Frankenstein Recasting Andrew Garfield With Jacob Elordi Bothered Me At First. Now That I've Seen It, I Have Thoughts

If you’re a fan of Guillermo del Toro like I am, you know how magnificent it was when news was announced that the Oscar-winning filmmaker was making his own adaptation of Frankenstein – which he has been talking about making for nearly twenty years. The director has always had a really tender approach to portraying monsters in movies, from Pan’s Labyrinth to The Shape of Water. Despite my massive excitement for the movie, there was one change made during production that had me less interested. Now that I’ve seen the movie – coming to those with a Netflix subscription on November 7, I need to talk about it.

Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein officially became part of upcoming horror movies when it was picked up by Netflix in 2023. But, right before production started in early 2024, it was announced that Andrew Garfield had dropped out of the movie due to “scheduling conflicts,” and Jacob Elordi would be taking over. I want to talk about that change, and my thoughts on it after experiencing the film itself.

No Shade To Jacob Elordi, I Just Really Wanted To See Andrew Garfield In Frankenstein When He Was Cast

Now, it’s not like I think Jacob Elordi isn’t talented. I found him to be especially haunting in Euphoria, and was impressed by his performance as Elvis Presley in Priscilla. But, Andrew Garfield is one of my favorite actors of all time. I remember seeing him in The Amazing Spider-Man, and feeling like he brought so much depth to Peter Parker, and following many of his performances since – with one of my other highlights from his career being in 2021’s Tick, Tick… Boom!

But, the actor has never really done a horror-leaning genre film. The idea of him playing The Creature in Frankenstein (which is one of my top books ever) and being directed by the master of horror and fantasy, and one of the filmmakers I most respect working today just made me feel like I was living in a simulation in the best way, and I know I wasn’t the only one. It felt like it could be a really special role for the actor, and when he was replaced, I was disappointed.

Now That I've Seen Frankenstein, I Wouldn't Want Anyone Else In The Role

I decided to see Frankenstein in theaters earlier this week, despite the difficulty I found just to find a showing, and I can honestly say, it’s going to be one of my top movies of the year. The movie itself took me back to reading the novel for the first time in high school, and falling in love with Mary Shelley’s gothic classic that has a lot to say about the nature of humanity through its often horrific plotline.

One of the pivotal reasons why I loved Frankenstein is because of Elordi specifically. The actor’s specific stature of 6 '5, and his innocent yet chiseled features is exactly the kind of creature that I never knew I wanted to see, but instantly clicked for me as the perfect casting choice for del Toro’s movie. Elordi, who has been called “hot Frankenstein,” brings some really beautiful emotion and gentleness to the role of the creature, while also having moments where I completely feared him and what he might do. By the end of the movie, I was nearly in tears having gone through the journey, and so much has to do with Elordi’s performance.

If you were disappointed like me about the recasting, I implore you to move that aside, and check out Frankenstein – coming to Netflix on November 7. Now, I actually think Elordi was the better choice than Garfield, even though I will always wonder how the actor would have played the role.