History Main / SequelNonEntity

* Sarabi does not appear in ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKingIISimbasPride''' most likely due to her voice actor Madge Sinclair passing away.

* Despite most of the side characters from ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'' returning for cameos in ''WesternAnimation/FindingDory'' (including [[spoiler:The Tank Gang]] in TheStinger.), a few notable exceptions are the sharks: Bruce, Anchor and Chum and Nigel the pelican. Dr. Philip Sherman and Darla also don't appear.

* The original ''VideoGame/LEGOMarvelSuperHeroes'' featured ComicBook/FantasticFour and ComicBook/XMen characters quite prominently among both the heroes and the villains. However, by the time the sequel rolled around, Disney and Marvel had decided to avoid using them in any more adaptations because of the issues surrounding their film rights, leaving ''VideoGame/LEGOMarvelSuperHeroes2'' unable to do much more than awkwardly hint at the events of the previous game. Ironically enough, shortly after the game's release, Disney and Marvel would regain the film rights to both sets of characters, making the entire thing pointless.
** The same film rights issues also seemingly led to the absence of any X-Men characters from ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomInfinite'', despite them having kicked off the entire series with ''VideoGame/XMenVsStreetFighter'' and remaining series staples up to that point.

* Happens occasionally in several ''Franchise/TheKingOfFighters'' installments: Goro Daimon (one third of the series' first main PowerTrio) missed out on '''99'', ''2000'', ''XI'' and ''XV'' for example, and [[VideoGame/PsychoSoldier Sie Kensou]] likewise skipped ''2003'' and ''XV''. ''XV'' was also the first mainline installment in which series mainstay [[VideoGame/FatalFury Kim Kaphwan]] was absent.

* The epilogue of ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'' shows the whole SuperFamilyTeam preparing to take on the Underminer, but the video game based on this scenario, ''[[VideoGame/TheIncrediblesRiseOfTheUnderminer Rise of the Underminer]]'', quickly sidelines Elastigirl and the kids, leaving the actual adventure to [[BashBrothers Mr. Incredible and Frozone]].

** Rebecca finally made a return to the franchise in late 2015, not in a video game, but in of all things, as part of a theatrical production called ''Biohazard: The Stage'' [[{{Interquel}} that takes place between]] ''[=RE5=]'' and ''[=RE6=]''. She also shows up in the third CGI film, ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilVendetta Vendetta]]'', which is set between ''[=RE6=]'' and ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil7Biohazard RE7]]''.

* Roxanne, Max's girlfriend in ''WesternAnimation/AGoofyMovie'', is neither seen nor referenced to in [[WesternAnimation/AnExtremelyGoofyMovie the sequel]]. Debates rage on about whether this was an okay change or not. In addition, Peg and Pistol from ''WesternAnimation/GoofTroop'' don't appear in either movie. Plus, PJ, Bobby, Stacey, Sylvia, the Beret Girl, Bradley Uppercrust III and the Gammas don't appear and/or referenced in the ''WesternAnimation/HouseofMouse'', neither does Peg, Pistol, Waffles and Chainsaw.

Several things can cause a character's disappearance -- maybe the actor has died, didn't want to return, or couldn't for scheduling reasons. Or the producers may feel the character just wasn't popular enough to make a return, or they may have lost the rights to use the character in future projects.

* Roxanne, Max's girlfriend in ''WesternAnimation/AGoofyMovie'', is neither seen nor referenced to in [[WesternAnimation/AnExtremelyGoofyMovie the sequel]]. Debates rage on about whether this was an okay change or not. In addition, Peg and Pistol from ''WesternAnimation/GoofTroop'' don't appear in either movie. Plus, PJ, Bobby, Stacey, Sylvia, the Beret Girl, Bradley Uppercrust III and the Gammas don't appear in the ''WesternAnimation/HouseofMouse'', neither does Peg, Pistol, Waffles and Chainsaw.

* Roxanne, Max's girlfriend in ''WesternAnimation/AGoofyMovie'', is neither seen nor referenced to in [[WesternAnimation/AnExtremelyGoofyMovie the sequel]]. Debates rage on about whether this was an okay change or not. In addition, Peg and Pistol from ''WesternAnimation/GoofTroop'' don't appear in either movie.

* Likely as a result of RealLifeWritesThePlot, Luke Hobbs doesn't appear nor is he mentioned in ''Film/F9''. None of the main characters seem to acknowledge his absence either, almost like he never existed or was just never there in the first place. Though it is justified by Creator/DwayneJohnson's feud with Creator/VinDiesel during the filming of ''Film/TheFateoftheFurious'' and therefore Johnson ruling out a return to the ''Fast and Furious'' franchise outside of a ''Hobbs and Shaw'' sequel, hence why we said it was a likely case of RealLifeWritesThePlot earlier.

Several things can cause a character's disappearance - maybe the actor has died, didn't want to return, or couldn't for scheduling reasons. Or the producers may feel the character just wasn't popular enough to make a return, or they may have lost the rights to use the character in future projects.

If the missing character was more important as a plot device than as a person - maybe they were a token love interest or LivingMacGuffin - then they stand a good chance of being not just dropped but replaced with a SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute come the sequel.

* For the 2008 ''Film/JourneyToTheCenterOfTheEarth'' series, the only actor to return for the sequel is Creator/JoshHutcherson as Sean Anderson. Nobody else, including Creator/BrendanFraser (Trevor) and Anita Briem (Hannah), return. Even Sean's mother and Trevor's sister-in-law, Liz, who does return, is [[TheOtherDarrin played by a different actress than the original]].

* Bernard the Head Elf from ''Film/TheSantaClause'' inexplicably vanished when the third movie rolled around.

* ''VIdeoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield'' don't allow many of the older Pokémon to be transferred in, rendering them uncatchable.

* Likely as a result of RealLifeWritesThePlot, Luke Hobbs doesn't appear nor is he mentioned in ''Film/F9''. None of the main characters seem to acknowledge his absence either, almost like he never existed or was just never there in the first place. Though it is justified by Creator/DwayneJohnson's feud with Creator/VinDiesel during the filming of ''Film/TheFateoftheFurious'' and therefore Johnson ruling out a return to the ''Fast and Furious'' franchise outside of a ''Hobbs and Shaw'' sequel, hence why we said it was a likely case of RealLifeWritesThePlot earlier.

* Rebecca from ''Film/NightAtTheMuseum'' doesn't appear or get mentioned in the sequel, despite starting a relationship with Larry at the end of the first film, because Creator/CarlaGugino was busy filming ''Film/RaceToWitchMountain''. And it'd be weird to have her along with Larry's relationship with [[MsFanservice Amelia]] [[Creator/AmyAdams Earhart]]. The nerdy IdenticalStranger seen at the sequel's end, played yet again by Creator/AmyAdams (and lightly implied to begin a relationship with Larry) is nowhere to be seen in the third movie either.
* In ''Film/MenInBlackII'', they mention Dr. Laurel Weaver (Creator/LindaFiorentino) once just to "explain" why she isn't with them and then drop the whole thing. According to the producers, [[RealLifeWritesThePlot Fiorentino was too difficult to work with to bring back]].
* They briefly mention in ''Film/XXxStateOfTheUnion'' that Xander Cage from [[Film/XXx the first movie]] was (allegedly) killed and that's why there's a new xXx. There was even a scene filmed with Cage being blown up in an attack by the sequel's villains, resulting in the tattooed chunk on his neck landing in front of the camera, just to thoroughly avert HesJustHiding. Smart choice not to include that in the final cut, since they brought Xander back for another movie.
* ''Film/Speed2CruiseControl'': They briefly explain that the Keanu character from ''Film/{{Speed}}'' broke up with her because of how their relationship started.
* Nightcrawler's absence in ''Film/XMenTheLastStand'' was because Alan Cumming hated the painful make-up process and was already vowing never to return to the role in the making-of footage.

* Creator/BillMurray's Bosley is conspiciously absent (save for a photo on his family's wall) in ''Film/CharliesAngelsFullThrottle'', having been replaced by his adoptive brother, played by Creator/BernieMac. Despite the fact that Bosley appeared to be beloved by the Angels in the first film, here they never seem to miss him for even a moment - nor is his absence (and current whereabouts) ever explained. Murray's was unhappy during shooting of the original, and the actresses were apparently not themselves sad to see him go.
* Chris Klein was the only dude from the original five guys not included in the third ''American Pie'' movie, ''Film/AmericanWedding''. WordOfGod says they simply had nothing for him to do, so the character just wasn't included.
* ''Film/AmericanPiePresentsBandCamp'', arguably the series' first foray into hardcore {{Sequelitis}}, had a line about why the main characters from the previous films weren't around.
* ''Franchise/JurassicPark'':
** A famous example is ''Film/TheLostWorldJurassicPark''. It focuses on secondary (and, in [[Franchise/JurassicPark the first novel]], ''deceased'') character Ian Malcolm; as such, main characters Alan Grant and Sattler are not seen or mentioned, while the kids and Hammond only cameo early on.
** ''Film/JurassicParkIII'' is focused on Grant. He's still good friends with Sattler, so she appears twice in the movie (one of the scenes indirectly leads to TheCavalry's arrival). Malcolm is remembered in one scene. Hammond and [=inGen=] are directly mentioned by Grant at the conference at the movie's beginning and later directly or indirectly mentioned in scenes such as when they visit an abandoned facility).
** Grant himself is absent in ''Film/JurassicWorld'' and ''Film/JurassicWorldFallenKingdom''. In fact, the only characters who do return are Dr. Henry Wu (who plays a more central role in ''Jurassic World'') and Ian Malcolm (for 2 scenes in ''Fallen Kingdom''). However, Grant and Sattler - along with Malcolm - reappear in ''Film/JurassicWorldDominion''.

* The ''Film/AustinPowers'' films gleefully embraced this trope in its mockery of ''Film/JamesBond'' film clichés. The love interest from the first film is retconned as always having been a fembot in the second just to get rid of her, and Heather Graham's character from the second film doesn't even get that much acknowledgement in the third. (Graham did shoot a scene for ''Goldmember'' which presumably would have explained her disappearance, but it was deleted from the final cut and has yet to resurface.)
* Galleria ([[Series/ThatsSoRaven Raven-Symone]]) in the third ''Film/TheCheetahGirls'' "goes to college." In reality, backstage catfights between Raven-Symone and the rest of the cast led to her leaving the defictionalized band and the movie, and for Adrienne Bailon's character leaving ''Series/ThatsSoRaven''.
* Yori's rather conspicious absence from ''Film/TronLegacy'' has been the source of plenty of speculation. The ''Betrayal'' comic [[PutOnABus shoves Dr. Baines-Bradley on a bus to Washington DC]], but no mention at all is made of what became of her program, most likely due to the fact the sequel doesn't take place in the same computer system as the first.
* Julia Roberts and Catherine Zeta-Jones don't appear in ''Film/OceansThirteen''. This is explained at the beginning of the movie with about two lines, the main one of which is "it's not their fight." However, given the nature of the motivation for the Ocean crew, this makes at least a little bit of sense.
* Bernard the Head Elf from ''Film/TheSantaClause'' inexplicably vanished when the third movie rolled around.
* Although Gracie and Eric appeared to be starting a relationship at the end of ''Film/MissCongeniality'', Eric is nowhere to be seen in the sequel. He did however, break up with her over the phone (without his voice being heard), and said breakup is a large part of Gracie's character throughout the film, even made into Gracie's personal BerserkButton.

* The titular St. Bernard of the ''Film/{{Beethoven}}'' movies gets given away to the brother "temporarily" (and permanently) in the third movie (and first DirectToVideo one), allowing to replace the whole family cast with a new one.

* For the 2008 ''Film/JourneyToTheCenterOfTheEarth'' series, the only actor to return for the sequel is Creator/JoshHutcherson as Sean Anderson. Nobody else, including Creator/BrendanFraser (Trevor) and Anita Briem (Hannah), return. Even Sean's mother and Trevor's sister-in-law, Liz, who does return, is [[TheOtherDarrin played by a different actress than the original]].
* Thanks to the death of Creator/HeathLedger, The Joker doesn't appear in ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises''. But despite being seen alive and taken into custody at the end of the previous film, his fate isn't alluded to at all, and the other characters go out of their way to not mention him.
* Ripcord, Scarlett, and General Hawk, three characters who were an integral part of the G.I. Joes in ''Film/GIJoeTheRiseOfCobra'', are nowhere to be seen in ''Film/GIJoeRetaliation'' and we don't get an explanation as to why. [[spoiler:Their absence becomes particularly noticable when it's stated that every Joe (except for Roadblock, Flint, Jaye and Snake Eyes) is supposed to have been killed in the Cobra attack. However, it's possible they retired and therefore were no longer targets, as was the case with Joe Colton]].
* Happens a few times throughout ''Film/TheExpendables'' franchise. Mickey Rourke's character, Tool, is not mentioned after the first movie, since he took the role in the first movie as a favour to Creator/SylvesterStallone, and Mr. Church, played by Creator/BruceWillis, is not shown in the [[Film/TheExpendables3 third movie]] due to Willis wanting $4 million for four days' worth of work.
* ''Film/ResidentEvilFilmSeries'':
** At the end of ''[[Film/ResidentEvilApocalypse Apocalypse]]'', Jill, Carlos, L.J., and Angela rescue Alice before driving away from the Umbrella facility. In ''[[Film/ResidentEvilExtinction Extinction]]'', Alice, Carlos, and L.J. return, but not Jill and Angela, whose whereabouts are unknown. That is, unless [[AllThereInTheManual you read the novelization]], where it is revealed that a mind-controlled Alice was forced to kill Angela by Umbrella. Jill finally returns in TheStinger of ''[[Film/ResidentEvilAfterlife Afterlife]]'' and becomes a major player in ''[[Film/ResidentEvilRetribution Retribution]]''.
** K-Mart and Chris and Claire Redfield were there in the ending of ''Afterlife'' but are completely absent from ''Retribution''. Even though both movies end and start with the same showdown on the battleship ''Arcadia'', the reverse-action in the opening scene glosses over it enough to hope you don't notice, and no-one seems to mention them again. Claire eventually returns in the final film, ''[[Film/ResidentEvilTheFinalChapter The Final Chapter]]'', but she doesn't say anything about Chris or K-Mart. The novelization states that Claire lost contact with Chris because he was taken in a different helicopter during the attack on the ''Arcadia'', though she believes that he is still alive. K-Mart, though, [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome seems to have disappeared from the faces of the earth]].
** In fact, ''The Final Chapter'' only features Alice and Claire among the returning characters last seen alive. The badass LastStand that the characters from the games were about to make in the ending of ''Retribution'' is quickly resolved in the sixth film, which [[DownerBeginning opens with a ruined Washington D.C.]]. Again, this is explained in the novelization: Jill, Leon, and Ada all bit the dust during the last stand, while Alice managed to save Becky and take her to a safe place.
* All the principals from ''Film/EveryWhichWayButLoose'' are back for the sequel, ''Any Which Way You Can''--except Echo, Orville's love interest, played by Beverly D'Angelo. No mention is made of her at all, and Orv has a new girlfriend at the end of ''AWWYC''.
* ''Film/ThorRagnarok'':
** Jane Foster, Thor's girlfriend from the [[Film/{{Thor}} first]] [[Film/ThorTheDarkWorld two]] films, is absent. A single line of dialogue handwaves this by indicating that she and Thor had broken up some time after ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron''. The real reason is because Creator/NataliePortman had openly voiced her displeasure of working in the previous films and didn't want to appear in a MCU film ever again. Her appearance in ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' was created from archival and unused footage from ''The Dark World''. However, Portman eventually reconciled with Marvel and co-starred in the fourth film, ''Love and Thunder''.
** As a result of Jane’s absence, none of her fellow Midgardians - Erik Selvig, Darcy Lewis, and Ian Boothby - are mentioned either. According to a FreezeFrameBonus, Erik is one of the casualties of Thanos' Snap during ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'', while Darcy appears in ''Series/WandaVision''.
** Sif also doesn't appear or mentioned. According to WordOfGod, she was banished from Asgard between films and became a casualty of Thanos' Snap. The real reason is probably Creator/JaimieAlexander busy filming the ''Series/{{Blindspot}}'' series at the time.
* ''[[Film/SmokeyAndTheBandit Smokey And The Bandit Part 3]]'' lacks The Bandit as main character. It focuses more on Sheriff Justice and Bandit's sidekick Snowman posing as The Bandit for most of the film. Burt Reynolds does appear in one sequence, but it's still technically not the real Bandit. It's Cledus playing the role so well the Buford sees him as the Bandit. Sally Field's character, Frog, was neither seen nor mentioned.
* ''[[Film/WeekendAtBernies Weekend At Bernie's II]]'': Despite one of Our Heroes living only to snag her as his girlfriend in the first movie, Catherine Mary Stewart's character is nowhere to be seen in the second movie.
* Film/MissionImpossibleFilmSeries:
** Ethan goes on a vacation with Nyah at the end of [[Film/MissionImpossibleII the second film]]. [[Film/MissionImpossibleIII The third]] opens with him about to marry a different woman, Julia Meade, meaning he broke up with Nyah sometime between the films.
** Agent Jane Carter is inexplicably absent from ''[[Film/MissionImpossibleRogueNation Rogue Nation]]'' onward, despite being an important member of Ethan's team in ''[[Film/MissionImpossibleGhostProtocol Ghost Protocol]]''.
** Ethan's wife, Julia, also doesn't appear in ''Rogue Nation'', though ''Ghost Protocol'' (where she only makes a cameo) gives [[ItsNotYouItsMyEnemies a reason why she can't appear]]. She finally returns in ''[[Film/MissionImpossibleFallout Fallout]]''.
** William Brandt is absent without explanation in ''Fallout'', after having been a major character for two films. This is because Creator/JeremyRenner was busy filming ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' at the time.
* In all sequels and spinoffs of the original ''Film/HoneyIShrunkTheKids'', the Thompsons (who make up one-half of the cast, and whose kids are shrunk alongside the Szalinskis) are completely absent. Amy only makes a brief cameo in the second film before she too disappears (although she returns for the series), and Nick doesn't appear in ''Film/HoneyWeShrunkOurselves'', though he will be returning as the lead character in ''Shrunk''.
* ''Film/InspectorGadget2'': Dr. Brenda Bradford, who was Gadget's Creator and LoveInterest in the [[Film/InspectorGadget1999 first film]] disappears from the second film and isn't mentioned at all, with a scientist named Baxter taking on her role as head of the Gadget program and Gadget Model 2 becomes Gadget's new love interest. An early animatic of the opening scene did mention Brenda, indicating that she and Gadget parted ways some time between the two films.
* ''Film/KaamelottPremierVolet'': Yvain, Ygerne de Tintagel (Arthur's mother), the Weaponmaster and several other recurring characters of the ''Series/{{Kaamelott}}'' series are noticeably absent.
* ''Film/Coming2America'': Darryl Jenks and Patrice [=McDowell=] appear in photographs, but do not make any physical appearances, nor is it mentioned what happened to them after the first film.
* ''Film/RushHour''
** Officer Tania Johnson doesn't appear in either of the sequels.
** Consul Han and Soo Yung do not appear in ''Rush Hour 2''. They both return in ''Rush Hour 3''.
** Captain Diel did appear in 2, but his scene was deleted. He returned in 3 as well.
** Isabella Molina, Lee's Secret Service girlfriend from 2 doesn't appear in 3. It's because Carter accidentally shot her in the neck, and she broke up with Lee because of it.
* Carla Purdy from ''Film/TheNuttyProfessor1996'' doesn't appear in ''Film/NuttyProfessorIITheKlumps''. She and Sherman broke up some time between the two films.
* Numerous monsters disappear from the original Showa Franchise/{{Godzilla}} series without in-universe explanations, though in real life, they were abandoned for a host of reasons, including declining budgets, the collapse of Japan's film industry and traditional payroll system during the early 70s, and licencing issues -- King Kong couldn't appear because of copyright reasons, while Godzilla's airborne helpers Mothra and Rodan required elaborate wireworks and their suits and models were in a state of disrepair. Even characters like Godzilla's adoptive son Minilla or his close allies Anguirus, Jet Jaguar and King Caesar didn't come back for [[Film/TerrorOfMechagodzilla the last film]], leaving him to fight the latest villains alone -- although some of them would technically "return" in ''Film/DestroyAllMonsters'', a film that was produced in the middle of the series but is chronologically the last. Even so, Mothra in her final appearances is not accompanied by her Shobijin fairies.

* The Indians in ''WesternAnimation/ReturnToNeverLand'', presumably due to [[OnceAcceptableTargets how they would be perceived in the modern day]]. Their camp is briefly seen (twice, if you count the CreativeClosingCredits) but is completely empty.

* ''Series/{{Psych}}:'' Joon from "High Top Fade Out" didn't appear in the second episode featuring [[InsistentTerminology Blackapella/Quarterblack]], "Let's Doo-Wop It Again". Tony and Drake complained that they moved their schedules around just to accomodate him and he still didn't show.

See also DemotedToExtra, PutOnABus, EstrangedSoapFamily, SuddenSequelDeathSyndrome.

Several things can cause a character's disappearance - maybe the actor didn't want to return, or couldn't for scheduling reasons. Or the producers may feel the character just wasn't popular enough to make a return, or they may have lost the rights to use the character in future projects.

** The four Chosen Children of ''Anime/DigimonAdventure02'' appear in the opening scene of the first movie after apparently being on the receiving end of a CurbStompBattle, and... that's it for the rest of the movie. The other characters never once mention them, or even seem to notice their absence. The following two movies only barely hint that they're missing at all, [[spoiler:even when it appears Ken's turned evil again.]] It's not until the final movie when anything substantial is given about what the heck happened. This is still better than what happened to their families, who seem to have just vanished from existence.
** Meanwhile, the wealth of other Chosen Children ''02'' established as existing across the world are entirely gone, including Mimi's friend Michael, along with their partners. Their existence is alluded, since Movie 1 shown a worldwide digidestined blog, but they still don't appear. [[spoiler:Movie number five indicates there are Digimon rampaging across the world, but where these guys are during all this goes completely unmentioned.]]

** Tania Johnson doesn't appear in either of the sequels.