The Twists and Turns Behind Jafar's Unexpected Recast in Once Upon A Time Season 6

Summary

Jafar from Once Upon A Time In Wonderland was recast in season 6 of Once Upon A Time, causing his character arc to be lost in a confusing transfer.

Oded Fehr portrayed Jafar in season 6 of Once Upon A Time. Unfortunately, due to the show's decline and significant departures of key actors, the character's progression was hindered. Naveen Andrews, who initially played Jafar in Once Upon A Time In Wonderland, opted not to reprise the role and instead achieved recognition in the highly praised series Sense8.

Jafar, the villain in the ABC series Once Upon A Time, was recast with Oded Fehr in season 6. Despite being originally portrayed by Naveen Andrews in the spinoff Once Upon A Time In Wonderland, the character was given a new actor. The Once Upon A Time franchise gained popularity by creating complex backstories for classic fairytale characters and bringing their reimagined, live-action stories to television. As Disney now owns the ABC network, the Once Upon A Time franchise had the opportunity to develop beloved Disney characters from movies like Brave and Frozen.

In 2013, Once Upon A Time expanded with the spinoff series Once Upon A Time In Wonderland. This introduced a new group of fairytale characters that the original show had yet to explore, including Cinderella, Alice from Alice in Wonderland, and characters from Disney's animated film Aladdin. In the first episode of Once Upon A Time In Wonderland, Naveen Andrews' Jafar made his debut as a cunning antagonist, seeking to join forces with the villainous Red Queen. However, Jafar's storyline as a villain suffered from a confusing transition to the original series and the decision to recast the character.

Oded Fehr Was Recast As Jafar For Once Upon A Time Season 6

Jafar, portrayed by Andrews originally, became entangled in the uncertain evolution of the Once Upon A Time franchise. Initially introduced in the Once Upon A Time In Wonderland spinoff series, Jafar's fate hung in the balance after the spinoff was abruptly canceled. Eventually, Jafar resurfaced in Once Upon A Time season 6, portrayed by Oded Fehr following a recasting. Despite Fehr's commendable performance, the character's storyline lacked coherence amidst the franchise's declining popularity and the departure of key actors. As the show reached its breaking point (ultimately ending in season 7), the development of the Jafar character was hindered, leaving Fehr with limited opportunities to contribute to the role.

Why Naveen Andrews Didn't Return As Jafar After Once Upon A Time In Wonderland

That being said, it was probably fortunate that the original Jafar actor did not reprise the role after their stint in Once Upon A Time In Wonderland. Following the show's unexpected cancellation, Andrews secured a role in the science fiction drama Sense8. Throughout its two seasons, Andrews portrayed the prominent character Jonas Mailiki.

However, similar to Once Upon A Time In Wonderland, Sense8 was swiftly canceled due to low viewership. Interestingly, while Andrews moved on to another ill-fated series, Sense8 gained immense popularity on Netflix, receiving critical acclaim and sparking a well-known petition for the release of new content. Although the Once Upon A Time franchise may rival Sense8 in terms of influence, it is safe to say that Andrews fared well by leaving behind the regretfully irredeemable character Jafar.