do you really wanna know my opinion? hell no!

if they had done it, then yes, they would absolutely blow the up and coming Part III. that's one of the things I hate the most in TV. that Seineld episode when George Costanza's father was not Jerry Stiller made me wanna puke. I'd rather any other solution, personally. especially in The Godfather.

one of the greatest things in the Godfather films is how we feel like we know all that people on the screen. you know about Fredo, you remember Tom Hagen. you know how Michael made his way up. in Part III, a simple mention of a missing carachter (Fredo and Hagen I mean) is enough for the audience to know what they are talking about (I mean when Michael has a stroke and screams "Fredo! Fredo!"). re-casting one of the main carachters would start ruining that.