The long-delayed adaptation of Uncharted ended up causing its best and worst casting switch. The Uncharted movie has a long history of rotating talent, particularly with directors, including the likes of David O. Russell, Dan Trachtenberg, Neil Burger, Shawn Levy, Joe Carnahan, and Travis Knight, before finally securing Venom's Ruben Fleischer to helm the feature. Actor Nathan Fillion was the long-time favorite to play Uncharted's lead character, Nathan Drake, and at one point he even appeared as the character in a short fan film. However, it was Mark Wahlberg who sat in contention for the role the longest, as he was Russell's first choice to play the character and remained the front-runner long after Russell exited the project.

The Uncharted video game features Nathan Drake as the main protagonist of the series, a treasure hunter who grew up an orphan with his older brother, Sam. Traveling the world and getting into high-stakes adventures from an early age, Nathan Drake is typically portrayed as a man in his early-to-mid-30s but has also been seen much younger and older in the games. With an official birth year of 1975, Nathan Drake's age would be 47 years old in 2022, the year of Uncharted's release. Wahlberg was born in 1971 and was cast as Nathan Drake in 2011 when he was 40 years old. By the time the film finally landed a stable director, the actor was 48 years old, which was beyond the age range suitable for Nathan Drake, causing a younger actor, Tom Holland, to take his place, while Wahlberg slid into the part of another, older character, Victor "Sully" Sullivan.

Related: Which Video Game Is The Uncharted Movie Based On

Mark Wahlberg may well have been a good Nathan Drake, but his Sully ultimately played out as fairly bland in Uncharted, with the actor basically playing himself in the part. On the flip side, Tom Holland was an inspired choice for the part of Nate Drake.  Playing a younger version of the beloved character, his sense of charm, wit, and physicality translated well for Tom Holland, making Uncharted another perfect action franchise for the actor in addition to Spider-Man. Wahlberg, on the other hand, brought his usual presence to the film, but nothing new, exciting, or interesting, leaving the casting switch-up as a win/lose for fans.

Tom Holland's Uncharted Casting Is Perfect

Tom Holland Nathan Drake in Uncharted

Fresh off Spider-Man: No Way Home, Tom Holland hit the ground running as Nathan Drake in the Uncharted movie despite it being controversial casting when he was announced. Holland is 26 years old, putting him right in the middle of the character's age in the Uncharted game series, which frequently jumps backward and forward in Nathan Drake's life. This ultimately will allow Tom Holland to age perfectly as Nathan Drake, rather than face the same kind of issue that affected Mark Wahlberg. Even with two-to-three years between sequels, Holland could still return for another Uncharted film and still be within the right age range for another 15 years. This would allow fans to grow with the character for as long as sequels are being made.

Beyond the age factor, Tom Holland is simply a great get for the franchise. His natural charisma and physical talent as an actor make for a strong fit as Nathan Drake. That will no doubt see him progress the character in new and interesting ways as he continues to play him. Holland has also shown a dynamic range from a young age, proving that he can more than handle the dramatic work needed, while also lending his star power presence to the franchise. By the time Tom Holland suits up for an Uncharted sequel, the actor will be on his way to his 30s, promising a fun and compelling evolution as the character. Hopefully, Wahlberg finds a way to do the same if he returns as Sully.

Next: Uncharted Ending: What Happened To Sam?

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