10 Times Recasting Iconic Characters Actually Worked

3. Spock

The Original: Leonard Nimoy The Recast: Zachary Qunito Leonard Nimoy is Spock. He wrote a book about it and everything. On top of playing him in all three seasons of the original series, Nimoy has become the half-vulcan, half-human First Officer of the Enterprise in The Animated Series, The Next Generation, multiple video games and all the original films. It's just one of those character's who's so iconic because of the performance; Nimoy's take on Spock has become the embodiment of Star Trek in the eyes of the general public. That's a shadow you can't imagine any other acting wanting to stand in. So you can imagine the unrest when it was announced Star Trek XI was going to be a prequel, bringing a younger version of the Enterprise's crew. There were worries for all character, but particularly Spock; who could do him justice? The answer is Zachary Quinto, who did a brilliant job of capturing Nimoy while also offering a greater sense of conflict that felt in keeping with the skewed approach of Star Trek and its sequel, Into Darkness. The real masterstroke, however, was using a sneaky bit of time travel to allow both versions of Spock could exist in the same reality; Quinto wasn't replacing Nimoy, rather showing a new take on his iconic character.