Unveiling the Hidden Secrets: 9 Mind-Blowing Exclusions Preacher's TV Show Left Out from the Iconic Comic Books

Spoilers for the Preacher TV series and comics ahead.

This article discusses the show's incidents of graphic violence and self-harm.

Content revised:

While the TV adaptation of Preacher delivered an exhilarating experience, it departed significantly from the original comic book. Prior to the immense success of The Boys, executive producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg worked on the highly acclaimed adaptation of Garth Ennis' provocative cult favorite. Released in 2015, Preacher followed the gripping journey of Jesse Custer, a preacher grappling with a crisis of faith and endowed with enigmatic powers. Joined by his ex-girlfriend Tulip and vampire companion Cassidy, Jesse utilized his newfound abilities to combat monstrous villains.

As Preacher's comic adaptation concluded in 2019, the show's final episodes deviated greatly from the source material. Nevertheless, this did not surprise long-standing viewers of the series. Similar to The Boys, Preacher underwent significant changes from the original comics, garnering praise for its careful editing. While the alterations to characters and storylines may have occurred, they allowed the show to establish its own distinctive identity. It is worth noting that certain explicit scenes in Preacher's comic version simply wouldn't have translated effectively to the television screen.

9 Eugene Tried Taking His Own Life Because Of Kurt Cobain

Eugene Root, also known as Arseface, attempted to take his own life in both versions of Preacher, resulting in his facial disfigurement and subsequent off-color nickname. However, the motivation behind this decision underwent a change during the adaptation process from page to screen. In the comics, Eugene was inspired by Kurt Cobain's death and attempted to emulate the musician's method of suicide. In the TV adaptation of Preacher, Arseface's story was enhanced by delving into his teenage years. After a disastrous interaction, Eugene and his crush resorted to shooting themselves with a shotgun. Although Eugene's fate remained gruesome, the show provided a more compassionate exploration of the character.

8 Preacher's Comic Book Jesse Was A Good Guy

In the original Preacher comics, Jesse Custer was portrayed as a virtuous protagonist with occasional moral uncertainties, establishing him as more of a hero rather than an antihero. This contrasted with Ennis's previous works, such as The Boys and Just A Pilgrim, which featured protagonists so morally troubled that they bordered on being outright villains. Therefore, it came as no surprise that Dominic Cooper's portrayal of Jesse in Preacher’s TV adaptation leaned more towards an antihero archetype. To maintain the desired balance of cynicism and optimism among the characters, the TV version of Cassidy the vampire was portrayed as less malevolent.

7 Odin Quincannon Looks More Human

In the comics, the villainous Odin Quincannon suffered from significant disfigurement characterized by a twisted face and a hunched posture, bearing a striking resemblance to Sin City's Yellow Bastard. Surprisingly, the reason behind his distorted appearance was never elaborated upon. However, in the television adaptation of Preacher, Odin's disfigurement was entirely absent. This deviation might have been influenced by the casting of Jackie Earle Haley, renowned for his portrayal of Rorschach in Watchmen during that period. It is worth noting that Haley had previously faced criticism for his portrayal of Freddy Krueger in the 2010 remake of Nightmare On Elm Street, with fans and critics alike regarding the prosthetic makeup used for the villain as a disappointment.

6 Preacher’s Comic Book Jody Was A Monster

Jody, in the Preacher comics, was completely irredeemable. However, in the show, he showcased a much more morally ambiguous nature, even collaborating with Cassidy, Tulip, and Jesse at one point. The show's creators made a wise decision in taking this route, as the extreme villainy of Jody's comic book counterpart could have been too excessive in a live-action adaptation. While it fit well within the exaggerated and cartoonish world of Ennis's comic, it had the potential to come across as overly unpleasant and simplistic on screen.

5 Preacher’s Adaptation Explained Angelville

When Preacher season 3 arrived in Angelville, the show took the time to provide a detailed explanation of the setting, which was not the case in the comics. In contrast, readers of the comics were abruptly transported to this eerie Southern Gothic town and expected to unravel its twisted past on their own. As stated by executive producer Seth Rogen, Preacher’s TV adaptation could not simply place its antihero in the bayou without any context or reasoning. However, this is precisely what the comics did when their version of the same storyline commenced.

4 Cassidy & Jesse Switch Personalities

In order to balance out Jesse's transformation into an antihero in the TV adaptation of Preacher, another character had to step up and embrace the role of the hero. This responsibility fell to Cassidy, whose portrayal on the screen was kinder and more compassionate than his comic book counterpart, while Jesse became more ruthless and pessimistic. As a result, Cassidy and Tulip's romantic relationship became more significant in the show, especially in Preacher season 4 where Jesse became the villain and his two friends emerged as the new heroes.

3 God’s Not Nude In The Preacher TV Show

Unlike his comic counterpart who was never clothed, the depiction of God in Preacher was not nude. This decision was likely due to censorship. Although Preacher was not hesitant to include blasphemous humor, portraying God in full-frontal nudity could have been seen as unnecessarily risqué. Nevertheless, this alteration in costume did not significantly change how God was portrayed in Preacher. It is important to note that while this change was likely imposed by the TV network, the team behind Preacher found alternative ways to develop the character of God.

2 Preacher Cut Jesse’s Childhood Friend

The show’s creators made the right decision by completely omitting the character of Billy Bob-Bobbs from Preacher. This inbred child met a tragic end at the hands of TC when he accidentally discovered him engaging in inappropriate behavior with animals. While Season 2 of Preacher closely followed the comics, Season 3 portrayed TC and Jody in a less monstrous way, leaving no room to reference this disturbing incident from Billy Bob-Bobbs' childhood. Considering the distasteful depiction of Billy Bob-Bobbs in the comics, this decision was justified.

1 Preacher’s Odin Is Less Offensive

Despite still being a fearsome antagonist in the TV adaptation of Preacher, Odin was portrayed in a less grotesque manner compared to his comic book counterpart for two main reasons. Firstly, the show provided a justification for his malevolent actions by revealing that his family had tragically died in an accident, a sympathetic backstory absent from the comics. Secondly, unlike his fiercely prejudiced portrayal in the comics, Odin's character in the TV show was not depicted as racist. Although Jackie Earle Haley's portrayal of the villainous character remained memorable and thoroughly despicable in Preacher, these alterations served to moderate the intensity of the character.