The Real Reason Why Isla Fisher Wasn't in Now You See Me 2

Summary

• Isla Fisher was absent from the sequel to Now You See Me.
• Her absence was due to personal reasons and she will be reprising her role.
• There will also be new characters in the upcoming movie.

Now You See Me has to be one of the most underappreciated heist movie series of the last decade. The movies, despite their lavish production values, all-star cast, and global box office success, are rarely discussed in media or on social platforms 8 years after the release of Part 2.

Still, the story of the genius illusionist thieves seems incredibly original even in 2024, and fans are eagerly awaiting the release of the long-awaited third installment, which promises to once again deliver the crazy adventures of The Four Horsemen.

Lionsgate is not keeping quiet either and continues to share details about the upcoming film. It has been revealed that the movie is already in post-production and will be released in the fall. In addition, we now know that along with the old characters, there will be a new generation of illusionists, as well as the return of someone from the first installment.

Of course, we are talking about Henley Reeves, played by Isla Fisher, who did not take part in Now You See Me 2. But why did the actress leave the project in the first place?

Why Did Isla Fisher Not Return for Now You See Me 2?

Henley Reeves is remembered as the brilliant escape artist, and although she didn't appear in the second installment, her presence was felt as others mentioned her quite often. The character was supposed to return in Now You See Me 2, but she had to be written out of the movie's plot.

In fact, the actress' reason for leaving had absolutely nothing to do with come kind of behind-the-scenes disputes, abrupt rulings from Lionsgate, or the actress' unwillingness to reprise the role. Instead, it was revealed in 2014 that Isla Fisher would be unable to come back due to her ongoing pregnancy, so Henley was replaced by Lula May, a new member of the Four Horsemen, portrayed by Lizzy Caplan

However, Henley's magical exploits are clearly not over yet: in the second movie, it was stated that she had left the Four Horsemen due to a long period of silence from the Eye, and that the character had decided that she did not want to remain in a constant state of waiting.

How she will return to the story remains to be seen. Perhaps Henley will accept an offer from Dylan (Mark Ruffalo), who is now the leader of The Eye. Or perhaps she has already been working on some kind of mission but has kept it a secret. In any case, all we can do is to wait impatiently.

Which Actors Are Returning for the Third Installment?

Isla Fisher is certainly not the only one coming back in Now You See Me 3, as the third film sees the return of all the original characters:

• Jesse Eisenberg as J. Daniel Atlas
• Mark Ruffalo as Dylan Rhodes
• Dave Franco as Jack Wilder
• Woody Harrelson as Merritt McKinney
• Lizzy Caplan as Lula May
• Morgan Freeman as Thaddeus Bradley
• Daniel Radcliffe as Walter Mabry

The cast of the upcoming movie will also include new stars. Some of them will play a new generation of magicians, and some of their roles have not yet been revealed:

• Rosamund Pike
• Ariana Greenblatt
• Justice Smith
• Dominic Sessa

It's also a perfect time to start learning some fancy magic tricks! After all, Now You See Me 3 is only four months away. The release date is set for November 14, 2025. Ed Solomon and Boaz Yakin have returned as writers, with Bobby Cohen and Alex Kurtzman producing.