Much praise has been sent the way of HBO's
Watchmen since its premier, and while fans initially thought this series would be devoid of any characters from the comic/film, they were quickly assured otherwise.
Watchmen featured Hooded Justice, Laurie Blake/Silk Specter II, Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias, and Dr. Manhattan, but many were left wondering why Nite Owl II was given the shaft.
In a recent interview with Collider, showrunner Damon Lindelof took the time to address why the character was left out, and he makes it clear that it wasn't as easy a decision as fans may assume.
"Oh my God, yes. I would say that we committed, it’s hard to quantify hours. But, if someone said that we kicked around that possibility for 40 hours of overall room time, that would feel a little low to me. But, one of the things that we are constantly trying to solve for, was the ratio between old and new. And, I felt very strongly that Laurie needed to be in this show. And, I felt very strongly that Manhattan needed to be in the show. And, I felt very strongly that Veidt needed to be in the show. And, we knew that the central character of the show was Hooded Justice and his granddaughter.
It felt like, if we added Dan into the mix, that the balance tipped too much towards the old, and not enough towards the new. But, we did discuss multiple versions of what it would look like for him to appear."
What do you guys think? Do you understand Lindelof's reasons for deciding not to include Nite Owl? Would you like to see the vigilante in a potential second season, or is it best to focus on the new characters being set up in the show?
Let us know in the comments, and check out the trailer for HBO's
Watchmen below!
From Damon Lindelof and set in an alternate history where masked vigilantes are treated as outlaws, this drama series embraces the nostalgia of the original groundbreaking graphic novel of the same name while attempting to break new ground of its own.
Watchmen is currently streaming on HBO.