How The Cast Of Divergent Is Really Supposed To Look
Chances are, many initiates of Veronica Roth's Divergent Trilogy started tapping the brakes on their fandemonium for the films after the adaptations introduced some substantial plot deviations and character deletions from book to screen. Or perhaps Allegiant, already the lesser-favored of the three books, was being split into two films left fans—especially those fatigued by Harry Potter, Twilight, and Hunger Games having made the same money-grab maneuver—reserving their ticket fare for the real final round instead of venturing out for movie three. Whatever the reasons, Allegiant did so poorly at the box office that it has all but destroyed the franchise's future.
Of course, the changes to those characters that did make the jump from page to screen certainly couldn't have helped in the process of reeling in the source material's vast readership. We've done a little Photoshop work to show you how the cast of The Divergent Series films should've looked, according to Roth's books.
Eric - Jai Courtney
Arguably the biggest divergence (rimshot) between the books' and movies' character looks came courtesy of the Dauntless leader, Eric, who was described as a slithering goth boy with a literally greasy presence. In the movies, though, Jai Courtney's portrayal was more menacing and brutish than the slithering smiles and devious behaviors readers loved to hate in the books. His hair, height, age, and even fondness for facial piercing were all completely different.
All aboard the book express: A young man walks in ... his face is pierced in so many places I lose count, and his hair is long, dark, and greasy. But that isn't what makes him look menacing. It is the coldness of his eyes as they sweep across the room ... His smile pulls at the piercings in his lips, making the holes they occupy wider ... The curl of his lip is cruel. – Divergent
Initiation score: 2/10 – Courtney was still sufficiently intimidating, but he looked totally different than expected.
Marcus Eaton - Ray Stevenson
Ray Stevenson might've gotten the domineering dad vibe down, but his look was different than described. For starters, he didn't have the same dark blue eye color Four was supposed to have (and even without that, his and James' eyes were basically opposite colors, at sky-blue and brown). This was a significant similarity between the two characters in the books because it drew them together in Tris' eyes, but in the movies? Must not have mattered as much to the costume crew. Not only that, but he was much stouter and had much longer locks than the thin man with near-shaven hair we read about.
All aboard the book express: Marcus's forehead is creased, especially between the eyebrows, and there are deep lines next to his mouth. He looks like a man who has spent most of his life frowning. He might have been handsome when he was younger — perhaps he still is, to women his age... – Insurgent
Initiation score: 4/10 – He might've been a good personality match for the role, but Stevenson didn't look much like his literary counterpart.
Johanna Reyes - Octavia Spencer
Nabbing Oscar winner Octavia Spencer for any role in the Divergent series was a cool coup, so fans were probably willing to overlook the fact that, while the makeup artists did add a small cheek scar to match the Amity faction leader's look, they opted not to go all the way and present one of her pupils as misshapen and inoperative, with a lisp to match.
All aboard the book train: I recognize her because it is hard to forget Johanna's face, whether you've seen her once or a thousand times. A scar stretches in a thick line from just above her right eyebrow to her lip, rendering her blind in one eye and giving her a lisp when she talks ... She would have been a beautiful woman if not for that scar. – Insurgent
Initiation score: 6/10 – Scrimping on the scars made the character pretty ordinary onscreen.
Evelyn Johnson - Naomi Watts
Naomi Watts is an esteemed actress whose name fits nicely with her adult costars in the Divergent series, but let's face it: She didn't look a thing like Evelyn Johnson (a.k.a. Evelyn Eaton). Not only was she missing certain characteristics, like a black curly mane or the rugged, survivor-living-in-the-underground-for-decades wear and tear, but she also just didn't look old enough to convince as Four's mom.
All aboard the book train: A middle-aged woman stands behind the table. She has curly black hair and olive skin. Her features are stern, so angular that they almost make her unattractive, but not quite. Tobias clutches my hand. At that moment I realize that he and the woman have the same nose—hooked, a little too big on her face but the right size on his. They also have the same strong jaw, distinct chin, spare upper lip, stick-out ears. Only her eyes are different—instead of blue, they are so dark they look black. – Insurgent
Initiation score: 2/10 – Frankly, it's hard to imagine her looking less like she was expected to.
Natalie Prior - Ashley Judd
There's no way the film crew could've ever made Ashley Judd look plain enough to pass for that Abnegation woman you had to look twice at to see she's pretty. That was just impossible from the start. However, there were a couple of other details that got slacked on, too, like the fact that she shared Caleb's pale green eyes in the book, which were close-set next to her hooked nose, and she boasted thick, wavy hair rather than Judd's silky straight locks.
All aboard the book express: I think my mother could be beautiful, in a different world. Her body is thin beneath the gray robe. She has high cheekbones and long eyelashes, and when she lets her hair down at night, it hangs in waves over her shoulders. – Divergent
Initiation score: 6/10 – The good news is she was completely believable as Woodley's mom, which certainly counts for something.
Beatrice "Tris" Prior - Shailene Woodley
Shailene Woodley's Divergent look was just as small and mousy as described in the books at first, but her athleticism came in handy to convince that she'd be capable in the makeshift ring during initiation bouts. There were still some differences to be found, like the fact that her eyes are hazel-brown rather than Tris' signature grayish blue, and she's missing Tris' long nose—nor could she be accused of looking stern. Overall, though, Woodley's appearance as Tris was close enough to the mark.
All aboard the book express: My eyes were blue before, but a dull, grayish blue—the eyeliner makes them look piercing. With my hair framing my face, my features look softer and fuller. I am not pretty—my eyes are too big and my nose is too long—but I can see that Christina is right. My face is noticeable. – Divergent
Initiation score: 7/10 – The budget for contacts on these movies must've been exactly $0 because almost no one's eyes were the right color, starting with Tris.
Tobias "Four" Eaton - Theo James
The pressure to get Four right onscreen was huge—arguably second only to Tris—but when the filmmakers landed on Theo James of Underworld and Downton Abbey pedigree, Divergent fans were pretty satisfied. Granted, he was a little bit older than expected, and his eyes weren't the same midnight blue with a light splash near the right iris as written, but his cascading tats and beefy muscles were spot on. Not only did James have the requisite amount of swoonage to offer, but he also had some of the more nuanced feature resemblances, like his larger bottom lip and the fact that his ears jutted out just a bit.
All aboard the book express: He has a spare upper lip and a full lower lip. His eyes are so deep-set that his eyelashes touch the skin under his eyebrows, and they are dark blue, a dreaming, sleeping waiting color ... Four's appearance seems tame from the front, by Dauntless standards, but when he turns around, I see a tattoo peeking out from the collar of his T-shirt. – Divergent
Initiation score: 9/10 – If it weren't for the eye color, he might be the perfect physical match for the role.
Caleb Prior - Ansel Elgort
Ansel Elgort gained lovable heartthrob status during his stint(s) in the Young Adult bubble thanks to Divergent and his other starring vehicle opposite Shailene Woodley, The Fault In Our Stars. It's a good thing people already liked him so much by the time this movie came out because he looked pretty dissimilar to the character's description. Not only were his eyes deep brown instead of green (ugh!), but he also didn't have those dimpled cheeks that he'd supposedly grown into on paper.
All aboard the book express: We don't look alike. He has my father's dark hair and hooked nose and my mother's green eyes and dimpled cheeks. When he was younger, that collection of features looked strange, but now it suits him ... His dark, straight eyebrows draw together so that a crease appears between them. When he frowns, he looks more like my mother than my father. – Divergent
Initiation score: 5/10 – Caleb stans were missing those dimples and shiny emerald peepers, no doubt.
Christina - Zoë Kravitz
Here's an impressively close match: Zoë Kravitz as Christina, who was convincing as the Candor-born transfer who prefered might to mouthiness. Her skin, eyes, and haircut all definitely fit the bill for Christina's description, but the biggest difference is that Kravitz was significantly shorter in the role than the tall, lean, and mean Dauntless dame.
All aboard the book express: She is tall, with dark brown skin and short hair. Pretty. – Divergent
Initiation score: 8/10 – Her bottom row of teeth were also not obviously crooked, so that's another ding from the books, even if it's just semantics at this point.
Peter - Miles Teller
Attitude-wise, Miles Teller was spot-on as the troublemaking transfer initiate who could never quite pick an allegiance and stick to it—but was deceptively charming and innocent looking. With his slick dark hair, friendly smile, and boyish expressions, Teller was a true match for the role. If only they'd gotten his steely green eyes right.
All aboard the book express: It's hard to believe I could hate someone who looks so kind—his eyebrows turn upward naturally, and he has a wide, white smile. – Divergent
Initiation score: 9/10 – Again with the eyes. Is it illegal to wear colored contacts in Chicago or something? Yeesh.
Uriah - Kelynan Lonsdale
Divergent fans were probably more miffed by the fact that this charming character didn't even make the cut for the first movie, despite being the ringleader for some of the more exhilarating moments of the story, than the fact that his Insurgent movie counterpart, Kelynan Lonsdale, didn't meet every syllable of his description. He was certainly handsome and charismatic enough for the role, but his lack of a snake-tat around his earlobe was salt in the wound for sure.
All aboard the book train: I'm struck, suddenly by how handsome he is — all his features are proportionate, his eyes are dark and lively, his skin bronze-brown. And he has probably always been that handsome. Only boys who have been handsome from a young age have that arrogance in their smile. – Insurgent
Initiation score: 7/10 – Ink styles matter in a story like this.
Jeanine Matthews - Kate Winslet
Kate Winslet's turn as the blond badette who used her Erudite HQ mind-control serums to keep everyone under her control was certainly as calm and controlled as readers might've expected, but there were still some differences to be seen. For starters, Winslet's Jeanine didn't wear vanity glasses or have stretchmarks riddling her knees, and she also didn't have the "liquid gray eyes" that shot through Tris & Co. so many times throughout the first two installments.
All aboard the book train: She probably wears the glasses out of vanity rather than necessity, because she thinks they make her look smarter ... Divergent
Initiation score: 7/10 – Her hair, costumes, and size were all about right, so it was a mostly faithful adaptation.