With the marketing for Now You See Me: Now You Don’t finally starting and details about the plot coming to light, it is looking like one previous character will have a strangely diminished role in the upcoming installment. Now You See Me began in 2013 as an effectively standalone film about a quartet of magicians using “magic” to steal millions of dollars and a determined, frustrated FBI agent chasing after them. However, this agent, Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo), turns out to be the man on the inside who was directing the Four Horsemen’s actions all along.

Dylan continues to play the role of the de facto leader of the Horsemen in 2016’s Now You See Me 2 and is confirmed to be returning in Now You See Me 3, alongside Morgan Freeman as another mysterious leader within the organization known as The Eye. Now You See Me 3‘s trailer reveals that this outing’s story will revolve around the Horsemen trying to steal a diamond from a crime syndicate, with many familiar faces returning. However, the absence of a couple of characters prompts questions about how they will (or will not) return.

Mark Ruffalo Is Surprisingly Not Shown In The Now You See Me 3 Trailer

Dylan Doesn’t Appear To Be Directly Leading The Horsemen Anymore

The Now You See Me: Now You Don’t trailer highlights the original Four Horsemen — Daniel (Jesse Eisenberg), Merritt (Woody Harrelson), Henley (Isla Fisher), and Jack (Dave Franco) — and the fresh new trio they recruit, played by Ariana Greenblatt, Justice Smith, and Dominic Sessa. Rosamund Pike completes the cast as the new villain, along with Morgan Freeman’s Thaddeus Bradley returning, still on friendly terms with the Horsemen. However, Mark Ruffalo is not seen as Dylan at all. The character also does not appear on the new poster for the movie.

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Questions have been raised about whether Lula (Lizzy Caplan) is returning for Now You See Me 3 when she is also absent from the marketing, but unlike Ruffalo, does not appear on the cast list. Meanwhile, Daniel Radcliffe is credited again as Walter Mabry, who serves as one of the villains of the second movie — but he too isn’t showcased in the trailer or given top billing on the poster. Thus, it seems that both Dylan and Walter will be appearing in roles of a cameo nature in Now You See Me 3.

Now You See Me 3’s Trailer Suggests Dylan Has A Minor Role To Play This Time

Dylan Could Be A Distant Leader Or A Surprise Villain

When it is publicly known that Ruffalo is returning for Now You See Me 3, there is nothing to spoil by just showing him in the trailer. However, he doesn’t appear, meaning that they probably have little footage of him. They don’t want to essentially show his entire role in the movie in the trailer, or even the context in which he appears is a spoiler. At least, it does not look like he is acting as the Horsemen’s on-the-ground leader anymore, as they are only seen interacting with Thaddeus, while Dylan may be directing all of The Eye from further off.

Daniel is also estranged from the other three at the beginning, maybe having distanced himself from Dylan as well before they all show up in a moment of crisis to save the day. However, it could be especially intriguing if Dylan becomes a twist villain, as Michael Caine’s character was in Now You See Me 2 and Lula has been theorized to be in Now You See Me 3. Dylan could then show up in the third act for a short appearance, bringing his character full circle to being the Horsemen’s enemy again.

Mark Ruffalo Having A Smaller Role In Now You See Me 3 Doesn’t Quite Make Sense

Dylan Was A Huge Part Of Now You See Me 1 & 2

Yet despite this potential storyline, which could devolve into tensions within The Eye starting to affect their mission, it doesn’t really make sense for Dylan to have a smaller role when he has been a mainstay of the series so far. Other previous villains and even Horsemen could be reduced to pᴀssing appearances based on actors’ schedules, but Dylan has essentially functioned as the main character of the series. His supposed revenge scheme sets everything in motion, and he becomes the leader of The Eye in Now You See Me 2‘s ending.

After this development, Dylan should be the one directing where the Horsemen go next. However, the trailer makes it look as though, after handing the reigns over to Dylan, Thaddeus decided to come back and is now the leader again. Now You See Me: Now You Don’t Is Sure to be the latest in a fun thriller series that has never seen stellar reviews and depends upon its all-star cast, of which Mark Ruffalo has always been a pillar. However, the writers may still have a trick up their sleeve when it comes to Dylan’s character.