Every Major Race-Swap in Movies and TV This Decade, Ranked

Race-swapping fictional characters has somehow become one of the biggest talking points in Hollywood. Whether it’s Disney princesses or comic-book heroes, changing the characters’ race from the source material almost always leads to online discourse. 

Sometimes the discussion could be rooted in nostalgia and attachment to the visuals, other times it is simply racism. So, here are the biggest race-swaps in movie and TV shows, ranked, based on cultural impact! 

10 Snow White in Snow White (2025) 

Rachel Zegler’s casting as Snow White in Disney’s live-action remake instantly became one of the most controversial race-swaps of the decade. When Disney announced that the Colombian-American actress is set to play the titular princess, the internet exploded in debates! 

What didn’t help the movie’s case is how everyone hated on it, Zegler’s political controversy, and Gal Gadot’s casting. But to the Snow White actress’ credit, she was praised for her vocal performance and screen presence by reviewers who disliked the film overall. 

Where to watch (USA): Prime Video

9 Motoko Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell (2017)

Though Scarlett Johansson is an incredibly talented actress, her casting as Major Motoko Kusanagi became one of the most infamous race-swap controversies. The movie is based on a legendary Japanese manga, so the creators were accused of whitewashing the source material. Many believe the role should have gone to an Asian actress instead. 

The movie had a twist centered on the very issue, but people felt like this just made it weirder. The controversy overshadowed the visuals and Johansson’s performance, and Ghost in the Shell turned out to be a box-office disappointment.  

Where to watch (USA): Prime Video

8 House Velaryon in House of the Dragon 

Game of Thrones had very few prominent Black characters, but that changed in House of the Dragon, the prequel show. After the series premiered, House Velaryon, having Black actors, became one of the most widely discussed fantasy race-swaps. While some fans said that it contradicted the established lore, others were in favor of showing diversity in a major fantasy franchise. The race-swap actually strengthened the central storyline around legitimacy and inheritance, so overall, it was a successful creative decision. 

Where to watch (USA): HBO Max

7 Snape in HBO’s Harry Potter 

Paapa Essiedu’s casting as Severus Snape is somehow a major controversy. Snape is a White man in both the books and the movies, so casting a British-Ghanaian actor for the role is making headlines. What’s worse is that Essiedu is already being compared to late Alan Rickman, who is ‘book accurate,’ according to people. 

But here’s the thing, this casting decision does alter the meaning of a key storyline like James Potter bullying Snape during their Hogwarts years. I believe we owe Essiedu more grace so he has the space to create his own impact as Snape. 

Where to watch (USA): HBO Max, releasing December 25, 2026.

6 Ariel in The Little Mermaid

I was happy to see so many Black girls surprised and cheerful about Ariel being Black, because representation indeed matters! Obviously, the internet did its thing by opposing the casting, but race-swapping in this case makes no difference to the story. Plus, Halle Bailey had the voice and the screen presence to play Ariel, and after the live-action version was released, her performance was praised. Over time, Bailey being Ariel became a culturally significant example of modern race-swapped storytelling. 

Where to watch (USA): Disney+

5 Helen of Troy in The Odyssey 

Lupita Nyong’o has been cast as Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. In Greek mythology, Helen was one of the most iconic beauty figures. So without missing a beat, the internet racists came crawling out, questioning Nyong’o’s beauty. But the outrage has only amplified interest in the movie, and I can’t wait to see how the actress shuts up all the haters after The Odyssey releases. 

Where to watch (USA): Releasing on July 17, 2026, in theaters.

4 MJ in Spider-Man: Homecoming 

MJ, Mary Jane Watson, has been traditionally depicted as a white woman with bright red hair and green eyes. Zendaya played MJ, Michelle Jones Watson, in Marvel’s new reinvention that switched her to a dry-humored, introverted, and intellectual teenager. Zendaya’s chemistry with Tom Holland was one of the most defining parts of their Spider-Man saga, making it the most successful race-swap in the MCU. 

Where to watch (USA): Releasing on July 31, 2026, in theaters.

3 Nick Fury in the MCU 

Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury is widely considered one of the most successful race-swaps in modern blockbuster history. So many younger fans don’t even realize that he, the original comic-book version of Fury, was white. Unlike many of the castings in this list that sparked backlash, the audience instantly embraced Jackson’s version of Fury because he was so charismatic and authoritative. 

Where to watch (USA): All MCU movies are streaming on Disney+.

2 Simon Williams in Wonder Man 

MCU’s most notable and modern race-swaps are Yahya Abdul-Mateen as Simon Williams. The superhero has been White in the comics, but the casting decision did not generate the same level of outrage as The Little Mermaid or Snow White. 

But much of the criticism was focused on whether Wonder Man is interesting enough to sustain a solo MCU project. And now that the series has been out for a while, most of the reactions have been fairly positive, and people love its Hollywood satire-oriented, self-aware storytelling. 

Where to watch (USA): Disney+

1 Kate Sharma in Bridgerton 

Kate Sharma is originally named Kate Sheffield in Julia Quinn’s original Bridgerton novels. She was written as a white Englishwoman in Regency-era England. But in the Netflix series, the character was completely reimagined as Kathani “Kate,” Sharma, a British Indian woman, played by Simone Ashley. 

The show also changed the family’s background, incorporating Indian cultural traditions, language, and aesthetics into the storyline. So many South Asians felt seen after Bridgerton season 2, and the casting is even more commendable because the creators managed to preserve the emotional core of Kate’s character from the books. 

Where to watch (USA): Netflix

Here’s an overview of the rankings:

Rank	Character	Project	Original Depiction	Race-Swap Casting
10	Snow White	Snow White (2025)	White Disney princess	Rachel Zegler
9	Motoko Kusanagi	Ghost in the Shell (2017)	Japanese manga protagonist	White, red-haired Disney princess
8	House Velaryon	House of the Dragon	White Valyrian family in the books	Black ensemble cast led by Steve Toussaint
7	Severus Snape	HBO’s Harry Potter	White British man	Paapa Essiedu
6	Ariel	The Little Mermaid (2023)	White, red-haired Disney princess	Halle Bailey
5	Helen of Troy	The Odyssey	Traditionally depicted as white in Western art	Lupita Nyong’o
4	MJ / Michelle Jones-Watson	Spider-Man: Homecoming	White, red-haired, Mary Jane Watson	Zendaya
3	Nick Fury	MCU	White comic-book spy	Samuel L. Jackson
2	Simon Williams	Wonder Man	White superhero in Marvel comics	Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
1	Kate Sharma	Bridgerton	White Englishwoman named Kate Sheffield	Simone Ashley

A few questions that readers might have:

At its best, race-swapping can expand representation, but there are times when it can feel disconnected from the source material. So, which one of these castings was the most impactful and revolutionary, according to you? Let us know!