Fan-favorite characters aren’t made in a day. They require a team of brilliant minds who dedicate months to drawing out the best yet relatable qualities in the character. Some film heroes or other characters became famous because they carried a perfect blend of flaws and perfection that audiences related to. Looking at the success, directors, and producers were naturally encouraged to capitalize on it and push out more parts. Regardless of the success or failure of the second installments, the characters were ruined as the story processed. Their origins, backstory, or surprising sides contradicted what they represented initially. Here are 10 iconic characters that were damaged in sequels and prequels by directors.
1. Michael Myers
The most chilling part about Myers in “Halloween” was the ‘fear of unknown’. We didn’t know who he was or why he killed innocents in cold blood for no reason. But that image was crushed and he became less scary when the director decided to dig into his origin story in the sixth part. And what was the reason behind this barbaric killer? An ancient curse.
2. Aladdin
The movie “Aladdin” concluded with Aladdin realizing the importance of truth and promising Jasmine that he’d never lie. But in “Return of Jafar”, the audience was surprised to see Aladdin stealing from thieves and gifting Jasmine one of those items without revealing where it came from.
3. John McClane
Die Hard was all about John going to hell and putting his life in dangerous situations to save his estranged wife. The film had a happy ending as we believed the couple to have reunited after saving Holly. But after three movies, we learn that John and Holly had been leading happy lives separately after their divorce. Moreover, the two weren’t even in touch actively.
4. Drax the Destroyer
Drax was one of the most loved characters in Guardians of the Galaxy. He was a comedic relief who threw us into bouts of laughter without even realizing. In spite of his intimidating huge body and anger issues, he was hilarious for taking everything, including metaphors literally. But by the time the second installment released, he was reduced down to a man-child who left all the Drax attributes behind.
5. Jack Sparrow
One of the things that made Jack Sparrow eccentric and distinct from other pirates was his fashion sense because of the random accessories he carried with him. Fans always wondered the story behind each of them and wondered if they were collected from his adventures. But our imaginations were crushed when we learnt the truth in “Dead Men Tell No Tales”. He scraped all of them from adventure.
6. Batman (Ben Affleck)
Ben Affleck’s Batman in “Batman v Superman” was a serious and pouting man who had zero patience for bullsh*t. By the time “Justice League” released, he transformed into a witty and fun dude.
7. Simba
Out of all the characters, we didn’t expect hypocrisy from Simba in “The Lion King”. He lost his childhood after being falsely accused of a crime. He knew the struggle and guilt of it. But he failed to understand Kovu and “The Lion King 2” and blamed him for Zira’s attack. Simba should have given Kovu a fair trial and listened to his defense but he didn’t.
8. Captain Picard
In the TV series, Captain Picard stood out as a calm and thoughtful man who didn’t let emotions cloud his judgments. These qualities made Picard who he was. But he suddenly changed into a completely different character in the movies. He jumped to violence before giving a second thought to anything. From a diplomatic man, Picard transformed into an action hero.
9. Chucky
Chucky used to be an ominous spirit of an insane serial killer who possessed a doll that is considered a “Good Guy”. The first three films depicted his wild ways to leave the doll and transfer it into a living body. But by the time, Bride of Chucky comes out, the focus shifts to Chucky’s disturbing relationship with another possessed doll named Tiffany who are on their way to find an amulet to transform into humans.
10. Batman (Christian Bale)
Christian Bale’s Batman is one of the best and will always remain our favorite. But we just couldn’t ignore this funny point. In “Batman Begins”, Batman was lecturing a criminal with clenched teeth and said, “Never let criminals get away with crime”. But he decided to drop his rules for an exception in “The Dark Knight Rises” and goes on a date with her.
