20 Controversial Remakes That Swapped Straight Leads for Queer Ones

Remakes and reimaginings often change settings, timelines, or tones, but some go further by rewriting who a story is about and how that character loves. Below are notable projects where a lead who was straight in the earlier version became openly queer in the new take. Each entry highlights what changed, who the new lead is, and how the adaptation reframed the character within the property’s established canon.

‘High Fidelity’ (2020)

The Hulu series gender-flips Rob from the original film and novel and makes her a bisexual record-store owner in Brooklyn. The show tracks Rob’s relationships with men and women across a top-five heartbreak format. Created with Zoë Kravitz in the lead, it retains the obsessive music curation of the original while centering queer dating experiences. The adaptation uses playlists and fourth-wall breaks to anchor Rob’s identity and history.

‘Interview with the Vampire’ (2022– )

This series adaptation places the relationship between Louis and Lestat at the forefront as an explicit romance. Relocating Louis’s origin to early 20th-century New Orleans, it reframes family and power dynamics around a queer partnership. The show uses a multi-timeline interview structure to contrast past secrecy with present candor. Core arcs revolve around love, control, and immortality as inherently intimate and queer.

‘Dead Ringers’ (2023)

The limited series reimagines Cronenberg’s twin gynecologists as women, Beverly and Elliot Mantle, and makes their romantic entanglements with women text rather than subtext. It relocates the story to a fertility and maternal-health setting, expanding ethical questions around reproduction. The twins’ professional ambitions intersect with queer relationships and power imbalances in the medical industry. The update uses prestige-drama pacing to map desire, co-dependence, and identity.

‘A League of Their Own’ (2022)

This reimagining widens the lens of the original film by centering queer players and storylines within the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Carson and Max lead parallel arcs that foreground sexuality, community, and risk during wartime America. Locker rooms, bars, and boarding houses become spaces for coded and overt connection. Historical research informs the depiction of teams, travel, and the social realities players navigated.

‘Charmed’ (2018–2022)

The reboot keeps the trio structure but introduces Mel as an openly lesbian witch among the new sisters. Early episodes define her relationship history alongside the show’s demon-of-the-week format. The retooling integrates queer identity into familial magic rules, power growth, and whitelighter dynamics. Campus and community settings provide continuity for both activism and supernatural threats.

‘Roswell, New Mexico’ (2019–2022)

This reboot updates the central ensemble and makes Michael Guerin explicitly bisexual with a long-running romance with Alex. While still dealing with alien legacies and government surveillance, the series treats Michael’s sexuality as integral to character motivation. The show also expands representation within the town’s military and scientific institutions. Relationship beats interweave with mythology arcs about origins and memory.

‘One Day at a Time’ (2017–2020)

The remake centers a Cuban American family and features Elena as a queer teen discovering her identity. Family-sitcom frameworks—quinceañeras, school events, and community gatherings—anchor her coming-out storyline. Scripts leverage multigenerational dialogue to explore faith, culture, and acceptance. The series balances comedic beats with recurring discussions about labels and visibility.

‘Gossip Girl’ (2021–2023)

The reboot installs a new Upper East Side cohort and places multiple queer leads, including pansexual character Max, at the center of its social-media surveillance premise. Private-school politics, brand deals, and influencer culture shape relationship stakes. The show’s Instagram-native “Gossip Girl” expands the original blog concept into real-time exposure mechanics. Identity, outing, and consent are framed through platform rules and peer enforcement.

‘Velma’ (2023– )

This animated reimagining positions Velma as the lead and establishes her same-sex crushes within a pre-Mystery Inc. origin. The series recasts familiar Scooby-Doo archetypes into high-school dynamics and serial-mystery arcs. Character redesigns and running gags emphasize motive, rivalry, and attraction. Episodes use case-of-the-week structures to fold romance into clue-gathering and misdirection.

‘She-Ra and the Princesses of Power’ (2018–2020)

The reboot reframes the classic hero’s journey by foregrounding Adora and Catra’s relationship as a queer endgame. Horde versus Rebellion conflict becomes a canvas for loyalty, trauma, and love. The show retools character designs and alliances to emphasize consent and choice. Finale beats hinge on emotional resolution as much as on magical power scaling.

‘Voltron: Legendary Defender’ (2016–2018)

This reimagining of the mecha franchise elevates Shiro to team leader and makes him a gay hero with past and present relationships. The series merges space opera and character-focused episodes to track his trauma and recovery. Plotlines around captivity, leadership transition, and alliance-building integrate his personal life. The show’s timeline reveals relationships through flashbacks and diplomatic missions.

‘Nancy Drew’ (2019–2023)

The CW reboot repositions Nancy as a bisexual lead while retaining the coastal-town mystery engine. Seasons incorporate supernatural elements alongside classic clue-work and forensic sleuthing. The ensemble—Drew Crew—supports arcs about identity, inheritance, and law enforcement. Character relationships evolve within serialized curses and case closures.

‘Bel-Air’ (2022– )

This dramatic reimagining of the ‘90s sitcom updates the Banks family and makes Ashley a queer teen within the house’s modern dynamics. The series treats her orientation as part of contemporary coming-of-age amid fame and privilege. School, social media, and family expectations frame the beats of disclosure and support. Parallel plots about athletics and music provide contrast within the household.

‘Willow’ (2022)

The sequel series to the fantasy film elevates Princess Kit and knight-in-training Jade as a queer couple in the core questing party. Court politics and prophecy intersect with their training and loyalty tests. Episodes use dungeon-crawl and travel structures to develop the romance alongside magical threats. The update expands the realm’s geography while normalizing their relationship within group dynamics.

‘Chucky’ (2021– )

This franchise continuation centers Jake Wheeler, a gay teen artist who finds the killer doll at a yard sale. The series intertwines his coming-of-age with the town’s murders and legacy characters from earlier films. School bullying, family conflict, and first love are recurring threads in season arcs. The property keeps slasher beats while integrating queer teen life into every investigation.

‘Heartbreak High’ (2022– )

The reboot of the Australian teen drama features Darren, a queer, non-binary lead navigating friendship fallouts and school-wide scandals. Classroom content, sex-ed mapping, and discipline hearings structure the season’s conflicts. The show’s social web tracks hookups, rumors, and accountability in a digital ecosystem. Community centers and sports fields serve as hubs for reconciliation and growth.

‘4400’ (2021–2022)

This reimagining relocates the premise to Detroit and builds a lead ensemble with multiple queer characters, including central romances. Government processing, housing, and employment hurdles shape post-return integration. Episodes connect time-displaced identities to present-day movements and rights. Powers and casework pair with relationship arcs across shelters and city services.

‘The Haunting of Bly Manor’ (2020)

The adaptation of ‘The Turn of the Screw’ centers Dani, a queer au pair whose romance with Jamie reframes the gothic narrative. The country estate setting supports bottle episodes about memory, grief, and possession. A nested storytelling structure reveals the relationship through flashbacks and confessions. The finale ties hauntings to vows, keepsakes, and chosen family.

‘The Color Purple’ (2023)

The musical film adaptation makes Celie’s love for Shug Avery explicit as a central romantic arc. Numbers and staging translate interior monologues into outward declarations. The story charts Celie’s growth through letters, work, and community support. The update emphasizes her agency and partnership while honoring the period setting.

‘Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies’ (2023)

This prequel series to ‘Grease’ introduces Cynthia as a queer lead within the formation of the Pink Ladies. Rydell High’s clubs, auditions, and student government supply episodic stakes. Musical numbers move plot and reveal orientation, friendships, and rivalries. The show connects dress codes and discipline policies to visibility and self-expression.

Share your picks below: which remakes did this best—or worst—in your view?