Why Mat Was Recast For The Wheel of Time Season 2

Matrim "Mat" Cauthon was played by Barney Harris in Wheel of Time season 1, and has now been replaced by Dónal Finn. Here's why the change happened.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Wheel of Time Season 2.

Summary

• Mat Cauthon's character in Wheel of Time has undergone significant changes, including a new backstory and being inconsistently developed.
• Barney Harris, the original actor for Mat, left the show before season 1 was finished due to mental health reasons, resulting in a recasting.
• Dónal Finn, the new actor playing Mat, understands the fans' potential upset but is committed to portraying the character with dedication and enthusiasm. The show's creators promise a seamless transition between the two actors.

Wheel of Time season 2 is bringing sweeping changes to the fantasy series, including recasting the character of Mat Cauthon, played by Barney Harris in season 1. Based on the popular novels of the same name by Brandon Sanderson and Robert Jordan, The Wheel of Time season 1 ended with Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) revealing that the true last battle had yet to be fought, with Rand's sacrifice only delaying the inevitable. Amidst all the new characters introduced in Wheel of Time season 2, Dónal Finn as Mat Cauthon has already proved divisive, but not just because he's going to look different.

Significant changes to Mat's live-action depiction have already fundamentally altered his character on the page. Beginning with a new backstory involving a broken home - and continuing with being relatively absent for the final two episodes, despite being one of the series' main protagonists - the character has been inconsistently developed. Mat's been turned into a thief who abandons his friends, and with the abrupt departure of Harris in the role, longtime fans of the books and the show are going to have to contend with a new performance to coincide with whatever new changes happen to Mat's character next.

Barney Harris Reportedly Left Wheel Of Time Before Season 1 Was Finished

For fans curious as to the strange path of Mat's character near the end of season 1, an explanation of Barney Harris's sudden departure from Wheel of Time offers some insight. According to Radio Times, Harris filmed up until episode 6 by the time the production of the series was shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic and did not return when it resumed, citing reasons pertaining to his mental health. Being absent from episode 7 entirely, combined with old footage that had to be used for the final episode, didn't help the fact that Mat's twist in Wheel of Time had already changed his character in the first three episodes.

Who Is Dónal Finn? The Wheel Of Time's New Mat Actor Explained

Dónal Finn is a rising Irish star who, while only having a handful of credits to his name, has managed to make an impression. He has appeared in series like Rogue Heroes and several popular fantasy IPs including Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore and The Witcher, proving he has what it takes to confidently move into the new space left by Harris. Mat will be one of his most prominent characters to date, and provides him the opportunity to really make a strong impression.

What Has Been Said About The Wheel Of Time's Mat Recasting

The new actor understood fans would be potentially upset about the recast, particularly given how beloved the character and source material are. "I kind of put my head in the sand...if I allowed myself some time to stop and think about it, I could get very overwhelmed," he explained to TVLine. "But ultimately, knowing how much the fans love this character motivated me to make sure that I was starting it in the right place." Whatever the fans think of his interpretation, it's clear that the actor will do his best to play Mat with as much dedication and enthusiasm as possible.

Writer Rafe Judkins has promised that the transition from seeing Barney Harris in the role to Donal Finn in season 2 would be "seamless". The actors look similar enough, and Finn is clearly committed to his performance, but the real challenge will lie in making sure that Mat has meaningful character development. As one of the primary antagonists of the series with significant alterations to his character already, the showrunners and writers will still need to prove a lot to the fans, and a recast is the least of season 2's worries.

How Is Donal Finn's Mat Different To Barney Harris' Version?

Donal Finn had a difficult task in becoming Mat, considering that even though the character has been changed, Barney Harris was well-received in the role. So far the transition has been minor, but that's also because the character himself is going to need to accomplish a lot in season 2. After suffering guilt from abandoning his friends, he's going to need to redeem himself, which might actually help give him more of an actual character arc that isn't as prominent in the books when he goes from being more self-centered and then becomes a reluctant hero who does the right thing.

Recasting Mat's character fits into the changes he's going to go through in the series, which will end up potentially being dramatic and worthwhile. Wheel of Time has already had to make significant changes to the source material in order to translate it to live-action, and Donal Finn reflects the spirit of those alterations. If anything, it will help Mat's character in the series feel more like his own person, and perhaps even more fully developed than his literary counterpart.

Source: Radio Times, TVLine