History Main / PromotionToOpeningTitles

** In Season 17, upon the passing of Angela [[TheCharacterDiedWithHim in light of]] Creator/CarrieFisher's death, Angela was replaced by Consuela.
** In Season 18, with the passing of Creator/AdamWest, the character of Mayor West was replaced by Seamus.

** In the Season 12 episode "He's Bla-ack!", after Cleveland returns from [[WesternAnimation/TheClevelandShow his short-lived spinoff]], Cleveland interrupts the opening and informs Mort that he is to take his spot in the intro, as he was still in Stoolbend when the opening was redone.
** In Season 15, the staff realized that Jillian became OutOfFocus after Season 9 and replaced her with Donna.

* Although ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' has no cast list in its title sequence, Creator/HankAzaria was eventually moved from the "also starring" part of the closing credits to the main cast.

** Eric Szmanda, Creator/RobertDavidHall, Louise Lombard, and now Creator/WallaceLangham on ''Series/{{CSI}}''. Wheee!

* ''Series/TheHoganFamily'': Although Edie [=McClurg=] is given her own credit when she begins appearing in the second season, she does not get her own credit clip – stock footage of her greeting the Hogans with tea and other refreshments – until Season 3.

* ''Series/HomicideLifeOnTheStreet'': Creator/MaxPerlich and Toni Lewis were added after playing FakeGuestStar recurring characters for a while, as was Creator/ZeljkoIvanek, albeit only for the reunion movie. Creator/JonSeda and Creator/PeterGerety were promoted after, respectively, one and two guest appearances.

** Specifically, the four unlockable characters are originally silhouettes in the first ''Smash'' game, and in ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl Brawl]]'', unlocked characters are added to the line of characters standing over a cliff near the end of the opening (though [[VideoGame/FireEmblemShadowDragonAndTheBladeOfLight Marth]] and [[VideoGame/EarthBound1994 Ness]] make appearances in VideoGame/TheSubspaceEmissary movie clips, and the [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog Green Hill Zone]] stage makes an appearance in the opening).

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* ''Film/Deadpool2016'': After dozens of cameos in comic book movies and TV shows, Creator/StanLee is for the first time listed in the opening credits as "A Gratuitous Cameo".

%% Live Action Films is alphabetized. Please insert in the correct order.

%% Live Action TV is alphabetized. Please insert in the correct order.

** ''Series/TheFlash2014'': For the fifth season, Creator/DanielleNicolet (Cecile Horton) and Hartley Sawyer (Ralph Dibny) were both added to the show's regular cast after previously making recurring appearances in the show. Creator/JessicaParkerKennedy (Nora [[spoiler:West-Allen]]) who was introduced in a guest appearance for [[LastEpisodeNewCharacter the season finale]], is also now included in the show's regular cast.
** ''Series/Supergirl2015'': Creator/KatieMcGrath (Lena Luthor) is a recurring cast member in Season 3 before becoming a main cast member starting the third season. Creator/JesseRath (Querl Dox) becomes a main cast member in Season 4 after being introduced as a RecurringCharacter in Season 3. Creator/AndreaBrooks (Eve Tessmacher) finally becomes a main cast member in Season 5 after spending her time as a RecurringCharacter since Season 2. Azie Tesfai is a recurring cast member in Season 4 before being part of the main cast in her following season.

** Creator/LaMonicaGarrett, who's been playing the Monitor since ''Series/Elseworlds2018'', is added as a regular to all four shows the following year during the lead up to ''Crisis on Infinite Earths''.

* ''{{Series/Blossom}}'' is a partial version. While the core cast never really changed, the opening titles of the third and fourth seasons had the rest of the characters appearing onscreen with Blossom, instead of just having Blossom dancing by herself.

** In the second season of ''Series/{{Girl Meets World}}'', Farkle (Corey Fogelmanis) is added to the opening sequence. In season 1, he's credited as "Also starring", though he's credited as a guest star in some episodes.

* In the final season of ''{{Series/Misfits}}'', Matt Stokoe as Alex is added to opening titles. While Rudy, Finn, Jess and Abby also were later additions, they were added in the same episode they were introduced. Alex spent an entire season as a recurring character before being promoted.

** Creator/MichaelRaymondJames, who plays Neal [[spoiler: (aka adult Baelfire),]] was promoted to series regular for season 3, while Meghan was DemotedToExtra as she got cast as the lead female character in ''{{Series/Intelligence2014}}''.

* ''Series/{{Orphan Black}}'':

* ''Series/{{Spartacus|BloodAndSand}}''

** [[spoiler: ... And then got killed by an explosive tumor he was transporting. Not so lucky.]]
*** [[spoiler: However, he returns, though not to the opening.]]

* ''Series/Titans2018'': Creator/AlanRitchson (Hank Hall), Creator/MinkaKelly (Dawn Granger), Creator/ConorLeslie (Donna Troy) and Curran Walters (Jason Todd) are all promoted to the main cast in Season 2 after spending the first season as {{recurring character}}s.

%% Live Action TV is alphabetized. Please insert in the correct order.

** On the flip side, Season 2's opening includes a few shots of [[SixthRanger Adira]], and Season 3's version has clips of [[spoiler: [[HeelFaceTurn Varian]]]].

* ''Series/StElsewhere'' did this for Norman Lloyd, Eric Laneuville, Ellen Bry, Kim Miyori, Stephen Furst, Bonnie Bartlett, Cindy Pickett, Sagan Lewis, France Nuyen and Jennifer Savidge. Bartlett had been a minor guest star in the first season, had her role expanded in the second and third, and finally was added to the opening in the fourth. Lewis and Savidge had been there since the first season (admittedly as pretty minor characters until somewhere around the third or fourth seasons), but weren't promoted until the final season. All the others were promoted one season after the one that introduced them. Lloyd, Laneuville, Bry and Miyori were [[FakeGuestStar treated like regulars during the first season, but were credited as guest stars]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan'' had an interesting variant: for the first nine episodes, the opening title had [[ThreeAmigos Peter, Gwen, Harry]] and [[DaEditor J. Jonah Jameson]]; after that, [[AntiVillain Harry]] was PutOnABus, and in the next episode [[FunPersonified Mary Jane]], who has just transferred to Midtown High, takes his place, and stays there for the rest of season one. After that each episode in season two includes Peter, plus a rotating list of recurring characters chosen for their importance in that particular episode.

** In the Season 12 episode "He's Bla-ack!", after Cleveland returns from [[WesternAnimation/TheClevelandShow his short-lived spinoff]], Cleveland interrupts the opening and informs Mort that he is to take his spot in the intro, as he was still on ''The Cleveland Show'' when the opening was redone.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':
** A number of background and side characters got added to the intro starting with the third episode of season 2, though most of them are blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearances. Many of them are on the train [[ExecutiveMeddling Hasbro demanded be shown in every episode]], which was added at the same time.
** Starting in season 4, they added ''more'' characters. The additions are far more noticeable, and mostly of the (in some cases, rather delayed) ContinuityNod variety. The Mane Six are joined by a small crowd of side characters, Celestia is now accompanied by her sister Luna, and [[HeelFaceTurn Discord]] can be seen inside Fluttershy's cottage.
** A variation in the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls'' spin-off series. Starting with the post-''Rainbow Rocks'' shorts, Sunset Shimmer's silhouette is added next to Twilight in the Mane Six's ponies-to-humans EyeCatch shown at the end of each short, after she completes her HeelFaceTurn and more or less takes over TheProtagonist slot for the subsequent movies. And while Sunset's voice actress Creator/RebeccaShoichet's name did appear in the opening titles for the first two films following those of the main cast, later entries shifted her to second billing behind Creator/TaraStrong.
** Starlight Glimmer is added to the group shot starting with season 6 after she pulls her own HeelFaceTurn and becomes Twilight's new pupil.
** Starting in Season 8, Episode 3, a newly revised intro adds in a whole new slew of characters, many who have appeared on the show since the early seasons but were not added to the intro until now.

Compare AscendedExtra, FakeGuestStar and RecastAsARegular.

* The JPN ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' openings regularly change to effect new captures/releases, and much speculation is made on upcoming captures based on empty space in the titles.
** After catching her Eevee, the next remix of ''Journeys'''s OP had Chloe as part of the main trio when in the first two versions she was OutOfFocus.

* ''Series/GLOW2017'' adds Creator/BrittBaron (Justine), Creator/KateNash (Rhonda), Creator/GayleRankin (Sheila), Wrestling/KiaStevens (Tammé) and Creator/JackieTohn (Melanie) to the opening titles at the start of Season 2, and Creator/ChrisLowell (Bash) in Season 3.

* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': From season 2 and onwards, every actor added to the credits has previously been a recurring guest star in at least one season, with the exception of Creator/LiamCunningham (Davos Seaworth), Creator/StephenDillane (Stannis Baratheon), Creator/CariceVanHouten (Melisandre), and Creator/NatalieDormer (Margaery Tyrell). John Bradley (Samwell Tarly), Creator/JamesCosmo (Jeor Mormont), Creator/JeromeFlynn (Bronn), Creator/ConlethHill (Varys), Creator/SibelKekilli (Shae), and Creator/CharlesDance (Tywin Lannister) were promoted for season 2. Creator/PeterDinklage (Tyrion Lannister) was ''sort of'' promoted. Peter Dinklage has always been in the opening ("... and Peter Dinklage"), but as of Season 2, he's billed first, as opposed to Creator/SeanBean, who was demoted to head on a spike at the end of the first season. Creator/OonaChaplin (Talisa Stark), Creator/RoseLeslie (Ygritte), and Creator/JoeDempsie (Gendry) are promoted in season 3. Creator/KristoferHivju (Tormund Giantsbane), Creator/GwendolineChristie (Brienne of Tarth), Creator/IwanRheon (Ramsay Snow), and Creator/HannahMurray (Gilly) are promoted in Season 4. Creator/MichielHuisman (Daario Naharis), Creator/NathalieEmmanuel (Missandei), Creator/DeanCharlesChapman (Tommen Baratheon), Creator/IndiraVarma (Ellaria Sand), Tom Wlaschiha (Jaqen H'ghar), and Creator/MichaelMcElhatton (Roose Bolton) are promoted in Season 5. Creator/JonathanPryce (High Sparrow) is promoted in Season 6. Jacob Anderson (Grey Worm) is promoted in Season 8.

* The first season of ''WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}}'' had just the main four in the opening theme. After new characters [[AlphaBitch Pretty]], [[BruiserWithASoftCenter Eugly]] and [[TheNapoleon Olaf]] were introduced in the second season, they were added to the theme song as well.

* Similarly Creator/MauriceLaMarche in ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'', although series regulars Creator/LaurenTom, Creator/PhilLaMarr and Dave Herman were not promoted until TheMovie.

* ''Series/AndiMack'' had Trent Garret (who plays Bowie) added to the title sequence in its final season, showing up between Creator/AsherAngel and Lilan Bowden's credits.

* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': After being credited as a guest star for the first six episodes, Assad Zaman is listed as a main cast member in the Season 1 finale, his name appearing in between Bailey Bass and Creator/EricBogosian.

** Ironically, in the same episode, Thymilph is added along with the rest of the QuirkyMiniBossSquad, despite dying in the previous episode.

* On ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius'', Libby was eventually to the title lineup at the end of the opening credits starting with Season 3.

* ''WesternAnimation/Ben10'' replaced original alien Ghostfreak (who was really sentient and [[spoiler:escaped the Omnitrix to become Season 3's BigBad]]) with Cannonbolt, an alien Ben obtained in the second season.