Why Lara Croft Was Recast For Netflix's Tomb Raider Series (2024)

Netflix's Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft continues the enduring series' story in an all-new format: an anime-inspired TV series. After first debuting in 1996's Tomb Raider, the always-clever and tough-as-nails British archaeologist Lara Croft became a pop-cultural sensation nearly overnight. This prompted the first game's then-developer to churn out a new entry in the Tomb Raider saga on an annual basis. In 2001, the video game icon made the leap to the big screen in the action-adventure flick Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, which starred Angelina Jolie as the title character.

Despite tons of main-line and spin-off games, comics, novels, and feature-length movies, Tomb Raider's popularity waned a bit in the late 2000s. In 2013, video game publisher Square Enix and developer Crystal Dynamics launched the soon-to-be hit, Tomb Raider. A reboot of the series, the 2013 Tomb Raider game served as a brand-new origin story for a younger Lara Croft. With over 14.5 million units sold, the reboot became the best-selling game in the franchise and launched a saga of beloved games known as the Survivor trilogy.

Grey's Anatomy Star Camilla Luddington Voices Lara Croft In Tomb Raider's Survivor Trilogy

Luddington Also Provides The Motion Capture Performance For Lara Croft

Any new iteration of Lara Croft will be compared to Angelina Jolie's live-action portrayal as well as the original games' interpretation of the character. It's an inevitable reality of taking on such an iconic role. While 2013's Tomb Raider is a masterpiece because so many distinct elements come together beautifully — a compelling story, satisfying gameplay, and engaging design — a huge part of the game's success stems from Lara Croft herself. In the reboot, the gun-toting, rock-climbing archaeologist is played by Camilla Luddington, whose best-known live-action role is Grey's Anatomy's Dr. Jo Wilson.

After appearing in Showtime's Californication and HBO's True Blood, Luddington began her now 12-year-long stint on Grey's Anatomy in 2012. Between the medical drama's 224 episodes, the actor has juggled voice roles, including Tomb Raider's Lara Croft as well as the Justice League Dark series' Zatanna and Infinite Crisis' Supergirl. While auditioning for the part of Croft, Camilla Luddington wasn't aware that the project was related to Tomb Raider, making the reveal all-the-more exciting. Luddington went on to voice Lara Croft and provide motion capture for the character in all three Survivor trilogy games.

Netflix's Tomb Raider: The Legend Of Lara Croft Features The Survivor Trilogy's Version Of The Character

The Animated Series Will Continue The Tomb Raider Survivor Trilogy Story Without Luddington

In addition to being set in the official Tomb Raider timeline, The Legend of Lara Croft continues the story that Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics' Survivor trilogy launched in 2013. Instead of the reboot adapting the classic Tomb Raider games, the Survivor trilogy (2013–18) created a more grounded origin story for Lara Croft. Of course, her adventures go on to toe the line between gritty realism and over-the-top supernatural chaos, but Luddington's lived-in performance helps Tomb Raider, Rise of the Tomb Raider, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider stand apart from run-of-the-mill adventure games.

Netflix's Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft is clear about being based on the Tomb Raider video game trilogy by Crystal Dynamics, with the developer even co-producing the series. In addition to being set in the same continuity as the Survivor trilogy of games, The Legend of Lara Croft unfolds after the events chronicled in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. As such, it focuses on a slightly older and more experienced Lara Croft. However, the Netflix show has also promised to bridge the reboot trilogy with the original Tomb Raider games from the 1990s and early 2000s.

Hayley Atwell Voices Lara Croft In The Netflix Series

The Captain America Actor's Tomb Raider Casting Is Strategic

The animated Tomb Raider series has found its Lara Croft in Marvel Cinematic Universe star Hayley Atwell. In many ways, Atwell is the perfect Lara Croft casting; there's no denying the similarities between the headstrong Peggy Carter of the Captain American and Avengers movies and the hardened survivor Lara Croft. It's impossible to know why, exactly, the ever-compelling Luddington isn't continuing to voice the character in Netflix's Survivor trilogy continuation. Of course, while Atwell brings some extra name recognition, The Legend of Lara Croft is coming from a fresh creative team, making its vision distinct from the games.

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft

Not Yet Rated

Action

Adventure

Animation

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft is a new animated action-adventure series developed for Netflix by Powerhouse Animation (Castlevania, Seis Manos) and Legendary Entertainment. The series is set to pick up after the events of the video game reboot trilogy some time after Shadow of the Tomb Raider, with Haley Atwell voicing the titular globe-trotting protagonist.

Cast

Haley Atwell

Seasons

1

Streaming Service(s)

Netflix

Franchise(s)

Tomb Raider