10 Movies That Chose The Wrong Lead Character

2. Newt Scamander - Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them

It's fair to say that Fantastic Beasts' protagonist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) is a fairly unconventional lead for a massive blockbuster IP - he's not even remotely charismatic, has a number of bizarre physical and verbal tics, and actor Eddie Redmayne believes he's on the autism spectrum.

There's a bumbling charm to Newt, sure, but he's simply not nearly as likeable as his good pal Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler), the "No-Maj" New York baker who ends up inadvertently joining Newt on his magical adventures.

For one, Dan Fogler gives an effortlessly rabble-rousing performance in the role, but more than that, Jacob is the perfect vessel through which audiences can be introduced to this corner of the Wizarding World.

Countless blockbusters have proven the success of using an audience surrogate character who is as clueless as the viewer, allowing them to organically experience the world alongside us - say, Jake (Sam Worthinton) in Avatar, or Ariadne (Elliot Page) in Inception - and Jacob fits the bill like a glove.

Though it would've been easy for Jacob to end up relegated to the comic relief role, his relationship with Queenie (Alison Sudol) and his passion for baking bring a lot of heart and soul to a series that's admittedly often lacking in it.

It's probably quite fitting that Newt often feels like a passenger in his own franchise, almost as if J.K. Rowling realises there are more compelling characters elsewhere.