12 Controversial Recastings That Divided Fans

In its first three seasons, The Witcher has repeatedly demonstrated the extent to which it is one of the most successful series on Netflix. In large part, this can be attributed to the phenomenal screen presence of Henry Cavill, who manages to imbue the character with both a handsome charisma and a world-weary cynicism. In the eyes of many, Geralt - even more than Superman - is the role Cavill was truly born to play.

It’s thus all the more extraordinary to hear the role has been recast, and season three will be the last to feature Cavill, with Liam Hemsworth taking over the part going forward. The series’ showrunner realized she had two choices when Cavill announced he was leaving: either end the show or recast, and she chose the latter. 

At the time of writing, it remains unclear how the fandom will respond once the fourth season starts to release photos of Hemsworth in the role, but if early reactions are any indication, it will not be pretty.

The mummy is one of the most enduring classic movie monsters, and one of its finest incarnations is in the series of films released in the late 1990s and early 2000s. These movies are solid popcorn fare, primarily due to their skilled combination of horror and comedy. Furthermore, there’s undeniable chemistry between leads Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. In Weisz's capable hands, Evelyn becomes a feisty heroine who is more than a match for any man. 

Unfortunately, the role was recast for the third film, with Weisz replaced by Maria Bello. As is often the case in Hollywood, rumors swirled about why Weisz didn’t team up with Fraser again. However, in 2008 Weisz explained the truth of the situation, which was far more banal than most would have expected. 

The reality was she was already committed to several projects, and thus she didn't have the time to sign on for the third Mummy film. What’s not in doubt, however, is the impact on the film. Though Maria Bello gives a credible performance as Evelyn, there’s just not enough of a spark between her and Rick.

For much of the first Fantastic Beasts film, it remains unclear when series antagonist Gellert Grindelwald will make his fateful appearance. In the end, it’s revealed he has been disguised the whole film as Percival Graves, played by Colin Farrell. When Grindelwald reveals himself, it turns out he is played by Johnny Depp, who would go on to reprise the role in the second film in the series.

Unfortunately for Depp, his high-profile scandals - particularly involving ex-wife Amber Heard - led to the production asking him to resign, which he did. Depp was subsequently replaced by Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, who delivered a much more subdued interpretation of the character. 

Though the film does not mention this transformation, the two actors couldn’t be more different. While it’s certain some appreciated the outlandish and somewhat cartoonish portrayal of Grindelwald given by Depp, for the most part, critics seemed to regard Mikkelsen as an improvement over his predecessor.

In the annals of the American sitcom, few recastings have been as conspicuous as the one which saw two different women playing Vivian Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. For the first three seasons, she was played by Janet Hubert before Daphne Maxwell Reid took over for the remainder of the show. In typical style, the series even alluded to the transformation, with Will turning to the camera in amazement ("You know, Ms. Banks, since you had that baby, there's something different about you” is one of the series' best meta moments).

Hubert’s departure was very acrimonious, leading to much public bad blood between herself and Will Smith. Most notoriously, Smith was key in the emerging impression of Hubert being “difficult,” which is a pernicious stereotype affecting many women of color in entertainment. 

For her part, Hubert has given different accounts of her reasoning for leaving, but it has come to light she was dealing with significant personal trauma in her private life, including an abusive husband. Fortunately, there seems to have been some reconciliation and clearing of the air, which has been good for Hubert’s career.

With Toy Story, Pixar proved computer animation was the way of the future while delivering a modern classic all in one fell swoop. In each subsequent installment, much of the joy and pleasure comes from seeing the bond between Woody and Buzz Lightyear develop and grow, and both Tom Hanks and Tim Allen deliver finely-tuned vocal performances which bring out the complexities of their characters. 

Indeed, it’s hard to imagine anyone other than Allen voicing Buzz, which is precisely what made the film Lightyear so strange for some since Chris Evans now provided the character’s voice. This recasting might have been controversial among fans, but it was relatively straightforward for the film’s creators. 

As director Angus MacLane explained: 

We needed to reinvent him. We needed to have him have gravitas yet be super funny, but not be too goofy and be able to carry the technical challenges. Chris is so technically gifted. If you needed him to do a certain thing, he could do it. And then he could build on that. We wanted more of a Harrison Ford than a William Shatner.

The decision not to include Allen as the voice and the absence of many of the other beloved characters from the franchise might help explain the film’s significant struggles at the box office.

Bewitched remains one of the most beloved sitcoms of the 1960s and early 1970s. With its story about a witch (played by Elizabeth Montgomery) who marries a mortal (played first by Dick York and later by Dick Sargent), it’s a paradigmatic example of the quirky comedy of the era. It is also a notable example of recasting since Dick Sargent stepped in to play the character of Darrin for the final two seasons of the show.

As is so often the case in such situations, the move was controversial, as not every series can survive the recasting of one of its two key characters. Moreover, the circumstances leading to the recasting are a sad story. Dick York had been injured on a movie set several years before Bewitched began. Unfortunately, he developed an dependency to painkillers and even passed out on the set of the series a time or two. 

Eventually, York accepted that his health troubles spelled the end of his time on the series. The veteran actor ultimately had to leave, being replaced by Dick Sargent. Though the two stars bear a passing resemblance, it’s still a very noticeable change.