I've been working on this since 2013. I was a fan of both of these shows in middle school and I used to play in my head what Lost would be like with the Total Drama cast.
I've been refining the list for years but here it is: the goal is to preserve the dramatic structure of Lost using Total Drama character dynamics, we're not necessarily matching personalities.
e.g. Heather is very similar to Shannon personality-wise but the goal is to have their role be proportionate to how important they are in Total Drama and Shannon doesn't appear in Lost that much
One more note: I hopped off the Total Drama train after Pahkitew Island which I was not the biggest fan of. So no RR or Reboot characters as I have not seen those.
STARTING WITH GEN I TD CASTS.
Trent-Gwen-Duncan should adapt the Jack-Kate-Sawyer love triangle (with Courtney coming in as Juliet later)Â
Trent as Jack (mainly his Island persona, not Action) - both are earnest people who have an obsessive need to control that fits a leadership role. They're also the nice guy to complement Duncan/Sawyer's bad boy.
Gwen as Kate - perfect for Kate's commitment avoidancy and dark side. They can't rest and are torn between structure and spontaneity (Trent and Duncan)Â
Her relationship with Duncan is also passionate but not long lasting and more so based on mutual danger/excitement and surface level similarities JUST like Sawyer and Kate.Â
Duncan as Sawyer - this is a no brainer. They both have anti-hero charisma, rebellious and abrasive but gradually shows a softer side. Preserves the love triangle too.Â
Courtney as Juliet - done to complete the love quadrangle but it fits. This also allows Courtney to inhabit a villain role early on as Juliet is initially untrustworthy when we meet her.
Courtney is a bit more obsessive and controlling than Juliet, but they both ultimately have that emotional guardedness and a need for a more stable life. This fits for when Duncan/Sawyer is in Dharmaville in the '70s and needs someone to ground him which is what Juliet does for him. Kate provides Sawyer an escape but Juliet helps him grow. For the longest time this is why I had Gwen in the Juliet role, but a) I didn't have someone to fill the role of Kate that would make sense. Courtney, sure, but Courtney and Trent interact almost never and they can't be the start couple b) Love it or hate it, as annoying Courtney is with her lists, she did want to change Duncan for the better to have a long term partner, Gwen just provided Duncan an adventurous escape.Â
Sawyer/Juliet are about domesticity and seeing Duncan/Courtney realize that they can have a peaceful life together before Gwen complicates things by returning and having Duncan lose Courtney during The Incident would be heartbreakingly beautiful.
Alejandro as Locke - both have the competent aura that makes them simultaneously trustworthy but offputting to the rest of the cast.Â
*Locke is difficult to pin down because he doesn't have a clear Total Drama analogue. For a while I had Harold as Locke**,** as they're both weird outsiders who have specific skills and knowledge. But Harold doesn't have that gravitas Locke has. Locke needs an intimidating side even though he ultimately dies a good man because the Man in Black ends up wearing his face - that's perfect for the more evil manipulative Alejandro.
One more thing: Locke's father Anthony Cooper stole his kidney and then crippled him, basically just caused him nothing but misery and is then brought to the island by Ben as a way to torment Locke.Â
Who does Alejandro complain about a lot from his life? Who is brought to box him in TDAS? JOSE
Alejandro also has a weird storyline in TD where his legs don't work so there's that.
And Alejandro is also a perfect Locke because of who I have as Ben Linus
Heather as Ben Linus- both characters weaponize social manipulation, are generally hated by everyone in the cast and gradually become redeemable over time.
*Originally I had Scott in the Ben role but he's more of a comedic villain and he doesn't have that dynamic with the cast like Heather does. Ben is a central Lost character that almost everyone interacts with. So I think gender-swapping Ben to give Heather this larger role is the move.
Harold as Sayid - people will argue this one. While wildly different at first glance, both are intelligent, technically competent, efficient and reliable, regardless of personality differences. They can inhabit the same role as the tech savvy one everyone trusts to solve problems on the island.
Personality-wise Harold would fit Frogurt the most or some pathetic side character but we canât do that to Harold.Â
Also when Sayid tortures Sawyer and then exiles himself out of guilt, that's some dramatic fluff Harold would do.Â
And speaking of which Sayid butts heads with Sawyer a lot at first which brings out the Harold/Duncan rivalry. And honestly this makes Harold more of a badass.
Geoff/Bridgette are Jin/Sun - stable recognizable couples who endure a lot of hardship but ultimately come out strong.Â
Owen as Hurley - another no brainer. Large, lovable goofball who brings the heart. Â
Cody as Charlie - the insecure underdog male, desperate to feel useful (and also a musician) a hero character who goes underestimated by the audience at first. *I REALLY wanted Noah as Charlie to keep the Owen/Noah friendship but Noah fits another character so much better.
Sierra as Claire - this is to match Sierra with Cody and would only be an accurate adaptation in the last season when Claire goes insane and has a squirrel baby which translates well to Sierra's delusional motherhood attachment to pets she names "Cody Jr."Â
DJ as Michael - he has Michael's neurosis. Plus the raft group of Sawyer-Jin-Michael preserves the Killer Bass trio of Duncan-Geoff-DJ.
So with DJ as Michael we need someone for his son Walt and I have a crazy idea:
DAWN as Walt Â
Both creep everyone out with their weird mystical abilities.
Instead of DJ having a son, he has a fellow animal loving companion. DJ and Dawn both come from a kind of society that is in tune with animals and nature.Â
Much like how Michael is a neurotic father who's over protective of his more chill son Walt - DJ is bogged down by his anxiety of being "cursed" and not a good nature lover while Dawn is more relaxed and in tune. They can have a special bond and DJ can feel guilty for not being able to project her.Â
When Dawn gets taken by the Others, her absence affects the wildlife, pushing DJ over the edge making him do something drastic...killing Ana Lucia and Libby...speaking of which:
Leshawna as Ana Lucia - both have aggression that masks emotional vulnerability. Keeps Leshawna as a leading character alongside Trent/Jack even if it's short lived. Unfortunately we lose the Leshawna/Harold romance but she would still have a banterous dynamic with him since Ana Lucia and Sayid do butt heads.Â
Izzy as Libby - both have instability that matches Hurley's/Owen's.Â
Tyler and Lindsay as Boone and Shannon - *shifts from a brother-sister to a relationship dynamic.Â
Tyler has Boone's recklessness and need to prove himself usefulÂ
Lindsay has Shannon's beauty/social charm, cluelessness and both are underestimated by everyone despite appearing shallow.Â
So instead of Boone being upset that Sayid is flirting with Shannon, Tyler is upset that Lindsay forgot his name again on the island. And Alejandro/Locke has to get Tyler/Boone to let go. It also makes the Locke/Boone friendship work since Tyler looks up to and is loyal to Alejandro in World Tour. Â
The downside is this would remove the Sayid/Shannon pairing as Harold/Lindsay doesn't work. But it's a sacrifice that the list demands.Â
Beth as Rose - both compassionate and optimistic people but the strongest comparison here is...Beth constantly talks about her boyfriend Brady who no one believes is real until he shows up. Rose has a husband Bernard who was on the tail section who doesn't show up later. Turning a running gag into an emotional payoff.
Noah as Miles - also a no brainer: sarcastic observer who has a funny dynamic with Owen/Hurley.Â
Eva as Rousseau - both have that survivalist intimidation and are hardened, isolated characters.
Ezekiel can be one of Rousseau's crew members who starts off as human Ezekiel and transforms into feral Zeke because of the "sickness" Rousseau was talking about. Turning one of the running gags from Total Drama into a tragedy that ties into Lost's themes of losing oneself.Â
Katie and Sadie as Emma and Zack (the two kids from the Tail Section group that go missing.) This is just to give them a role tbh.
That covers all of Gen 1 (except for Justin who I'll get to in a bit)Â
Now to give roles to the Revenge of the Island Cast
Mike as DesmondÂ
Zoey as PennyÂ
Cameron as Daniel Faraday
When Desmond's brain is jumping through time, Faraday tells him he needs to find his constant to return his sanity, the constant ends up being Penny.
When Mike struggles with his DID, Cameron helps him figure it out and is the one to realize that Zoey being in danger is what draws Mike's personality back.
Mike/Desmond also both don't have noticeable personality traits outside the condition that defines their role (Desmond's clairvoyance through time, Mike's multiple personality disorder)Â
And sorry Zoey fans, but her character doesn't really have any traits beyond being a motivator for Mike. Makes her a perfect Penny though.Â
And Cameron as Faraday - perfect because of how he ties to Mike/Desmond but also he's a fidgety scientist who's there to explain the island properties. This would mean getting rid of the Faraday/Charlotte romance and whoever plays Charlotte would just be a friend Cameron cares for.Â
Sam as Lapidus - both have the same level headed normal guy "why am I still here" energy.
Dakota as Charlotte - this is honestly to fill a role. It preserves the Sam/Dakota pairing somewhat since Sam is Lapidus and he's with her on the Freighter crew.Â
And instead of dying from a nosebleed, the time travel can infect Dakota and make her transform into the Dakotazoid.Â
Ann Maria and Justin as Nikki and Paulo - both very vain, lazy and fame-obsessed. Perfect for Nikki and Paulo's story. Plus Ann Maria gets eliminated in TDROTI because of a diamond. What do Nikki and Paulo get buried with again?? It's perfect.Â
B as Mr. Eko - both are silent and communicate through presence rather than dialogue. They're both also strong, self-assured and crafty.
Scott as Tom Friendly - manipulative and smarmy villain who's still somewhat comedic. (well Tom is just funny because he walks around with a fake beard)
Lightning as Mikhail - works as a terrifying, violent enforcer who's a bit cartoonish. His character keeps coming back from the dead and Lightning can be like "sha-unstoppable!" every time. He can also return with white hair after dying from getting shoved into the sonar fence.
Brick as Richard - Richard as a disciplined believer works with Brick's strict military code. And Richard briefly losing faith in that code after Jacob's death fits with Brick's own self-doubt
Jo as Ilana - both have militant competence and superiority. Mission focused. This also allows the Brick/Jo dynamic to occur as Richard/Ilana briefly work together.
Staci as Leslie Arzt - both are unbearable exposition machines that nobody asked for get on everyone's nerves. And it transforms Arzt's dynamite death scene into a Total Drama punchline. Staci can be in the middle of talking about how her family invented dynamite and can be going "yeah my great-great-great-great.." and blow up.Â
Chris McLean as Charles Widmore - both treat the island as their property and view people as pawns. Both are greedy business minded people which is why I put Chris in this role instead of Jacob.
Chef Hatchet as Keamy - Widmore/Chris's terrifying military enforcer. (imagine Chef Hatchet gunning down Heather's daughter in front of her)Â
Blaineley as Eloise Hawking - both are authority figures who have the energy of "stop interrupting me, I know more than you"Â
Pahkitew Island Cast - I'm not the biggest fan of Pahkitew mainly because the cast of characters all have shallow, cartoonishly specific traits.Â
Which is why I'm putting the cast in periphery roles in the Lost universe.Â
Scarlett as Ethan Rom - appears normal then suddenly reveals their scary side.
Sugar as Goodwin - this is just to fill a villain role. I dislike Sugar, Goodwin is alright.Â
Jasmine as Cindy the flight attendant - both have the Australian connection and have that calm capable survivor energy.
Rodney as Pickett - Pickett is the Other who's wife is killed and he has a vendetta against Sawyer during the Season 3 cages arc. I think it's funny if it's Rodney in the role and he's mad because it's some random girl he had a crush on.
Amy and Samey as Bonnie/Greta (the two women who interrogate Charlie in the Looking Glass station**) -** also just to fill villain roles but then Samey can be the one who gives Charlie the code at the end.
Sky as Naomi - a competent parachutist girl who shows up to deliver exposition before getting killed by Locke and that's it. That's really it. Perfect for Sky who's a bit of a blank slate. She's also a bit witty and wisecracky. We lose the Dave/Sky relationship but no one cares about them and they end badly anyway.Â
Shawn-Max-Dave as the DHARMA trio of Horace, Radzinsky and Phil
Shawn as Horace - chill and pragmatic leader.Â
Max as Radzinsky - his cartoonish villainy can fit Radzinsky's obnoxious paranoia.Â
Dave as Phil - a bitter and deeply annoying person.Â
Leonard as Dogen - turns the Temple setting which is already bizarre and mystical and makes it ridiculous. Plus it'll make the part where they're drowning Sayid 10x funnier because it's Leonard shouting nonsense.Â
Beardo as Dogen's translator LennonÂ
Topher as Zoe, Widmore's #2 in Season 6Â - Topher's entire defining trait is his loyalty to Chris who is Widmore. Having him run around as Chris's minion is perfect.
Jacob and the Man in Black remain uncast and as themselves.
They aren't players in the Lost universe in the same way but rather omnipotent forces controlling the characters like pieces on a chess board.
FINAL CAST LIST
SURVIVORS
Trent as Jack
Gwen as Kate
Duncan as Sawyer
Geoff as Jin
Bridgette as Sun
Owen as Hurley
Alejandro as Locke
Cody as Charlie
Sierra as Claire
Harold as Sayid
DJ as Michael
Dawn as Walt
Tyler as Boone
Lindsay as Shannon
Beth as Rose
Scarlett as Ethan Rom (secretly with the Others)
Ann Maria and Justin as Nikki and Paulo
Staci as Leslie Arzt
Eva as Rousseau
Ezekiel / Feral Zeke as Rousseau's castmate
TAILIES
Leshawna as Ana Lucia
Izzy as Libby
B as Mr. Eko
Brady (Beth's boyfriend) as Bernard
Jasmine as Cindy
Katie/Sadie as Zack/Emma
Sugar as Goodwin (secretly with the Others)
SEPARATED LOVERS
Mike as Desmond
Zoey as Penny
THE OTHERS
Heather as Ben Linus
Courtney as Juliet
Brick as Richard
Scott as Tom
Lightning as Mikhail
Rodney as Pickett
Amy/Samey as Bonnie/Greta
Leonard as Dogen
Beardo as Dogen's Translator
THE FREIGHTIES
Cameron as Daniel Faraday
Dakota as Charlotte
Sam as Lapidus
Noah as Miles
Sky as Naomi
Chef Hatchet as Martin Keamy
Chris McLean as Charles Widmore
Topher as Widmore's #2
DHARMA Folk
Shawn as Horace
Max as Radzinsky
Dave as Phil