevitably leaves a question about whether this includes Fisher.

Given the twists and turns of the franchise, bringing back a missing character would certainly fit the tone.

Despite missing out on the second movie, there are a lot of fan theories about Now You See Me 3 including Henley's return. There is no reason that the sequel could not feature both Fisher and Lizzy Caplan as part of the star-studded cast, and given the twists and turns of the franchise, bringing back a missing character would certainly fit the tone. While no casting confirmations have been made, Fisher's return for Now You See Me 3 remains a strong possibility.

Venom director Ruben Fleischer will helm Now You See Me 3.