How will recasting Mat impact Amazon’s The Wheel of Time?

Amazon is getting ready to premiere the first season of The Wheel of Time, and even before it starts, we’re getting a big shakeup. Just yesterday, it was revealed that Barney Harris — the actor cast in the key role of Matrim Cauthon — will not be returning for season 2. Instead, after the first batch of episodes, he will be played by Dónal Finn.

We don’t know the reason for Harris departure, but whatever it is — scheduling, creative differences, contract issues, etc. — he deserves nothing but respect and appreciation for the work he did on the first season. Nonetheless, it’s a blow for a television series that’s hoping to follow in the footsteps of Game of Thrones and become a big fantasy hit.

True, Game of Thrones recast some parts over the years as well, including characters like Daario Naharis and Gregor Clegane. Even Daenerys Targaryen and Catelyn Stark were played by different actors in the unaired pilot, but we never saw that episode. Mat, on the other hand, is a pivotal part of The Wheel of Time from start to finish, a roguish hero who’s often a favorite among readers. That’s why this situation is different.

It’s unclear how much of the first season will feature Mat — probably quite a bit, as he’s a big player in the first Wheel of Time book — or if they can cut down his screen time to make the transition a bit easier, but the recasting will undoubtedly be confusing for casual viewers and distracting for devotees. Casual viewers probably won’t be aware of the casting change until season 2 starts, and then may be puzzled over whether this is a new character or not. We don’t know if the show will help them by explaining the transformation, or just switch put actors and pretend nothing happened.

For those who have been following The Wheel of Time for a while, Harris’ Mat has been the one fans have pictured in their heads when thinking about the series for over two years now. He’s shown prominently in the first trailer, and it will be difficult to fully enjoy Barney Harris’ performance knowing he won’t return in following seasons; it may even be enough of a distraction to drive some away from the show. If Harris truly fits the character, fans may compare him unfavorably to Dónal Finn in season 2, depending on Finn’s performance.

The Wheel of Time showrunner Rafe Judkins praise Barney Harris’ performance in a recent interview — we don’t know if that was before or after he knew Harris was leaving:

"Mat and Perrin are so much more than sidekick characters… Sometimes people felt like they didn’t really fall in love with those characters until some of the later books when they really got to know them and got to see their POV on the world. Hopefully in the show, right from the beginning – Marcus and Barney give such strong performances –they are a part of the ensemble right up front."

As for the fans, reactions have run the gamut:

It remains to be seen how it will all turn out, and it’s definitely better that this recast happened after season 1 instead of halfway into the show’s run. It will take some getting used to, but fortunately, but the show moves onward, and the fans are now coming together to welcome Finn into The Wheel of Time family.

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