Tom Payne, the actor who portrayed Paul "Jesus" Rovia on AMC's The Walking Dead, understands the fan disappointment over his character's role on the television show. The Walking Dead is an adaptation of Robert Kirkman's comic book series of the same name. The show has been immensely popular since it began in 2010, with fans of the comic series constantly speculating about when and how their favorite characters would finally make the jump to the small screen. While the show has been mostly well-received when it comes to how characters were adapted for live-action, the portrayal of Jesus remains one of the most controversial aspects of The Walking Dead.
Jesus was one of the most popular characters in Kirkman's comic. He was a charismatic leader, martial arts master, and would go on to become one of Rick Grimes' chief confidants. The live-action adaptation of his character was hotly anticipated by the fan base, but Jesus never quite lived up to his inked counterpart. TV Jesus felt more like a side character, and many of his best moments from the comic series were toned down or absent. Any hopes from fans that Jesus would eventually be portrayed in a more accurate way were dashed when the character was killed off in season 9.
In an interview with the podcast Talk Dead to Me, Payne spoke about how he understood the fan disappointment with his character. Payne shared many of the comic book fans' opinions when it came to the lack of focus around Jesus in the television adaptation. Payne had read the comics in preparation for his role, which created a perpetual state of dissatisfaction with his character's function in the show. There had been a lot of hype surrounding Jesus for years leading up to his appearance on the show, creating a source of frustration for fans when the reality of Jesus' diminished role set in. Payne understood the fan disappointment, saying:
"I would go to the conventions, and I had such a massive fan response from the beginning because everyone loved the character from the comic books, and then they loved seeing him on the show. So everyone was really excited, and I think a lot of people were a bit kind of let down... So then when nothing really happened with that character, those people were like, 'Why was everyone telling us this character was so cool? So there was a lot of build up, and I think sometimes that's unhelpful. I think maybe it was unhelpful for me to read the comics, because the show is a bit of a remix. But yeah, there were definitely some cool moments that I didn't get."
This wasn't the first time Payne spoke about his dissatisfaction with Jesus' portrayal on the show. Jesus' controversial role in the show could also speak to the general aimlessness of The Walking Dead during that era. In the interview, Payne himself admits that the Negan storyline, spanning over seasons 6 and 7, were "quite stretched out." Payne shares this opinion with many fans and critics, as many episodes from seasons 6-8 rank as some of the worst-reviewed episodes of The Walking Dead. Perhaps Jesus' meandering arc was a consequence of a larger clarity issue that the show seemed to have at the time.
There are certain considerations one must take when adapting a comic to live-action. There are limitations when dealing with the practicalities of shooting with real people. The audience's suspension of disbelief must also be taken into consideration, as what one could find plausible in a comic is very different compared to a live-action show. Under those circumstances, the toning down of some of Jesus' more "superhero-y" moments is understandable. But, it is still unclear what went behind the decision to, largely, take away his importance to the story. The relegating of Jesus to a glorified background player remains one of The Walking Dead's most obvious blemishes in an otherwise successful adaptation.
Source: Talk Dead to Me