15 Characters That Were Played by Different Actors, and We Can’t Decide Who Did It Better

In the movie industry, there are certain characters, like Sherlock Holmes, Zorro, and Tarzan, that managed to obtain a status of universal cultural values. New films about them are being produced every 5-10 years, where the stories of the characters adapt to new modern realities. For example, each generation has its own Spider-Man or Batman, which, by the way, has been played by 7 different actors.

We at Bright Side are eager to present the evolution of our favorite movie and TV show characters that were played by multiple actors.

1. Batman

Not only has Batman’s costume undergone evolutionary changes, but the actors who played him have too. The first movie about Batman was released around 60 years ago. The first debut was made by Adam West and, through time, the legendary “dark mask” has been passed to the hero of the current times, Robert Pattinson.

2. James Bond

Probably the top character played by the largest number of different actors on our list is James Bond. The first Bond movie, Dr. No, premiered on October 5, 1962, and was played by Sean Connery. In the past 59 years, a total of 27 James Bond films have been made, with the last role taken by Daniel Craig.

3. Catwoman

Not only has the Batman character been changed throughout time, but his female partner, Catwoman has too. The personality of Catwoman has been shaped over the ages by many writers’ interpretations as well as costume designs. Starting with a more revealing appearance, the outfit has changed to be more practical and comfortable. The last Catwoman, played by Zoë Kravitz, looks really stunning.

4. Grand High Witch

Not everyone knows that the recently released movie, The Witches, has an older adaptation made in 1990 with Anjelica Huston playing the Grand High Witch. As you see from the collage, the appearance of the lead role has been changed drastically. But Anne Hathaway did a great job playing this new version of the Grand High Witch.

5. Wonder Woman

The current feminist hero in the cinematic world, Wonder Woman, is presented by Gal Gadot and also has one of the oldest predecessors. In the mid-’70s, actress Lynda Carter took on the role of Wonder Woman in the hit TV series that lasted 4 seasons. Pay attention to the costume — the fabric on it has changed to metal, representing the real power of the female hero.

6. Dracula

The quintessential horror monster, Dracula, is constantly appearing in TV shows and movies related to vampires and monsters. Although there are numerous actors who have plaid Dracula both in cinema and on TV, there are 3 major actors who’ve had a chance to rock this iconic status: Bela Lugosi in 1927, Christopher Lee through the ’50s and ’70s, and Gary Oldman in 1992.

7. Sabrina Spellman

And there is another witch on our list, the teenage witch, Sabrina Spellman, who was portrayed on-screen in a TV show produced in 1996-2003. At that time, the character was played by Melissa Joan Hart. Recently, fans welcomed a modernized adaptation and more feminist version of Sabrina, played by Kiernan Shipka. Although the appearance of the witch has changed a little, there is one thing that didn’t change at all — her cat, Salem.

8. Captain America

Captain America, a fictional character from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, at different times, was played by 3 different actors. It all started with Reb Brown in 1979; and in the next movie, the character was played by Matt Salinger in 1990; and now we have the current Captain America star, Chris Evans.

9. Alice

There are many actresses who’ve gone down the rabbit hole in order to play Alice, a character from the novel, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Although there are countless stage plays about this story, there are 3 bright stars who played Alice in movies and in series. Tina Majorino played a “classic” version of the little girl in 1999, and Caterina Scorsone staged a mini-series about Alice in 2002. And the modernized and latest Alice character was played by Mia Wasikowska.

10. Superman

The next comic book hero with extra powers on our list is Superman, who was reimagined for the big screen dozens of times. Although there are numerous actors who officially represented the world savior, there are a few people who made this character iconic. The first Superman, played by Kirk Alyn, appeared in movies in 1948. But the modern Henry Cavill, who played the hero from 2013 to 2017, is considered to be the best at this role.

11. Bruce Banner/The Hulk

Speaking of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we have to mention the most smashing superhero, Hulk. The rampaging monster Hulk also has his alter ego, Bruce Banner. The first Hulk was played by Lou Ferrigno in The Incredible Hulk TV series from the ’70s, while another actor played Banner. After that, the producers changed their strategy, and now both Hulk and his alter ego are played by the same actor, like in the latest version, which starred Mark Ruffalo.

12. Elizabeth Bennet (Pride and Prejudice)

Since 1938, there have been 17 film and television adaptations of the famous novel, Pride and Prejudice. So there were numerous actresses starring in the lead role of Elizabeth Bennet, a young woman who wishes to marry for love, but the environment pushes her to seek a marriage of convenience. The first role was played by Greer Garson in 1940, and the latest version belongs to
Lily James (2016). However, fans of the novel still cannot decide which actress played Elizabeth better.

13. Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc is perhaps one of the most famous French women to exist. The first movie about her dates nearly one century back in 1928. In the black and white version in 1948, the role of Joan was taken on by Ingrid Bergman, then later by Milla Jovovich and Leelee Sobieski in 1999.

14. Tarzan

Depending on your age, when it comes to Tarzan, you either recall a movie or cartoon character. Firstly, the boy who was raised in the jungle was initially introduced to the world in 1912 in a magazine. To our surprise, the number of actors who’ve played Tarzan amount to a total of 24 men from 1918 to 2016. In this collage, we featured some of the brightest, starting from Christopher Lambert (1984) to Alexander Skarsgård (2016).

15. Zorro

And last but not least, we have Zorro, who is portrayed as a dashing masked vigilante who defends people against villains. This hero without superpowers has also been played by multiple actors, but his appearance hasn’t changed a lot throughout the years — he was always in a black hat with a mask and a sword. In total, 10 actors have played Zorro, starting from 1920 all the way to 2015.

What is your favorite movie character? And what actor, in your opinion, fits best in this role?