Gender flip

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 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.

References

1. Agence France-Presse"Gender flip of film classic opens Berlinale under virus cloud", Philippine Daily Inquirer, 13 February 2022.
2. Caroline Siede. "Dear Evan Hansen is a misfire on just about every level", avclub.com, 22 September 2021.