What happened to Chubbs? Explaining ‘painful change’ to ‘Happy Gilmore 2′ after Carl Weathers’ death

Adam Sandler and Netflix are capitalizing on nostalgia with the return of “Happy Gilmore” after 29 years.

The 2025 remake of the beloved 1996 film includes some of the original cast members, from Sandler to Julie Bowen and Christopher McDonald, as the comedy great tries to recapture the magic of the 1990s hit.

Not everything can just be the same 30 years later, of course. There cannot be a cameo from Bob Barker, who lived to 99 but not quite long enough to reprise his role from the original film. Other roles from the 1996 movie, including one that was initially included in the script, also couldn’t be brought back. 

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Here’s what you need to know about Chubbs Peterson and how “Happy Gilmore 2” was able to make a “painful change” to its plans regarding the character.

MORE: Meet the cast of ‘Happy Gilmore 2’

What happened to Chubbs from ‘Happy Gilmore’?

Chubbs Peterson, a (fictional) former golf star who mentors Sandler’s character in “Happy Gilmore,” died in the 1996 film — but his character was set to return for a role in the sequel. Those plans had to change when the actor who played Chubbs sadly passed away in February 2024.

Carl Weathers’ unexpected passing forced Sandler to rewrite a large part of the movie, as Weathers was scripted to have a “massive part” once again despite the character having died.

“We had a painful change. Carl Weathers had a massive part,” Sandler told Collider ahead of the movie’s release. “I would talk to Carl, and we were excited, and then Carl passed away. We had to rewrite a lot of the stuff, and even what the story was.”

Sandler revealed that Chubbs was set to appear in Happy’s dreams and would have had a living son in the film.

“He was coming back to me a lot in my dreams, and he had a son who was mad at Happy for causing the death of daddy,” Sandler said. 

While Weathers’ death forced the production team to pivot, the film is still expected to include tributes to his iconic character. 

MORE HAPPY GILMORE:

Who played Chubbs from ‘Happy Gilmore’?

Chubbs Peterson was played by Carl Weathers, whose acting career spanned more than 50 years until his death in 2024.

Weathers’ role in “Happy Gilmore” was one of the most memorable of his career, but he was perhaps best known for playing Apollo Creed in each of the first four “Rocky” films. Weathers also appeared in “Predator,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” and even in “Toy Story 4” as a voice actor.

Weathers enjoyed a football career before fully committing to acting. He played defensive end at San Diego State in 1968 and 1969 after transferring from Long Beach City College, and he played eight games with the Raiders between 1970 and 1971 after latching on as an undrafted free agent. 

After three seasons in the Canadian Football League, Weathers decided to become a full-time actor.

MORE: Which golf courses are featured in ‘Happy Gilmore 2’?

Carl Weathers cause of death

Weathers died of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, a form of heart disease brought on by plaque buildup in the arteries, according to his death certificate. The disease raises risk of heart attack and stroke. 

At the time of his unexpected death, Weathers was still active. He was set to appear in a Super Bowl 58 commercial for FanDuel alongside Rob Gronkowski, but the ad was adjusted before it aired less than two weeks following his passing.