Gender flip
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A gender flip[1][2] is when a fictional character is created to have a different sex in another setting or in an adaptation of a work. The Internet meme Rule 63 predicts the prevalence of this.
Notable examples
- Sherlock Holmes' companion Dr. John Watson (male) is in some adaptations changed to females: Joan Watson in Elementary (2012 TV series) or Jane Watson in The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1987 film)
- Foundation (1951 novel) character Gaal Dornick (male) was changed to Gall Dornick (female) in Foundation (2021 TV series)
- Starship Troopers (1959 novel) character Dizzy Flores (male) was changed to a female in Starship Troopers (1997 film)
- Dune (1965 novel) character Liet-Kynes (male) was changed to a female in Dune (2021 film)
- Bedazzled (1967 film) character the Devil (male) was changed to a female in Bedazzled (2000 film)
- The Wicker Man (1973 film) character Lord Summerisle (male) was changed to Sister Summersisle (female) in The Wicker Man (2006 film)
- Dead Ringers (1988 film) characters Beverly & Elliot Mantle (males) were change to females in Dead Ringers (2023 miniseries)
- 12 Monkeys (1995 film) character Jeffrey Goines (male) was changed to Jennifer Goines (female) in 12 Monkeys (2015 TV series)
- The 2022 DreamWorks The Bad Guys, had Mr. Tarantula's gender swapped to a girl in the film from the children's book series of the same name
- My Friend Flicka (1943 film) based on the 1941 children's book of the same name with protagonist and 10-year-old boy Ken McLaughlin changed to a 16 year old teenage girl named Katy McLaughlin in the infamous 2006 remake loosely based on the book.
See also
- Rule 63, an Internet meme that states that, as a rule, "for every given male character, there is a female version of that character" and vice versa.
- Cross-gender acting, when actors or actresses portray a character of the opposite sex.
