Top 10 recast roles that turned out to be downgrades

9. Richard Harris to Michael Gambon – Albus Dumbledore

For the first two entries in the magical Harry Potter series, Hogwarts headmaster and mentor Albus Dumbledore was played by Richard Harris. Unfortunately, his passing meant finding someone else to don the half-moon spectacles. Enter Michael Gambon, whose Dumbledore guided Harry for the remaining six films.

Much like the previous recast, Gambon is fairly effective when taken on his own. The problem is that Harris was perfect. He conveyed such wisdom, kindness, mischief, and gravitas that it was like the character had leaped off the page. The filmmakers must have known that since Dumbledore underwent a radical change in look and personality from the third movie onward.

Presumably, to prevent comparisons, Gambon’s recast version is noticeably gruffer, more easily frustrated, and less likely to have all the answers. While this helps differentiate him from Harris, it also makes him less recognizable as Dumbledore; he’s more akin to Gandalf. If I wanted to see that, I’d simply pop in The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit.