The process of bringing the Uncharted IP to the silver screen was full of hurdles and after over a decade of being in development, it finally found its way to the big screen. However, before Tom Holland eventually secured the role of Nathan Drake in the live-action adaptation of the popular video game franchise, there was another actor who was considered the definitive choice for the role.
Being a huge fan of the games, Nathan Fillion has always been pretty vocal about his desire to star as Nathan Drake and even went on to deliver an exceptional performance in the role in a fan-made short film. Although it did convince fans that he was the definitive choice to bring the character into the live-action realm and was in line for the role, Sony had other plans up their sleeves.
Nathan Fillion’s one problem with the Tom Holland-led Uncharted
Despite losing the role to Tom Holland, who starred alongside Mark Wahlberg in the 2022’s Uncharted, Nathan Fillion did come forward to express his well-wishes to the film. However, The Suicide Squad star had one complaint about the film but it didn’t have anything to do with the casting of Tom Holland as Nathan Drake. Considering the film went through major production delays since the early 2010s, Fillion explained he was disappointed that it took that long for the film to actually made it to the big screens. He said,
“My only regret is that we had to wait so very, very long for someone to do something so we could actually see some Uncharted stuff. Other than that, I think all my boxes have been checked. I’m pretty excited to see what they do with that. I love movies and those guys have never let us down; Tom Holland, come on, Mark Wahlberg. We’re gonna have a great time.”
Following the casting of Tom Holland as Nathan Drake, many fans were confused why Fillion wasn’t cast as the character, considering he already proved he could do justice to the role. Although it can’t be said for sure why they didn’t move forward with Fillion, the age factor might’ve played a part.
Why didn’t Nathan Fillion lose the role of Nathan Drake?
It makes sense that Nathan Fillion would be the initial choice for the role of Nathan Drake, as the actor proved through the fan-made short film that he holds the ability to deliver justice to the character. But keeping in mind that the film focused on a younger version of Nathan Drake, as the film focuses on the beginning of Drake and Sully’s bond, it’s reasonable to see why they went with Tom Holland instead.
Even though fans are hoping to see Nathan Fillion in the iconic role in any potential sequel to 2022’s Uncharted, which might follow a more experienced and older Drake, it seems improbable for now. Considering Tom Holland is one of the biggest draws in Hollywood if a sequel eventually makes it to the big screen, we might witness Holland reprising the role again.
Uncharted is available to stream on Netflix.
Source: Gaming Bible
