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The Umbrella Academy | Final Season | Official Teaser Trailer | Netflix

taizuke

Member
I always found it interesting how Ellen Page's character changed throughout the seasons. She was straight in the first, gay in the second, and trans by the third. It's almost like she was dictating her character instead of her playing the character. You often hear the saying life imitating art but in this case is art imitating life.

Also, there's been a couple of trans actors who play either a female or male character most notably Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of The Dragon. But, again it's a trans person playing a role, not a role playing a trans person. And, it's not to say that roles have never been changed for an actor in the past. No. That's nothing new. But, a role that changes according to the actor's current gender identity certainly is.

In the end, the show is allowed to adapt the characters however they want. I don't exactly agree with this approach and I enjoy other aspects of the show that this doesn't necessarily bothers me. I have yet to get excited for S4 but i always joked that we'd be seeing a new transformation for Page's character with every season.
 
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I always found it interesting how Ellen Page's character changed throughout the seasons. She was straight in the first, gay in the second, and trans by the third. It's almost like she was dictating her character instead of her playing the character. You often hear the saying life imitating art but in this case is art imitating life.

Also, there's been a couple of trans actors who play either a female or male character most notably Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of The Dragon. But, again it's a trans person playing a role, not a role playing a trans person. And, it's not to say that roles have never been changed for an actor in the past. No. That's nothing new. But, a role that changes according to the actor's current gender identity certainly is.
They at least managed to utilize the time travel plot point to sort of explain the in-universe change.

Your point kind of hits my issue with how most current day movies and TV will refuse to recast roles. So they either change entire scripts and/or kill off a character off-screen instead.
 

TheInfamousKira

Reseterror Resettler
They at least managed to utilize the time travel plot point to sort of explain the in-universe change.

Your point kind of hits my issue with how most current day movies and TV will refuse to recast roles. So they either change entire scripts and/or kill off a character off-screen instead.

The curse of live action fictional entertainment. When someone does something awful, grows out of the role, has a contract dispute, is injured, dies - producers and writers are up a creek. Do you do the CGI Luke Skywalker thing? Do you kill the character? Make a woo woo body switching plot? Find a look alike? Every solution will feel shoehorned in and inauthentic, and for every fan who's back you scratch, you're gonna enrage three other groups. Thankless fucked position from management's end.

With animated or cgi stuff, the only real issue you have is finding a convincing voice double, which, while tricky in it's own right, is much more feasible than like...finding an Elliot Page doppelganger on the street or whatever. If we weren't collectively as a species veering into AI, I'd like to think that we'd be balls deep in cloning, so that every elite Hollywood star would have four 1:1 twins that can just be phased in and out as the situation rises. That'd be neat. >>
 
The curse of live action fictional entertainment. When someone does something awful, grows out of the role, has a contract dispute, is injured, dies - producers and writers are up a creek. Do you do the CGI Luke Skywalker thing? Do you kill the character? Make a woo woo body switching plot? Find a look alike? Every solution will feel shoehorned in and inauthentic, and for every fan who's back you scratch, you're gonna enrage three other groups. Thankless fucked position from management's end.

With animated or cgi stuff, the only real issue you have is finding a convincing voice double, which, while tricky in it's own right, is much more feasible than like...finding an Elliot Page doppelganger on the street or whatever. If we weren't collectively as a species veering into AI, I'd like to think that we'd be balls deep in cloning, so that every elite Hollywood star would have four 1:1 twins that can just be phased in and out as the situation rises. That'd be neat. >>
Recasting can be the death of a show. It almost always has to be a character that's unimportant. Imagine if Five from Umbrella Academy was suddenly recast in season 2, especially after being one of the breakout stars in the first season. Even if something tragic happened to Five's actor where the showrunners had no choice but to recast, it would still be jarring for people getting used to the new actor and it would still hurt the show's views even if the situation was more acceptable due to the actor dying or something.

Just look at The Witcher S4. If that show doesn't get cancelled after S4 then i'll certainly be shocked.
I sadly understand, I just feel these studios should take a look at it on a case by case basis. Sometimes a recast can work, especially when it's less about the actor themselves.

For example, I personally would have had Marvel recast Black Panther because Chadwick wasn't even given enough time to mold the character enough to his own personality for audiences to feel like only he should be that character. By comparison Robert Downey Jr. was given enough time and is Iron Man to many people, in movies and outside of them.

Another thing I feel is okay is when a large amount of time passes between entries of an I.P. people are finally okay with recasting. Example: James Bond.
 
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taizuke

Member
Your point kind of hits my issue with how most current day movies and TV will refuse to recast roles. So they either change entire scripts and/or kill off a character off-screen instead.

Recasting can be the death of a show. It almost always has to be a character that's unimportant. Imagine if Five from Umbrella Academy was suddenly recast in season 2, especially after being one of the breakout stars in the first season. Even if something tragic happened to Five's actor where the showrunners had no choice but to recast, it would still be jarring for people getting used to the new actor and it would still hurt the show's views even if the situation was more acceptable due to the actor dying or something.

Just look at The Witcher S4. If that show doesn't get cancelled after S4 then i'll certainly be shocked.
 

Krathoon

Member
Eh, Witcher S4 may surprise you. All the actor has to do is play a good Geralt.

If he can nail the character, it will be fine.
 

taizuke

Member
Eh, Witcher S4 may surprise you. All the actor has to do is play a good Geralt.

If he can nail the character, it will be fine.

If i start hearing great things about S4 and the show turns over a new leaf then i will give it a chance. But, due take in mind that Geralt is a beloved character that was played by a beloved actor. Hemsworth can't even imagine what is like to fill Cavill's shoes. And, even if Hemsworth turns out to be a great Geralt, we still have to contend with the writers of the show. So, all i'm saying dude is i hope you're not a betting man.

Just look at the thread where Ciri's actress is asking/begging people to give Hemsworth a chance and everybody almost unanimously said "It's not him we're worried about".
 
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