I'm sorry... One of the FIVE of you?!

[Rollyn Montagorae]

Elania, thanks for that link. That's the first time I've seen anyone associated with the show even backhandedly comment on the Mat actor swap. Given that he compliments Barney's performance his tone doesn't sound like the actor left because of the sorts of shady reasons that we might speculate about these days.

Nonetheless, they still take a flat line of "no comment" on the reasons for the swap which is just astounding. Not even something as vague as "personal matters" or "the role wasn't working out" or anything but a complete stonewall. Maybe after the season is over someone at the show will start offering some sort of answers.

 

[Aran Cherubim]

I wonder if they're giving Perrin a "tragic dead wife" backstory because they're not planning on to including the death of his family later in the series... for whatever reason.

 

[Nadezhda al'Lanahrin]

Nonetheless, they still take a flat line of "no comment" on the reasons for the swap which is just astounding. Not even something as vague as "personal matters" or "the role wasn't working out" or anything but a complete stonewall. Maybe after the season is over someone at the show will start offering some sort of answers.

I think that, perhaps, they might be under a Non-Disclosure Agreement, for whatever reason. Or, they may be respecting a request from the actor. I can also see limiting talk about it until after the season releases, so as to make the hype about the show itself.

 

[Ty al'Djinn]

If the reason he left was the fandom, in part, I could see him deciding to leave and not want to say why. It’d just make it worse.

 

[Morgana Arakos]

Did the fandom not like him in the role? I must have missed that… that would be sad if it were the reason why.

 

[Aintza Bisera]

Yeah, I liked him. He has that "twinkle of mischief" in his eyes.

 

[Nadezhda al'Lanahrin]

As far as I know, everyone loved him in the role so far.

 

[Ty al'Djinn]

I don’t think that it’d be a toxic fandom issue.

But if he applied and got the role and then once in it realized it’s probably going to be a cultural juggernaut, I can see someone noping out of that.

That was what I was thinking.

 

[Leira Galene]

I don't know why he wouldn't have expected that, though.

I also don't know why anyone would have seriously thought they might make Egwene the Dragon. I mean, come on. That would literally rewrite the entire series. It makes zero sense. The possible gender swapping thing etc is also probably partially to set up the explanation for the one Forsaken who is reborn as a woman in addition to just making things a bit less gender essentialist. It's... really just some background worldbuilding.

 

[Jocasta Braithe]

That was a good article, thanks for sharing Elania Sedai. It makes me feel better about the swap to know that Rafe Judkins thinks it's ok.

Of course he'd say that, but I'm choosing to trust him as a fan.

 

[Nadezhda al'Lanahrin]

I don't know why he wouldn't have expected that, though.

I also don't know why anyone would have seriously thought they might make Egwene the Dragon. I mean, come on. That would literally rewrite the entire series. It makes zero sense. The possible gender swapping thing etc is also probably partially to set up the explanation for the one Forsaken who is reborn as a woman in addition to just making things a bit less gender essentialist. It's... really just some background worldbuilding.

+1

 

[Aran Cherubim]

Might be a health issue. Might be some issues behind the scenes, like interpersonal clashes. In either case, it isn't really our business, to be honest.

 

[Alyria Ess]

Truly, and I think who they've chosen to fill the role going forward is as good a choice, at least as far as looks go. What I mean to say is he looks like Mat1 and also like BookMat.

 

[Jocasta Braithe]

Might be a health issue. Might be some issues behind the scenes, like interpersonal clashes. In either case, it isn't really our business, to be honest.

I mostly care because I liked Barney and I hope he's ok.

 

[Dee Aremm]

I've really liked Brandon Sanderson's framing for thinking about the show: it's not a 1:1 replica of the books, but rather a new turning of the wheel.

That is a good way of thinking of it..... let us pretend that the Wheel have turned 7 times and our Age (the books) is now far behind us but has come again in the TV series