A prospective Mistborn adaptation could solve two big problems with the story by changing one important aspect of Vin’s story. Mistborn is a major part of (and one of the better entry points to) the Cosmere, the epic fantasy multiverse that most of author Brandon Sanderson’s work comprises. Mistborn has been a popular series since the 2006 release of the first book, The Final Empire, so it’s no surprise that there are a lot of debate about what might get cut from a prospective Mistborn movie.
The tonally flexible Mistborn series is a far-reaching series with a complex world that is well worth diving into. That doesn’t mean there aren’t tweaks that could be made to the story if it were to be brought to a different medium. In fact, there is one minor character change that could be made in adapting the story that would erase one of the more potentially controversial elements of a major romance in the story.
Closing Vin & Elend’s Age Gap Will Help Sell Their Romance To A Modern Audience
An Awkward Age Gap Would Detract From The Power Of Their Relationship
The age-gap between Vin and Elend would need to be addressed in a Mistborn movie. The main hero of the first Mistborn trilogy, Vin is a street urchin who falls in with a group of anarchists and discovers she’s a “Mistborn.” Unlike allomancers, people who can ingest a single kind of metal to gain physical or mental powers, Mistborn can use any of the allomantic metals. This gives them incredible power and flexibility, which Vin uses to help overthrow the tyrannical Lord Ruler. Along the way, she falls deeply in love with Elend Venture, an idealistic young noble.
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Romantic dealings are complicated, and none of the relationships in Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn books are an exception, but some eventually thrived.
That romance is the key sticking point in what needs to change about Mistborn, as Vin is only 16 during the events of The Final Empire, while Elend is 21. While the books handle this age gap tastefully, that wouldn’t necessarily be true for seeing things play out in live action, where the difference would be too uncomfortably obvious on-screen. There’s a simple solution, however. The filmmakers would just need make Vin older in any adaptation of The Final Empire. That way, their romance can take its course and not be distracting.
Aging Up Vin Makes The Mistborn Movie’s Ideal Casting More Possible
It’s A Lot Easier To Find A Phenomenal Action Heroine Who Isn’t A Teenager
Another problem potentially solved by aging Vin is the trickiness of casting. Many of the actresses whose names keep coming up around a Mistborn movie are too old to play a 16-year-old street urchin. Of particular note of Maisie Williams, whose role as Arya Stark in Game of Thrones clearly demonstrated her skill at playing that kind character. However, Williams was 14 when Game of Thrones premiered in 2011, but the inexorable march of time means that this talented actress is now 27 and would feel weird playing Vin.
|
Mistborn Era One Books |
Year Of Release |
|
The Final Empire |
2006 |
|
The Well of Ascension |
2007 |
|
The Hero of Ages |
2008 |
If a Mistborn movie makes Vin older, even just by a few years, it would allow for far more options in casting her. This could would allow the film to focus the necessary amount on her romance with Elend and other elements of the character. Their relationship is far too important to the story of Mistborn to allow it to be downplayed or edited out, and by reimagining Vin as a slightly older character the potential adaptation could keep that romance and expand options for casting.
Mistborn
The Mistborn series, created by Brandon Sanderson, is a high-fantasy saga set in the world of Scadrial, where magic is powered by metals through a system called Allomancy. The series focuses on political intrigue, heists, and the battle between good and evil. The first trilogy, Mistborn: The Final Empire, follows the struggle to overthrow a tyrannical ruler, the Lord Ruler. Later books in the series, including Era 2, take place hundreds of years after the events of the original trilogy, expanding the story into new settings with new characters, all while maintaining connections to the original storyline.
Books:
Mistborn: The Final Empire (2006)
Mistborn: The Well of Ascension (2007)
Mistborn: The Hero of Ages (2008)
Mistborn: The Alloy of Law (2011)
Mistborn: Shadows of Self (2015)
Mistborn: The Bands of Mourning (2016)
Mistborn: The Lost Metal (2022)