The sorcerer has gone from wise supporting character to reckless leading man, with some of Hollywood's biggest franchises starring these men of magic.
Why are we so fascinated by the sorcerer? Over the years, the role has evolved past its initial duty, going from a wise and elderly supporting character to a leading man and, in some cases, a sex symbol for the geeky set. The archetype represents power, freedom, and knowledge, as well as transcendence from the physical and mortal world into a higher plain and state of being. Magic in all its forms is a prize, a gift that so few people get and almost everyone would die to have.
The archetype in literature Fantasy authors followed the Merlin archetype with almost unyielding devotion, with characters like Gandalf and Saruman from The Lord of the Rings and Dumbledore from Harry Potter serving as thinly veiled stand-ins. However, as sensibilities changed, so did the sorcerer. Taken away from his near-perfect status, the sorcerer became a shifting figure in fantasy.
The inexperienced sorcerer also saw a rise in prominence, often appearing as a young man learning his craft. Not silly but inexperienced, the young sorcerer gained significant fame after Peter MacNicol’s portrayal of the wizard Galen in the 1981 fantasy film Dragonslayer. MacNicol’s Galen is also one of the earliest and most notorious examples of a sorcerer in a leading role.
Wizards as a leading men Harry opened the door for the sorcerer to become a leading man in big Hollywood tentpoles. The first big-screen attempts to capitalize on the Potter legacy — The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Eragon — failed to achieve the same success, but the sorcerer thrived on the small screen.
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