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In the latest podcast episode, we talked about the possibility of recasting the Pevensies and Eustace in future Narnia films.

How do you feel about recasting in general?

In general I don't have much of a problem with recasting. Unless its replacing an actor I thought was great in a particular role, or someone who made that role iconic.

With the Narnia films so far with the exception of James Mcavoy as Tumnus and Georgie Henley as Lucy, there really isn't any role that I would be upset at if they recast. I would like to see the pevensie actors come back But I don't think I would be that disappointed if they don't. With Liam Neeson as Aslan I do really like him in the role I think he has a great voice. That said I'd probably be ok with recasting him if they can't get him back.

I'm actually looking forward to Eustace being recast. I think Will Poulter was overall fine in the role, he was the best part of the "Dawn Trader" film, but I didn't love his performance like a lot of fans did.

While I'm sure it sounds a bit heartless to some, I really don't have any problem with recasting. (Provided, of course, that it results in a performance that is as good or better.)

I don't imagine any of the actors from the films when I read the books, so it's easy for me to imagine a film that has different actors playing roles that have already been portrayed on screen. That's not to say that I didn't love Georgie as Lucy, or Skandar as Edmund, or James McAvoy as Tumnus. I thought they were fantastic, just not to the extent that they irrevocably claimed the character as their own in my mind's eye. So I would definitely be open to recasting, or remakes of the entire series later down the line.

My feelings aside, however, I'm not sure that recasting would be a good business move in this case. A lot of people were really thrilled when Will Moseley said that he would love to return to Narnia, 100%. (And I was certainly charmed by his enthusiasm.) Bringing back beloved actors will build up a part of the fandom that can do a lot for promoting films on social media. And there's also the issue of the huge reunion in LB having much punch if we're reuniting with unfamiliar people. Even though I'm personally very open to recasting, a familiar face is still a familiar face.

For me it depends on the role. There are some characters that I feel absolutely should be recast, others I think shouldn't, and other in between reactions. So here are my lists.

Yes! Recast them! Eustace and Caspian. I've said it all before, so I won't belabor the point this time: Will Poulter is simply too old. As for Caspian, Ben Barnes is too young. With so many fantastic older actors out there (I'm rooting for Christopher Lee), it makes no sense to me that they should put Ben Barnes in old age make-up.

Whatever, I don't care. Lucy, Ramandu's daughter, Aslan. Lucy doesn't look like the same person she was in LWW and PC. As good as Liam Neeson was, there are plenty of other voice actors who would do a great job. I'd like Christopher Judge for the role.

I'd rather they didn't, but I can live with it if they do. Trumpkin, Tumnus, Susan. I really loved Peter Dinklage and James McAvoy, but their roles are rather small, and also I've had time to resign myself to the fact that their probably too big to be lured back.

Noooooooo! Professor Kirk and Peter. Jim Broadbent IS Professor Kirk to me. If he doesn't come back to narrate MN, I don't think the movie will work nearly as well. As for Peter, he's the second most popular Pevensie (judging by internet fandom) and he still resembles his LWW self. Also, given that Skandar has officially quit the entertainment industry, I think they should switch Edmund and Peter's roles in HHB.

Jadis: I think they should cast a younger woman who looks like Tilda Swinton for the earlier part of the movie, and have her transform into Tilda when she eats the apple.

Sorry, Anhun, but Christopher Lee is no longer a living actor, just one on film and in memories. He died in June 2015.

Typically I hate it when movies recast actors. I understand it has to be done, but it's still jarring to me.

However, in the instance of Narnia, as this is going to be sort of a clean reboot/reimagining, I can deal with people being recast. What I'm trying to decide is if I prefer everybody being recast, or if they manage to get half of the old cast back, and not the other half. I'm leaning towards everybody being recast I think....

I don't think recasting any of the characters would be the end of the world, but I have different thoughts on different characters.

I want Eustace to be recast. This is nothing against Will Poulter's performance in VDT, but he is simply too old. Narnia is about children going to a magical land, not 20-somethings going to a magical land. In LWW the actors ages were good, but they were a bit too old for me in PC and VDT. Because the kids were older in PC, the tone was changed to more "action fantasy" than "fairy tale" (I'm sure there was more to this than the actors ages, but that was probably part of it) and in some ways felt less like a Narnia story than LWW. VDT had Georgie Henley and Skandar Keynes act like children, but this led to awkward performances.

I like Liam Neeson as Aslan, but I wouldn't mind seeing a new actor's take on him. An actor who could bring more ferocity to the role wouldn't be a bad thing.

I wouldn't want the Pevensies to be recast. Their roles in HHB and LB are so driven by nostalgia for the earlier books that it wouldn't make sense to have unfamiliar faces in the roles.

I would like to see Ben Barnes return as an older Caspian just because I really liked him in the role, especially in VDT, but I wouldn't be heart-broken if they recast. Obviously he will be older, so I could see the film-makers thinking it would make more sense to cast someone who is actually Caspian's age than using extensive makeup for Ben Barnes.

I don't think it makes sense to bring Peter Dinklage back as Trumpkin. He would be more expensive now after Game of Thrones and I don't think his small role in SC is enough to justify bringing him back. Not to mention the single Trumpkin scene ("What's that? Who's been killed?" ) in SC has Trumpkin acting very differently from how Dinklage portrayed him. He's basically comic relief in SC and it isn't the dry humour of movie Trumpkin.

I think James McAvoy depends on whether or not they get Georgie Henley back. If she comes back, I wouldn't want anyone else playing Tumnus. Otherwise, I'd be fine with a recast.

Reepicheep775 wrote:I would like to see Ben Barnes return as an older Caspian just because I really liked him in the role, especially in VDT, but I wouldn't be heart-broken if they recast. Obviously he will be older, so I could see the film-makers thinking it would make more sense to cast someone who is actually Caspian's age than using extensive makeup for Ben Barnes.

Anhun wrote:As for Caspian, Ben Barnes is too young. With so many fantastic older actors out there (I'm rooting for Christopher Lee), it makes no sense to me that they should put Ben Barnes in old age make-up.

I think that I would also prefer to have an actual older actor play Caspian in SC. as opposed and younger actor in old age make-up or digitally de-aging them.
But you still need someone to play younger Caspian in Aslan's country at the end. (assuming they keep that scene in the movie) I would be fine with bringing Ben Barnes back to play younger Caspian.

I haven't been here for ages, but I think that they should just cast the best actor for the characters where the original actor is too old or not suitable for the part based on the story, so I'm with Anhun on this. Jim Broadbent should surely be available to reprise his Professor Kirke role. I love Ben Barnes, I could accept him aged by makeup for the older Caspian, but for younger, probably do a recast.

It's great to see you back on the forum, stateofgreen!

stateofgreen wrote:I love Ben Barnes, I could accept him aged by makeup for the older Caspian, but for younger, probably do a recast.

For a long time I've been in favor of having Ben Barnes at least reprise his role as post-resurrection Caspian, but now I'm questioning that.

Knowing that it is highly likely that Eustace will be recast, and also knowing how many years have passed since VDT was released and was anywhere near the forefront of the public imagination, I'm not sure how the filmmakers are going to convey Eustace and Caspian's friendship. Eustace describes Caspian as being only a few years older than him, but Ben Barnes is turning thirty-six this August, and if the boy cast to play Eustace is around twelve years old, Ben would be old enough to be Eustace's father. They certainly won't seem anything like peers and it will be difficult for the audience to quickly accept the idea that these two used to be good friends. (Not to say that people can't be good friends with anyone of any age, but obviously it is less common and the dynamic would be very different.) If Caspian were in his mid-teens, though, and seemed like almost as much of a kid as Eustace and Jill, I think it would be much easier for the viewer to get on board with the idea. (C.S. Lewis does describe him as looking like a boy or a very young man; he is not bearded either.)

I suppose you could change the dynamic from friends to more like student and mentor (and Caspian was a role model to Eustace), but I want to do what's best for the scene itself, not what's necessary to bring Ben Barnes back. Bringing back actors can be a good thing, either to excite a fan base or simply because they did a great job in the role, but I'm most concerned with SC being a good, solid standalone film. I only want them to bring back actors if it really works for the scenes that they're in.

I look forward to their casting the young Caspian - I'm sure they'll go for someone who resembles Ben (and I hope to see a Eustace with some basic similarity to Will), but there will be some irony as two new actors meet as two characters who were good friends!

It may not matter so much for Silver Chair, but I can see recasting as a huge issue for the Last Battle. I guess I shouldn't be worried about that right now, but, I can't help it. I just think about them recasting the Pevensies without making a new LWW movie and I do not understand why the audience would care about those new Pevensies.