“It would be more respectful to continue it”: Gen V Takes Marvel’s Route to Not Recast Chance Perdomo That Has Divided Fans Over Respect vs Legacy

It was with great shock that the actor Chance Perdomo’s death was announced a few weeks ago. At the age of just 27, the British-American actor lost his life in a motorcycle crash. Known for his phenomenal performances as Ambrose Spellman in The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and as Andre Anderson in The Boys spin-off, the late actor was believed to be heading to Toronto for the first table read of Gen V season 2 when the accident happened.

Production was immediately halted as the creative team and cast took some time to process the tragedy and figure out how to handle it within the show.  

The creators of Gen V have concluded that the only appropriate way to honor Perdomo’s legacy is to maintain his character intact. They are considering different paths the narrative could take, in order to, satisfactorily wrap up the character’s journey—without replacing the adored character with a new one.

Respect vs Legacy: The Debate Surrounding Not To Recast Chance Perdomo’s Andre Anderson in Gen V

After Chance Perdomo’s untimely death, the Gen V producers have stated clearly that they have no plans to recast his role. As Andre Anderson, Perdomo joined the cast of Gen V, the first live-action spinoff of the hit Prime Video series The Boys. His character was one of the popular superpowered students in the first season finale.

The season was scheduled to start filming in Canada in April of 2024, we learned from Deadline. Perdomo lost his life in a vehicle collision in Upstate New York in late March while riding his motorcycle. Having said that, there are currently no plans to replace his character with a new actor, according to a statement released on social media by the show’s producers via the official Gen V account:

pic.twitter.com/xMUPkY7gq3

— GEN V (@genv) May 5, 2024

Even though the statement implies that “no one can replace Chance,” it is clear that the creative team has been working to rework the storylines of Gen V season 2 in order to prepare for the show’s May production. And in doing this, the producers hope to honor and memorialize Perdomo’s legacy.

This decision has polarized fans, with some hailing it as a tribute to the late actor and his performance, while others fear it will tarnish the character’s legacy.

Let us take a look at some of the comments via X:

Good on them for not recasting. RIP to Chance 😔

— HARD FACTOR (@HardFactorNews) May 5, 2024

Tragic loss at such a young age , but (I hate using "but" when it comes to someone who has passed) if there was a planned character arc it would be more respectful to continue it, if there wasn't and Andre was just sidelined that's a different issue

— Mehul Desai (@TechNoirUK) May 5, 2024

Man I still can't believe he passed away I was a huge fan of his. I know people might not like this route but I care more about the crew handling and taking their time while they still grieve.

— Eddie (@OHMYDIAZ) May 5, 2024

Damn. It will be interesting to see what they will come up with

— T⚽️byy (@t0byychels) May 5, 2024

this is literally the best way i've seen this handled.

— monarch the great (@OneMonarchTwo) May 5, 2024

It is sad that he passed. This non recasting crap needs to stop though. We are missing out on a great character and the story development. I am sure that the actor wouldn’t want it to be this way. Do you think Adam West hated Michael Keaton for portraying Batman?

— Aɳƚι•ɳϝʅυҽɳƈҽɾ (@anti_nfluencer) May 5, 2024

While some may contend that recasting the role would be a “more respectful” approach, the decision to not recast Perdomo’s Andre Anderson reflects a commitment to upholding the memory of the late actor’s contribution to the show.

Gen V Following Marvel’s Footsteps by Not Recasting Chance Perdomo’s Andre Anderson?

The entertainment industry has faced this conundrum before, though. The recent decision by Gen V to not recast Chance Perdomo’s role is a move that mirrors Marvel’s previous respectful handling of Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther– and that also got everyone talking. 

Marvel Studios adopted a similar strategy following the untimely death of Boseman (on August 28, 2020); the actor who portrayed Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Rather than recasting the role, Marvel chose to explore other characters from the Black Panther universe to carry on T’Challa’s legacy. 

The filmmakers of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever were faced with an arduous decision regarding the direction of its sequel after the untimely death of Boseman (see The Hollywood Reporter).

But instead of casting a new actor or employing a “digital double”, they decided that T’Challa’s death would become part of the Wakanda Forever narrative. The decision to not recast T’Challa was straightened out by Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige in an interview with Empire:

“It just felt like it was much too soon to recast…The world is still processing the loss of Chad. And [director] Ryan [Coogler] poured that into the story. The conversations were entirely about, yes, ‘What do we do next?’ And how could the legacy of Chadwick — and what he had done to help Wakanda and the Black Panther become these incredible, aspirational, iconic ideas — continue? That’s what it was all about.”

Thus, taking a page out of Marvel’s book, Gen V’s creators have also chosen to honor Perdomo by writing his character out of the show rather than replacing him with a new actor. While honoring the actor’s work and contributions to the show is important, so is ensuring the story’s continuity and integrity. 

Gen V Season 1 is currently available on Amazon Prime Video.