15 Best Gender-Swapped Movie & TV Roles
Gender swapped roles have been part of film and television for decades, showing how familiar characters can work in new ways when the creative team rethinks casting. Sometimes this happens in development when a script changes a character’s gender before cameras roll, and sometimes it arrives in remakes, reboots, or fresh adaptations that revisit an existing part with a new approach.
This list brings together notable examples across action, science fiction, fantasy, crime, and drama. Each entry notes who played the role, where the character originated, and how the part fits within the franchise or adaptation timeline, so you can trace exactly how the change happened on screen.
The Doctor in ‘Doctor Who’
Jodie Whittaker portrayed the Thirteenth Doctor in ‘Doctor Who’ from 2017 to 2022, debuting in the 2017 festive special and continuing through three series and several specials. The Doctor is a regenerating Time Lord first introduced in 1963, and Whittaker’s tenure followed twelve male incarnations across the classic and revived eras.
The character’s run included showrunner Chris Chibnall’s period on the series and stories that tied into long running elements of the lore, with appearances by classic allies and foes. Whittaker’s final episode in 2022 closed her arc and set up the next regeneration within the ongoing modern run that began in 2005.
Starbuck in ‘Battlestar Galactica’
Katee Sackhoff played Kara Thrace, call sign Starbuck, in ‘Battlestar Galactica’ from 2004 to 2009, starting with the Sci Fi Channel miniseries that launched the series. The role was a gender swapped counterpart to the 1978 character Starbuck, who was male and played by Dirk Benedict in the original ABC series.
The reboot positioned Starbuck as a top Viper pilot within the Colonial Fleet and central to key military and mythic plotlines. Her character’s history and destiny were core to the narrative that carried through the New Caprica arc and the final episodes of the reimagined show.
Joan Watson in ‘Elementary’
Lucy Liu starred as Dr. Joan Watson in ‘Elementary’ from 2012 to 2019. The series reimagined Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Dr. John Watson as a woman and placed the modern day Holmes and Watson partnership in New York City.
The show’s canon introduced Joan as a former surgeon who becomes Sherlock Holmes’s sober companion and then his investigative partner. Across seven seasons, the series referenced the original stories while establishing new cases and characters unique to this adaptation.
The Ancient One in ‘Doctor Strange’
Tilda Swinton portrayed the Ancient One in ‘Doctor Strange’ in 2016, with a return in ‘Avengers’ ‘Endgame’ in 2019. The character was originally a male mystic in Marvel Comics, while the film presented the Ancient One as a Celtic sorcerer who trains Stephen Strange.
Within the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline, the Ancient One oversees Kamar Taj and protects Earth from multiversal threats. The character’s role connects directly to Strange’s origin, the mystic arts, and the Time Stone during the Infinity Saga.
M in the James Bond films
Judi Dench assumed the role of M, the head of MI6, beginning with ‘GoldenEye’ in 1995 and continued through ‘Skyfall’ in 2012. The character of M appeared in the film series starting with ‘Dr. No’ in 1962 and was portrayed by male actors in earlier entries, most notably Bernard Lee.
Dench’s M spanned both the Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig eras and appeared in multiple titles including ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’, ‘The World Is Not Enough’, ‘Die Another Day’, ‘Casino Royale’, and ‘Quantum of Solace’. The role anchored MI6’s leadership across a transition from one Bond actor to another.
Dr. Smith in ‘Lost in Space’
Parker Posey played a gender swapped Dr. Smith in ‘Lost in Space’ from 2018 to 2021. The Netflix series recast the original 1965 character Dr. Zachary Smith, who was male and played by Jonathan Harris, as June Harris who assumes the Dr. Smith identity.
The reboot follows the Robinson family as colonists diverted from their mission, with Dr. Smith’s actions driving key conflicts aboard the Resolute and on alien worlds. The series completed a three season arc that concluded the family’s survival story.
The Mummy in ‘The Mummy’
Sofia Boutella starred as Princess Ahmanet in ‘The Mummy’ in 2017. The Universal horror character was previously depicted as a male mummy in the 1932 film starring Boris Karloff and in the 1999 franchise led by the male antagonist Imhotep.
The 2017 film set the story in the present day and tied Ahmanet’s resurrection to a military discovery beneath London. The character’s mythology connected to the planned Dark Universe continuity that drew from classic Universal monsters.
Evelyn Salt in ‘Salt’
Angelina Jolie played CIA officer Evelyn Salt in ‘Salt’ in 2010. The project began with a script titled ‘Edwin A. Salt’ written for a male lead, then the role was reconceived for Jolie and the character’s name and details were changed during development.
The finished film follows Salt after she is accused of being a sleeper agent and goes on the run while attempting to clear her name and uncover the truth. The production released in July 2010 with international box office success and an extended cut issued for home release.
Missy in ‘Doctor Who’
Michelle Gomez portrayed Missy in ‘Doctor Who’ from 2014 to 2017. Missy is a female incarnation of the Master, the Doctor’s long running Time Lord adversary who had been depicted as male in the classic series and in earlier modern episodes.
Missy’s appearances spanned series eight through ten with storylines that intersected with Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor. The character’s arc explored Time Lord regeneration and the Master’s shifting alliances within the revived era’s continuity.
Liet Kynes in ‘Dune’
Sharon Duncan Brewster played Liet Kynes in ‘Dune’ in 2021. In Frank Herbert’s novel, Liet Kynes is male and serves as the Imperial Planetologist stationed on Arrakis.
The film presents Kynes as a key figure linking the Imperium and the Fremen, with duties that include overseeing spice production and connecting Paul Atreides to desert survival. The story frames Kynes as Chani’s parent and places the character at the center of the transfer of power on Arrakis.
Mar Vell in ‘Captain Marvel’
Annette Bening portrayed Dr. Wendy Lawson, a reimagined version of Mar Vell, in ‘Captain Marvel’ in 2019. Mar Vell originated in Marvel Comics as a male Kree hero, while the film depicts Lawson as a Kree scientist working undercover on Project Pegasus.
Within the narrative, Lawson mentors Carol Danvers and conducts research that becomes central to the film’s conflict. Bening also appears as the Supreme Intelligence, allowing the story to show two facets of Carol’s past and present through the same performer.
Juliet Higgins in ‘Magnum P.I.’
Perdita Weeks starred as Juliet Higgins in ‘Magnum P.I.’ beginning in 2018. The CBS and later NBC reboot changed the original ‘Magnum, P.I.’ character Jonathan Higgins, who was male and played by John Hillerman from 1980 to 1988, to a female former intelligence officer.
Juliet Higgins serves as the estate manager of Robin’s Nest and becomes an investigative partner to Thomas Magnum. The modern series aired multiple seasons across two networks and concluded in 2024.
Robyn McCall in ‘The Equalizer’
Queen Latifah plays Robyn McCall in ‘The Equalizer’ which premiered in 2021. The role updates Robert McCall, who was male and played by Edward Woodward in the 1985 television series and by Denzel Washington in the 2014 and 2018 films.
The CBS series positions Robyn as a former operative who uses her skills to help people in New York City while balancing family life. The show launched after a high profile post game premiere and has aired multiple seasons in prime time.
Lucienne in ‘The Sandman’
Vivienne Acheampong portrays Lucienne in ‘The Sandman’ which debuted in 2022. The character is adapted from Lucien, who is male in the original DC Vertigo comics and serves as the librarian of the Dreaming.
The Netflix series follows Dream’s return and restoration of his realm, with Lucienne stabilizing the palace and safeguarding the books. The adaptation preserves the character’s responsibilities while revising the character’s gender for television.
Rob in ‘High Fidelity’
Zoë Kravitz starred as Rob Brooks in ‘High Fidelity’ in 2020. The series adapted Nick Hornby’s novel and the 2000 film, both of which featured a male lead named Rob who owned a record store and narrated the story through top five lists.
The Hulu show relocated the setting to Brooklyn and kept the structure of revisiting past relationships through music and memory. The series ran for one season and included direct nods to the earlier film, including casting Kravitz whose mother appeared in the 2000 adaptation.
Share the gender swapped roles you think belong on this list in the comments.