Top 10 recast roles that turned out to be downgrades
It’s often sad when a role is recast, especially when that recast sucks.
In the heartless entertainment industry, there exist few certainties. One such certainty is the need for an eventual recast. It’s happening this week with Sherlock Holmes, and it will continue to happen in all the years to come.
It’s inevitable. Roles in movies, TV shows, and video games are occasionally recast for any number of reasons. The actor is unavailable or unwilling; he/she could grow too old for the part, or the filmmakers could wish to take the character and story in a new direction.
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Sometimes, the recast actor is on par or even an improvement over the previous performer. Other times, the replacement is an inferior substitute. That’s why this list is here: to pay homage to some of the notable casting downgrades out there.
Now, there’s obviously some gray area, especially if the work is a huge departure from what came before. We’re mainly aiming at two actors playing the same character in the same continuity, but the list can also tackle remakes that retread the same narrative with little change.
An actor could do an impression of his/her predecessor, or he/she could try a new version that doesn’t work. All of these are fair game, and they could be the result of an actor’s choice or the filmmakers writing and directing the role differently. Without further ado, let’s get started.
Dishonorable mentions:
Val Kilmer to George Clooney – Batman (film series)
Linda Hamilton (& Lena Headey) to Emilia Clarke – Sarah Connor (Terminator)
Mako Iwamatsu to Greg Baldwin – Aku (Samurai Jack) & Uncle Iroh (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
Leonard Nimoy to Rutger Hauer – Master Xehanort (Kingdom Hearts)