10 Movie Re-Castings That Ruined Iconic Characters

Original - Ron Perlman

Recast - David Harbour

With the success of the Dark Horse Comics superhero, Hellboy, it was inevitable the demon protector would get the live-action treatment at some point. However, even though Guillermo Del Toro's 2004 film, Hellboy, was loved by the fans, it didn't fair well at the box office. When the sequel also bombed, the studio decided to start fresh with a reboot and a brand-new cast.

This was disappointing since Ron Perlman was so perfect as the titular hero, it felt impossible for anyone to play the role any better.

Sadly, that was the case. David Harbour is phenomenal in Stranger Things but his portrayal as Hellboy in the 2019 version was completely wrong. Instead of playing him like a snarky bad-ass, this incarnation of the hellish hero comes across like a whingy brat.

Now, because Hellboy ages slowly, he has the mental state of a teenager, meaning he is immature. Even though Ron Perlman depicted the character as defiant and argumentative, he was still gentle and caring. But since Harbour plays the character like a know-it-all teen who hates not getting his way, it's impossible to root for him.