Summary
-
Supergirl
introduced a comic book character that many thought impossible to adapt. - Mxyzptlk needed a rework for narrative reasons, not just timing.
- The choice to change actor led to a new interpretation of the character.
One of the biggest issues that most ongoing franchises face is the issue of recasting. Sometimes, actors need to be changed, despite the fact that audiences are so used to seeing those characters portrayed in a specific way. This is an issue that shared universes have particularly struggled with, especially when those actors have appeared as characters in multiple projects. The DCEU, MCU, and indeed the Arrowverse have had to recast characters on multiple occasions. This can be due to personal issues, scheduling conflicts, or health concerns. As for the Arrowverse, these recasting decisions have occurred much less in the CW DC shared continuity, but there have been a couple of examples of these difficult decisions being made. Most notably, Supergirl Fans will recall that two different actors actually played Mister Mxyzptlk during the fan-favorite season.
Of course, the benefit of having a shared universe based on a comic book imprint is that there are always sci-fi solutions to these recasting woes. From the Multiverse to cloning, there are a wide array of explanations to draw from that will ultimately provide a narrative reason as to why an actor may have been replaced. Occasionally, a franchise will simply expect the audience to continue as usual and simply accept the fact that a change has occurred, much like Bruce Banner's change in the MCU. However, in the case of Supergirl and antagonist Mxy, the showrunners found a good reason for the character to be recast, to the point where it felt like a deliberate move to further the narrative. Fans may have scratched their heads at the time, pondering why a good performer was replaced, but because what came next made so much sense, this change didn't set off any red flags in the way executives might have feared.
Supergirl Introduces the 5th Dimensional Imp
The comic book character was initially introduced as an antagonist
- Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster first invented the character in Superman #30, 1944.
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Mister Mxyzptlk, known as the Imp of the Fifth Dimension, has always been a troublemaker and a long-time antagonist of Superman. Just like other villains present in different seasons of Supergirl, Mxy may usually be an antagonist to the Man of Steel, but he has also been a threat to Kara Danvers and has thus played well within the CW show. Mxy has reality-warping powers and is often considered one of the strongest characters Clark Kent has faced. But Mxyzptlk's ideology and end goal have changed so constantly that he hasn't become the kind of sinister force that characters like Doomsday or Lex Luthor have. Instead, his trickster nature has meant that he's more often a nuisance than an outright threat, which is exactly the approach the show takes when portraying him.
When Mxy first arrives on the scene, he tries to win the heart of Supergirl, even dressing up as Superman to show off his strength and so-called heroism. Sure, he could pose a threat to the Girl of Steel, but he's more interested in trying to marry the vigilante than putting her in danger; that is, until she agrees to his plan. Regardless of the chaos he tries to wreak, as is often the case with the villain of the week, Mxyzptlk is rejected and banished. His parting words were an attempt to make him more sympathetic, stating that all he really wanted was for someone to love him. It was an interesting move to try to humanize the Imp in some way, but fans assumed they wouldn't see the character again for a while. The storyline here isn't exactly inspired by the comics, so many felt it would be hard to get close to the page even if the figure did return. Initially portrayed as suave, cunning, and certainly selfish, Mxy would later undergo a significant transformation, later finding himself in a more heroic position. Mxyzptlk's allegiances changed on the page, so fans shouldn't have been surprised to see his interests and motivations changing on screen as well. So, a change was coming for Mxy's characterization, but that wasn't the only thing the Supergirl the leaders were changing.
Mxy needed to be reformulated
Planning wasn't the only concern
- The character first appeared in the second season of Supergirl.
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When Mxy first came along, he was played by Peter Gadiot. The British actor who appeared in Once upon a time, Yellowjackets, AND A piece gave a charming and sinister performance that touched on all those critical themes of the character. He came across as a hustler who had never been told no in his life and was willing to use any scam or scheme to actually get to his end goal. It was a portrayal that worked for the script but one that the showrunners clearly didn't feel had legs. In fact, when Mxy returns, he is played by Thomas Lennon, who will be highlighted later. The need for this change was initially unclear. Rumors suggested that the change was because Peter Gadiot was simply unavailable for filming. After all, with so many major roles in his catalog, the actor has become increasingly busy and perhaps a small-scale reappearance in Supergirl just wasn’t important enough to clear his schedule. It’s plausible that Gadiot had no interest in returning, perhaps because he felt the villain wasn’t three-dimensional enough for his wide array of abilities. Logistically, any of these reasons for recasting could be a legitimate possibility. However, the showrunners have given fans a very different reason to ponder.
As mentioned above, when the cheater returns to Supergirl, is about to embark on a redemption arc. It’s something Peter Gadiot could have played, especially since he elicited so much sympathy from the character in his final lines. But, in a previous interview, showrunner Jessica Queller explained why the recast was necessary. She said, “We knew that we wanted to redeem Mxyzptlk from the previous incarnation and we felt like we wanted him to come in and apologize for his bad behavior with Kara and make amends. So that was part of recasting him and having him come in in a more benign, contrite, charming form. Not that the previous actor wasn’t charming, but the character was a little malevolent. Then we got so lucky with the casting of Tom Lennon, who is magical in his own right.” It seems, then, that the recasting wasn’t done just because of any logistical issues that might have hindered filming, but also because a change made sense for the character. Trying to cast someone who feels more redeemable is an interesting way to approach a character’s arc. This kind of tactic can only work in a science fiction context, where Mxy's powers could be the main explanation for why his appearance has changed. Programs like Doctor Who they have been rehashing characters for years to continue to advance their narrative and Supergirl they made the most of the new cast member.
The new actor has become a mainstay
Mxyzptlk's redemption story arc had an impact
- The new iteration of Mxy appeared in both Season 5 and Season 6 of Supergirl.
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The casting of Tom Lennon proved to be a huge success, with Mister Mxyzptlk appearing a handful of times in this new form and slowly winning over both audiences and Supergirl. Lennon brought a different kind of charm to the proceedings and felt less threatening in the role. There was still an untrustworthy quality to him, making Kara nervous at first, but as the series progressed, that natural magic of the character shone through. Mxy would soon become an unexpected ally to Team Supergirl and Lennon made this alteration feel totally believable. It was a risk to completely change the character, but it worked tremendously well and the showrunners were clearly satisfied enough to continue calling Lennon back for a major story arc leading up to the final season. While the recasting might have been jarring, the show also took note of the change, making sure there was a canonical reason for the regeneration.
Mxy had clearly used his powers to appear more attractive and less dangerous to the group, but he had also mentioned that he sometimes missed his old face. The show could have avoided the topic, as other franchises have done in the past, but by addressing the issue head on, the audience knew exactly where they stood. With more shows coming up like The Witcher having to deal with these same complications on a much larger scale, perhaps Supergirl is the model to follow. The Arrowverse has at times controversially recast other characters over the course of its run, but none have been more effective than Mxy himself, where that recast has been used to elevate the show, the story, and the character. While some may have been dubious because of how far the portrayal has strayed from the comics, in the context of Supergirl in itself, it really worked.