The upcoming Mistborn movie is one of the most exciting fantasy projects currently underway, and Brandon Sanderson is nearly finished with the screenplay. He's the perfect choice for the job, deciding what changes should happen in the jump from page to screen. He's already talked about how Mistborn's magic system will change in the adaptation, downplaying the less important elements. And now, he's opening up about how Vin and Elend's relationship will differ as well.
While romance is hardly the most important part of the Mistborn books, Vin and Elend's romance is at the center of Era 1. Vin meets Elend Venture while attending balls undercover for Kelsier's crew, and she develops a begrudging fondness for him, despite his noble upbringing. It pays off later, as Elend is sympathetic to the rebellion's cause. He becomes a larger figure in it, and in Vin's life — though he's several years older than her.
When Vin and Elend meet, Vin is 16 years old and Elend is around 21. Such age gaps aren't unheard of in the fantasy genre, but they do cause contention approached from a modern lens. It'd be hard to pull that off on-screen, both because such relationships are viewed with more scrutiny and because of casting logistics. Fortunately, the Mistborn movie won't have to worry about it. Sanderson recently confirmed that element of their romance will change in the film.
Brandon Sanderson is closing Vin and Elend's age gap in the Mistborn movie
During his YouTube live stream for Mistborn's 20th anniversary, Sanderson addressed how the Mistborn movie will tackle the age gap between Vin and Elend. In short, the adaptation will close it. According to the author, fans can anticipate one of them being a different age in Apple's feature film. It sounds like Vin is character he's leaning toward, as she already acts older than she's meant to be.
"I'll probably age Vin up," Sanderson admitted. "I think I probably would have if I were writing the book right now."
Sanderson explained why he decided Vin would be 16 years old in the first place, citing pop culture trends at the time. "The kind of fairytale 16-year-old girl story was so big during the '90s with The Little Mermaid and things that it just immediately stuck in my head at that age," he explained. "But if I were writing it now, I would just write Vin starting at 18 or 19. She acts like an 18 or 19 year old."
The author added that the actor they cast to play Vin "is almost certainly going to be young 20s." That makes aging her up a more sensible decision. It removes the risk that the person portraying her will look significantly older in film one or outgrow the character in sequels.
Sanderson didn't totally write off the possibility of aging Elend down either. Whatever route the Mistborn movie takes, he confirmed, "There probably won't be much of an age gap in the film." That's a smart choice, and it benefits this story beyond its romantic subplot.
Aging up Vin is a smart choice beyond Mistborn's central romance
Making Vin older in the Mistborn movie will make her relationship with Elend easier to get behind, but it's far from the only reason it's a smart choice for the adaptation. As Sanderson notes, Vin is written to seem older than she really is. It's an issue that fantasy stories with younger protagonists often run into. While there's a charm to teenage leads, they're often making choices and achieving things that feel more mature than they are. This is true of Vin, and aging her up slightly addresses that reality.
Of course, aging Elend down wouldn't be a terrible idea either. Elend stumbles a lot across his Mistborn Era 1 character arc, and some of his mistakes and inexperience make much more sense if he's younger. Needless to say, meeting somewhere in the middle wouldn't hurt the Mistborn movie. Given the supporting role the romance plays, it wouldn't change the dynamics too drastically.
Only time will tell what Sanderson and Apple decide to do, but it's great to hear they're considering these details. These sorts of changes suggest the creatives behind the Mistborn film are committed to improving on the book rather than rehashing it 1:1. And the changes they've discussed aren't the kind that typically leave readers up in arms. That gives us hope that Mistborn will succeed on-screen.
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