History Main / AudienceColoringAdaptation

** The original '90s English dub by Creator/DiCEntertainment possesses a lot of discrepancies from the Japanese version of the anime, had lots of censorship, awkward voice acting, script and [[DubNameChange name changes]][[note]]Usagi becomes "Serena", Mamoru becomes "Darien", Makoto becomes "Lita", Minako is shortened to "Mina", Rei and Ami just have their spelling Anglicized to "Raye" and "Amy", Chibiusa becomes "Rini", and Naru becomes "Molly"[[/note]] changed the music and story, and a few episodes were cut completely. But the show still proved to be entertaining and a hit with children in North America, its theme song became a '90s icon, and it was one of the catalyst shows that kicked off the anime boom in the 1990s. To many fans, the '90s dub and all of its flavor and lingo was their ''definitive'' experience with ''Sailor Moon'', and it's really hard to see the show as anything else. To them Usagi is always [[{{Woolseyism}} Serena]], her nickname is always "Meatball Head", Luna will always have a British accent, and to a lesser extent Naru/Molly always sounds like a Brooklynite. Which is why when the series received an uncut re-dub by Creator/VizMedia in 2014, which was more faithful, dubbed with professional voice actors, kept the original music, and didn't make any cuts or edits, a BrokenBase formed over the quality of the Viz dub. While it is praised for its improvements and being much more faithful to the original version, it lacks the [[NarmCharm campy fun and energy]] and distinctiveness of the 90s dub that made it so [[SoBadItWasBetter memorable]], and [=DiC=]'s replacement soundtrack was missed by many, even by its most staunch critics.

* The 1998 film version of ''Theatre/{{Cats}}'' is the de facto version of the show to most fans. It's because it's an officially released version of the stage musical, making it easily accessible. It features many differences from the original 1982 production and other productions of the play at that, but fans view it as the main version of the show. For example, "Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer" is often associated with an energetic, upbeat duet by the titular duo, but it's actually the third version of the song: the original London version was slower, while the Broadway version had the tempo of the 1998 film but was sung by Mr. Mistoffelees. The film ''Film/{{Cats}}'' went with a middle ground: this version is a duet sung by the titular duo but is in the key and tempo of the slower, original version.
** The name Mungojerry is itself a case of this, as even though it originates in the original T.S. Eliot poems that inspired the musical, most people associated it with [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mungo_Jerry that band who sang "In The Summertime"]] than with a musical theatre cat.

* ''Literature/TheManWhoFellToEarth'': Almost everyone who is aware of the story is only familiar with the film adaptation (to the point where there's no page for the book even on [[Website/TVTropes This Very Wiki]]; it's instead a redirect to the film's page), which is ''wildly'' different from the book in ways that effectively make them two different stories. For starters, there are absolutely zero [[SexStartsStoryStops sex scenes that don't have any bearing on the plot]] in the book, Newton's leg jacknifes and breaks into a thousand pieces in the Hotel elevator which necessitates months of bed rest instead of him just getting a headache(?), and perhaps the biggest one of all is that [[spoiler:Newton goes ''blind'' from the X-ray machine due to his eyes seeing a different spectrum of light instead of having his human contact lenses grafted on permanently, which has ''completely different implications'' from the scene in the book]][[note]]The scene in the book is supposed to represent the final, most tragically unreversable transition Newton makes into being neither fully Human nor fully Anthean, but something completely unique and in-between which totally isolates him from everyone he knows, whereas the film scene simply implies it's tragic because he's effectively unwillingly [[BecomeARealBoy become fully human]][[/note]]. It's telling that [[Series/TheManWhoFellToEarth the Shotime series]] is explicitly a continuation of the film's adaptation of events and not the book.

** For just a starter, neither Hawkeye nor Black Widow was part of the original Avengers line-up (neither was Captain America, but he at least joined in the third issue and is retroactively considered a founding member), but rather it was ComicBook/AntMan and Characters/TheWasp. The latter is actually a ''very'' important character due to her tenure as team leader and the character development she underwent during that time, and her closeness with Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America. The films largely gave this role to Black Widow, who while a somewhat prominent character wasn't a very strongly connected member of the team since her status as a Super Spy made her an ill-fit for a public superhero team who regularly fight cosmic or world-threatening dangers.

* The ''Film/ResidentEvilFilmSeries'' being the most financially successful film franchise based on a [[Franchise/ResidentEvil video game series]] is unavoidably this for a lot of mainstream audiences who often haven't touched the games. While the games themselves are extremely popular, odds are most modern viewers' first exposure to the IP will instead be the Anderson films which are InNameOnly to the source material. For instance, Creator/MillaJovovich's Alice is popular enough in the public zeitgeist that a lot of people don't even know she's a CanonForeigner made up for the movies, whilst the actual cast from the games a lot of filmgoers are less familiar with. The Anderson films also gave rise to the perception that RE is a [[AfterTheEnd post-apocalypse]] story like most zombie fiction rather than largely isolated outbreaks like in the games. ''Series/ResidentEvil2022'' was even catered towards fans of the films with a similar setting (with scrapped plans to have Alice cameo), Constantin Film company who own the films rights to RE even felt ''Film/ResidentEvilWelcomeToRaccoonCity'' which is more accurate to the games, would be too alienating for the Anderson films fandom. Which just goes to show the impact it has had on the franchise.
** The RE films have also affected to games themselves to some extent. The LaserHallway from the first Anderson film was put in ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil4 RE4]]'' and ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilTheUmbrellaChronicles'' with the Red Queen becoming a CanonImmigrant to the latter game. The extremely bombastic action tone of ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil5 RE5]]'' and especially ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil6 RE6]]'' can also be partially attributed to the Anderson films' influence.

* Suffice it to say that most post-1956 adaptations of the ''Literature/BookOfExodus'' bear the unmistakable fingerprints of ''Film/{{The Ten Commandments|1956}}''. It's down to this film that the Pharaoh of the Exodus is almost always identified as Rameses II in popular culture. Many adaptations since have portrayed Moses as being raised as a prince and potential heir to the Pharaoh, while also unaware of his heritage until shortly before or after his murder of the overseer. Neither of these plot elements are present in the original Exodus. In fact, it is strongly suggested there that Moses was aware of his true heritage all his life.

*** The 1931 film also introduced [[TheIgor Igor]] -- ahem, ''Fritz'', but popularly called Igor for reasons similar to why the Monster is called Frankenstein (The character of Fritz as Frankenstein's assistant was conflated with the deformed Ygor from the sequels ''Film/SonOfFrankenstein'' and ''Film/TheGhostOfFrankenstein'') -- the iconic hunchback assistant who unlike even the Bride [[CanonForeigner didn't exist at all in the original book]]. Yet nowadays you will be hard put to find any story, adaptation, or crossover involving Frankenstein's monster that doesn't include Igor as well. For a character who was entirely made up for the film by Universal, he has gotten immense coverage (even getting his own [[WesternAnimation/{{Igor}} animated film]]) and is generally viewed by the mainstream as synonymous with the Frankenstein story itself.

* Not surprisingly, Creator/WalterHill's 1979 cinematic adaptation of ''Film/TheWarriors'' has completely eclipsed the Sol Yurick novel -- so much so that the [[VideoGame/TheWarriors 2005 video game adaptation]] not only kept Hill's campy approach but made it even ''campier''!

* For many viewers, ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' is the main influence in the way in which they perceive anything related to the ''Franchise/LandOfOz'' media, from details such as Dorothy having ruby slippers instead of the silver ones from the book, as well the portrayal of the Wicked-Witch of the West as a green woman instead of having only one eye as she was originally described (making it an almost literal example). The personalities of the characters in Oz-influenced media tend to reflect their movie personalities instead of the literary ones. The film is also the reason why characters like Glinda and the Wicked Witch are far more famous and iconic than, say, Ozma and the Nome King, who appeared in far more installments of the book series.
** Just to illustrate how thoroughly the 1939 film eclipses the entire franchise when an adaptation was attempted of the sequels with ''Film/ReturnToOz'', people wondered why Dorothy was a young girl and not in her late teens like Creator/JudyGarland was in the famous 1939 film. Creator/{{Disney}} paid a hefty sum to use the ruby slippers as well, rather than confuse audiences who never read the books by having them be silver (the shoes never appear again in the sequels anyway, and were replaced by the Magic Belt). The main reason it bombed was that it was too much like the books, and not enough like the film most people are familiar with; not helping its case was that it opened with Dorothy being assumed delusional and given electroshock therapy, which was ''not'' in the books and clashed with the tone of both the books and 1939 film.

* Since its debut in 1986, the musical adaptation of ''Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'' popularized the Phantom's image of wearing a mask covering only half his face rather than the full face mask in [[Literature/ThePhantomOfTheOpera the book]]. This [[SerendipityWritesThePlot only came about]] because it made it easier for the actor to wear a headset microphone and be more clearly understood while performing. The 1986 musical is also directly responsible for turning the Phantom from a TragicMonster to a sensual DracoInLeatherPants villain who enthralls the heroine Christine, in contrast to Gaston Leroux's version where Erik (that's his name in the book) while sympathetic is still [[TheGrotesque horrifying and repulsive]] in his appearance as well as his AxCrazy behaviour. You will find plenty of people who complain about the Lon Chaney version of the Phantom being too ugly and monstrous even though it's far more accurate to the original book than the musical version.
** Christine is also affected by the musical. The most popular perception of her: TheIngenue brunette Sarah Brightman version, who is very submissive to the Phantom's machinations is actually ''[[{{Chickification}} far]]'' removed from the book version of Christine who is a blonde, bold, outspoken WellExcuseMePrincess PluckyGirl who spends most of the book protecting her {{Love Interest|s}} Raoul after learning the "Angel of Music"'s true nature. Fans who started with the musical are often quite surprised upon reading the novel at how different Christine is (i.e courageous and active) compared to her musical theater counterpart.

*** Everyone knows LadyMacbeth, but most people couldn't tell you her actual name, because it's never mentioned in the play. For the curious, it was [[spoiler:Gruoch]]. Many scholars and English classes have debated her lines "I have given suck, and know \ How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me" since no child of hers appears in the play, and a few adaptations will play her as having [[DeathOfAChild lost a child]] in the backstory. It's rarely mentioned in analysis of the play that she ''did'' have a son, Lulach, by her first husband (Lulach was thus Macbeth's stepson), and he outlived Macbeth by a good 18 years.

* ''WesternAnimation/Invincible2021'' is certainly this for the Creator/RobertKirkman [[ComicBook/{{Invincible}} comic]] it's adapted from. While the comic is beloved among comic book readers, it's simply more obscure to mainstream audiences than DC and Marvel works, consequently making the animated Amazon series a lot of people's first exposure to the ''Invincible'' franchise. This means that the changes the show makes to the comic book are treated as normal by people simply not familiar with the source material. For instance, Mark the protagonist is treated as something of a MemeticLoser by fans of the show for getting the shit kicked out of him and bent bloody in most battles. In the comic, it's not until Mark fights his father Nolan as well as other powerful villains that he almost dies and is bloodily beaten up, as he's actually much more durable the majority of the time, whilst the show makes Mark more fragile to empathise his IronicNickname. Omni-Man is also compared to [[Series/TheBoys2019 Homelander]] by new fans (both series being on the same streaming service) with the frequently talked-about moment where he puts Mark in the path of a speeding train with the passengers getting torn apart all over him being actually original to the show, and a case of AdaptationalVillainy compared to the comic, where Nolan never deliberately kills innocent civilians to traumatise Mark. Even the famous "Think, Mark!" pose which has been heavily [[MemeticMutation memed]] by everyone didn't happen in the comic issue.

* The popularity of both the 2000s ''WesternAnimation/{{Teen Titans|2003}}'' animated series and the 2010s ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo'' has made those incarnations of the characters -- from personality to costumes -- ''the'' definitive version of the superhero team, [[LostInImitation with the comic book versions of these characters being changed to account for the fact that potential readers would be more familiar with the animated versions]]. Foremost was the higher humor quotient between Cyborg as a BoisterousBruiser and FunPersonified, Raven as a PerkyGoth and TheComicallySerious while Starfire as a FunnyForeigner with a {{Verbal Tic}} in avoiding contractions and regularly say the word "the." Raven's costume also changed to be a LeotardOfPower (because it was easier to animate) and Starfire uses green starbolts, with her sister Blackfire now sporting purple ones, as opposed to the entire Tameranian species just having red starbolts.
** Cyborg in the comics got a "[[AscendedExtra promotion]]" of sorts to become a ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica founding member in the ComicBook/New52 DC Comics era, which followed through in both the WesternAnimation/DCAnimatedMovieUniverse and ''Film/JusticeLeague2017'' film. But when ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueVsTeenTitans'' came out, there was a notable effort to keep a very similar roster (Robin is Damian Wayne rather than Dick Grayson, and the Jaime Reyes ComicBook/BlueBeetle is a tech-centered character like Cyborg) and ensure that Cyborg became more friendly with the group because of the ''Teen Titans'' show's legacy.

* ''Literature/TheManWhoFellToEarth'': Almost everyone who is aware of the story is only familiar with the film adaptation (to the point where there's no page for the book even on Website/ThisVeryWiki; it's instead a redirect to the film's page), which is ''wildly'' different from the book in ways that effectively make them two different stories. For starters, there are absolutely zero [[SexStartsStoryStops sex scenes that don't have any bearing on the plot]] in the book, Newton's leg jacknifes and breaks into a thousand pieces in the Hotel elevator which necessitates months of bed rest instead of him just getting a headache(?), and perhaps the biggest one of all is that [[spoiler:Newton goes ''blind'' from the X-ray machine due to his eyes seeing a different spectrum of light instead of having his human contact lenses grafted on permanently, which has ''completely different implications'' from the scene in the book]][[note]]The scene in the book is supposed to represent the final, most tragically unreversable transition Newton makes into being neither fully Human nor fully Anthean, but something completely unique and in-between which totally isolates him from everyone he knows, whereas the film scene simply implies it's tragic because he's effectively unwillingly [[BecomeARealBoy become fully human]][[/note]]. It's telling that [[Series/TheManWhoFellToEarth the Shotime series]] is explicitly a continuation of the film's adaptation of events and not the book.

** ComicBook/{{Hawkeye}} as a character suffers the most, as the films made him an overtly serious guy without the showy and captivating personality or physical prowess of the comics character (movie Hawkeye is a competent fighter and archer, but the comics one is a BadassNormal who is physically on-par with Captain America!), and thus his character became something of a MemeticLoser, a reputation that has affected the comics character significantly. Only ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' started to fix this, even if it meant Clint Barton going from Hawkeye to Ronin. The comic-book version's "loser" status previously had to do with Hawkeye being a perpetually unlucky hero. An orphan boy who was raised in a circus, he had two evil mentors who turned on him, and a brother who became a career criminal. He was manipulated into a brief career as a villain by the woman he loved (Black Widow), had his share of unrequited loves and failed romances, and a troubled marriage to Mockingbird. Due to never inheriting any wealth from his parents (unlike other Avengers) and not having a lucrative job, Hawkeye was often broke and at times worked as a glorified security guard.
** ComicBook/IronMan, like Hawkeye has been affected but in a much more positive fashion. Thanks to the MCU the public perception of Tony Stark thanks to Creator/RobertDowneyJr's portrayal is a loveable, charismatic, quip-happy hilarious JerkWithAHeartOfGold who when the chips are down will save the universe as the BigGood. This is a marked difference from the comic version of Iron Man, whom as many comic fans will know, was being written as a very unlikable [[StrawCharacter Strawman Political]] BrokenAce and even borderline fascist starting with ''[[ComicBook/CivilWar2006 Civil War]]''. Fans of Iron Man who started with the MCU, have actually been appalled upon reading the comics at how dickish Tony is written (especially in modern continuity) and how unlike the films he certainly isn't bosom buddies with Hulk or an idol and mentor to Spider-Man (in the comics, Captain America is the one hero Peter worships). Thanks to the MCU impacting the comics, Tony is more lighthearted and jokey and the films have significantly bolstered his popularity, with him being right up there with Spidey or Wolverine nowadays.

** While ''Franchise/TheSmurfs'' has been active since 1958, the Creator/HannaBarbera series that ran throughout [[WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs1981 the 1980s]] has left a huge impact with the franchise as a whole (especially in [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff the United States]]). The series made the smurf species [[AdaptationalNiceGuy notably nicer and cuter]] compared to their mischievous behavior and tendencies present in [[ComicBook/TheSmurfs original Belgian comics]]. Despite the show ending in 1989, it left a huge impact with the public (mainly Americans) believing The Smurfs to [[SweetnessAversion be saccharine and sentimental]]. Even ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}} creator Creator/CharlesSchulz hated The Smurfs finding them "ugly" as detailed in some of his autobiography books. This doesn't effect fans of the series in Europe (especially in France, the Netherlands, and Belgium) due to Main/FrancoBelgianComics being huge compared to the United States. It also toned down the slapstick and social satirical elements that was common in the comics and [[WesternAnimation/TheSmurfsAndTheMagicFlute pre-HB animated media.]]

* The 1992 ''WesternAnimation/XMenTheAnimatedSeries'' cartoon from Creator/FoxKids is pretty true to the ''story'' of [[ComicBook/XMen the original comics]], but its distinctive visual style and futuristic art direction have had a pretty big impact on how general audiences picture the X-Men. Notably, it used the character designs of Creator/JimLee, who only drew the comics for a very brief window of time in the early 1990s. Thanks to the show, many people tend to picture [[Characters/MarvelComicsCyclops Cyclops]] wearing a blue kevlar suit with yellow cross belts and a wraparound visor (he wore a tight spandex suit with a full-face mask for most of his history), they tend to picture Professor Xavier using a fancy yellow hover-chair, and they tend to picture [[Characters/MarvelComicsRogue Rogue]] with a bomber jacket and [[EightiesHair a huge mane of dark hair]]; it probably doesn't hurt that those same character designs would be used in several classic Creator/{{Capcom}} arcade games of the period (most famously ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom''), which remained popular with gamers for decades afterward, cementing their iconic status. The show is also likely why [[Characters/MarvelComicsGambit Gambit]] and [[Characters/MarvelComicsJubilee Jubilee]] are widely considered "classic" X-Men, despite being [[NewerThanTheyThink relatively recent additions to the franchise]] (at the time the show started, Jubilee had only been introduced three years prior, and Gambit two years). To give you an idea of this: while most of the Marvel character icons on the Creator/DisneyPlus app are from the movies, the X-Men icons are all slightly modernized versions of the '90s cartoon designs. Special mention to the [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic iconic theme song]], which has been [[Film/DoctorStrangeInTheMultiverseOfMadness used in the MCU]] as a leitmotif!

* Franchise/MarvelUniverse's ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor'' has certainly had this effect on Myth/NorseMythology as a whole, overlapping with SadlyMythtaken. In Prose Edda Thor is instead of being blonde is red haired and flies around on a chariot driven by two goats, Loki and Sif are fair haired instead of dark-haired whilst Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg are no where to be seen, being original creations of Marvel. Look up artwork of Thor and Loki online however, the vast majority of it will be of their Marvel versions or clearly inspired by them. For ''VideoGame/GodOfWarRagnarok'', there was many complaints that Thor looked different when his image was first revealed even though he is actually TruerToTheText to a lot of the myths -- really fans were more upset that he didn't look more like the Marvel version. It's notably compared to Myth/ClassicalMythology which has been interpreted in all manner of ways, whilst Norse Mythology by contrast has been glued to the Marvel version by public's consciousness.

** ''Advent Children'' is a notable example, as it had this effect upon not only [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII the original game]] and [[Franchise/CompilationOfFinalFantasyVII its expanded material]], but how the {{Fanon}} views the ''FFVII'' characters in general. Cloud, instead of being a {{BFS}} spinning cocky showoff who hides his insecure dorkier side under a cool guy persona (as seen with his attempt at a RousingSpeech before the final battle being the immediately lambasted "Let's mosey"), is an {{angst}}-heavy StoicWoobie who almost never smiles [[note]]InUniverse Cloud is like this in the film because he was suffering from the Geostigma disease before being cured, but unfortunately this was forgotten across later titles which depict Cloud as a brooding loner without that excuse[[/note]]. Aerith, rather than being a street smart {{tomboy}} who speaks in slang in the original Japanese script and famously threatens to rip a mafioso's balls off, is a TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth PurityPersonified figure. Tifa, rather than being quite the ShrinkingViolet compared to Aerith, keeping her feelings to herself, is HotBlooded and confident to go along with her MsFanservice appearance. Thanks to ''Advent Children'' along with other titles such as ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI'' and ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy'' this [[CommonKnowledge is how a lot people view the characters as]] and many were shocked at ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIIRemake'' for seemingly altering their personalities (e.g. having Aerith curse "Shit!") even though it was actually just making them TruerToTheText.

* Fans of ''Literature/TheBlueLagoon'' may be aware that the [[Film/TheBlueLagoon1980 1980 movie]] received poor reviews from critics. In the novel, it is mentioned that the characters of Dick and Emmeline were around the age of sixteen or seventeen when they first became intimate and Emmeline gave birth to their child, Hannah, approximately a year later. However, during filming, Creator/BrookeShields, who played Emmeline, was only fourteen years old while Christopher Atkins, who played Dick, was eighteen. Additionally, the movie altered Emmeline's age at the time of giving birth to around fourteen or fifteen, which may have been due to ExecutiveMeddling.

* ''ComicBook/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen'' is widely considered to be the single most iconic and influential depiction of Captain Nemo in any medium, since it was the first interpretation to really emphasize the character's Indian heritage and make it a core part of his characterization. For context: in Nemo's original appearance in Creator/JulesVerne's ''Literature/TwentyThousandLeaguesUnderTheSea'' (where he's a central character), his ethnicity is left intentionally ambiguous, and the only clue about his background is that he has a vendetta against an unnamed imperialistic country that conquered his homeland and forced him into exile(Verne wanted to make the character Polish, but was talked out of it by his editor); ''Literature/TheMysteriousIsland'' (in which Nemo is only a supporting character, and doesn't appear until late in the novel) reveals that he's an Indian nobleman with a vendetta against the British Empire, but this revelation doesn't come out until shortly before his death and most adaptations such as [[Film/TwentyThousandLeaguesUnderTheSea Disney film]] had him played by Caucasian actors. ''The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'' makes it clear from the outset, with Kevin O'Neill's illustrations making it all the more explicit: Nemo is a dark-skinned South Asian who dresses in a turban and a ''sadri'', and the interior of the ''Nautilus'' is festooned with Hindu religious art (details that are nowhere to be found in the original books). Thanks to the comic's influence, it's now practically unthinkable to do an adaptation of ''20,000 Leagues Under the Sea'' without a South Asian actor in the lead role.

* DC's ''ComicBook/New52'' reboot from 2011 is similar to ''Ultimate Marvel'' in this regard, especially as shortly after, DC stepped up their adaptation efforts in animation and Live Action, and based many of them directly off of the New 52's universe. As a result, elements like Barry Allen as The Flash, Damian Wayne as Robin, Barbara Gordon being Batgirl again, and more became mainstream among wider audiences, and elements from the previous two decades (such as Wally West and the extended Flash Family, the importance of the prior Robins like Tim Drake, and Barbara's tenure as Oracle and the later Batgirls Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown; the LegacyCharacter concept in general really) were downplayed. This also came with the universe becoming DarkerAndEdgier on top, which combined with the adaptations following suit, lead to DC gaining a reputation for being dark, grim, and depressing next to Marvel's LighterAndSofter approach -- historically, this had always been the other way around.

* ''ComicBook/UltimateMarvel'', Marvel's UltimateUniverse, had this effect for a while during the 2000s and ''very'' early 2010s, due to (at first) being a streamlined, modernised take on the Marvel Universe, [[MovieSuperheroesWearBlack particularly in terms of wardrobe]] and [[DarkerAndEdgier setting]], while also providing updated origins that took advantage of GeneticEngineeringIsTheNewNuke or "realistic" deconstructions. Though the [[TookALevelInJerkass characterisation]] is still highly controversial, for many it was looked at as an easier avenue to be introduced to Marvel and generally used as a basis for new adaptations, with ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'' being the biggest example of this: every adaptation of the character since the early 2000s has had Peter Parker meet the bulk of his supporting cast in high school rather than college, while being friends with Harry Osborn and one of his love interests (usually Mary Jane) since childhood. The ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'' would go on to become the primary inspiration once it took off, but it also makes heavy use of the Ultimate Universe's visual elements and backstory changes (e.g ComicBook/{{Hawkeye}} having a family and ComicBook/BlackWidow working for ComicBook/{{SHIELD}}), although later phases in the MCU [[DownplayedTrope downplay]] the Ultimate Marvel influence to borrow more heavily from the mainline 616 Universe, with plotlines such as ''ComicBook/{{Civil War|2006}}'', [[ComicBook/TheInfinityGauntlet the Infinity Saga]], and [[Characters/MarvelComicsTheIlluminati The Illuminati]].
* UsefulNotes/TheNineties ''ComicBook/XMen'' era will always be the major audience-influencing incarnation of the team (unsurprisingly given ''X-Men'' (Vol. 2) #1 by Creator/ChrisClaremont and Creator/JimLee was the highest-selling comic of all time). The perception of Cyclops being in his blue kevlar suit with yellow cross belts and a wraparound visor, Jean in her yellow and blue bodysuit, Storm in her silver bodysuit, Rogue with her green and yellow bodysuit as well as bomber jacket and massive mane of hair, and Gambit and Jubilee being highly prominent (despite being quite new members at the time) is all thanks to this period. Thanks to this era, fans will likely easily recognise Psylocke in her {{fanservice}}y ninja form but will not recognise her purple-haired and pink outfit which was her look for decades prior to getting a body swap. A similar case occurs with Angel, as he's more remembered in the rad-looking metallic Archangel form than his normal Angel persona he had for years before becoming a Horseman of Apocalypse. This comic period would go onto to inspire both the Creator/FoxKids [[WesternAnimation/XMenTheAnimatedSeries animated series]]) and ''VideoGame/XMenChildrenOfTheAtom'' and the subsequent ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom'' franchise. There's also [[ComicBook/XMen92 a spin-off comic]] based on the animated series, which was based on this era.

* Although ''Film/BramStokersDracula'' is considerably [[TruerToTheText more faithful to the original novel]] in many respects, it also introduced a few original ideas that have shaped general perceptions of ''Literature/{{Dracula}}''. Among other things: it helped popularize the idea of Dracula being [[PromotedToLoveInterest in love with Mina Harker]] (instead of her just being one of his victims), the idea of Lucy Westenra being Mina's more naughty and amorous friend (instead of being sweet and spoiled), and the idea of Dracula and UsefulNotes/VladTheImpaler being the same person (instead of one just being vaguely inspired by the other). Most adaptations or retellings since Creator/FrancisFordCoppola's have given Dracula some kind of personal connection to Mina, and many have used the "reincarnated wife" element (which was originally [[Film/TheMummy1932 the Mummy]]'s schtick).

* For most people, Franchise/{{Superman}} is synonymous with the Creator/ChristopherReeve movies. To a lesser extent, there is [[Series/TheAdventuresOfSuperman the 1950s TV show]] with Creator/GeorgeReeves, which is the source of a lot of catchphrases associated with the franchise. Its details aren't known to many casual fans, but if you've ever talked about Superman you've quoted it at least once.

* Suffice it to say that most post-1956 adaptations of the Bible story of the Exodus story bear the unmistakable fingerprints of ''[[Film/TheTenCommandments1956 The Ten Commandments.]]'' Most notably, it's down to this film that the Pharaoh of the Exodus is almost always identified as Rameses II in popular culture. Many adaptations since have portrayed Moses as being raised as a prince and potential heir to the Pharaoh, while also unaware of his heritage until shortly before or after his murder of the overseer. Neither of these plot elements are present in the original Exodus. In fact, it is strongly suggested there that Moses was aware of his true heritage all his life.

* The King James version of Literature/TheBible, with its florid verse and antiquated diction (it was deliberately written to be a bit archaic, even in James' day) has played a significant role in shaping the average person's image of the Bible in the English-speaking world. Most notably: it's the primary reason why so many people envision {{God}} speaking in YeOldeButcheredeEnglishe, with His speech peppered with "thees" and "thous". Some [[TheFundamentalist particularly conservative Christians]] in the English-speaking world hold it in such high regard that they treat it as the ''only'' English translation of the Bible, and don't like to acknowledge other translations. This is a bit ironic if you know that the King James Bible initially became popular because of its literary merit rather than its accuracy: it wasn't intended to be a literal translation from Hebrew and Greek, but rather [[{{Woolseyism}} a work of English verse in its own right]]. Even Richard Dawkins (an outspoken atheist) acknowledges its artistic value, once saying that "a native speaker of English who has never read a word of the King James Bible is verging on the barbarian."
* In-universe, the later runs of ''Literature/ThePrincessBride'' include post-novel content in which Creator/WilliamGoldman tells us ({{kayfabe}}) that Creator/StephenKing felt this way about Goldman's abridged version of the story. Goldman also cites this as one of the reasons he can't secure the rights to publish the sequel to the book in English; the Morgenstern estate feels that his abridgment was a travesty and won't let him near the sequel. (The reality is Goldman had made a few abortive attempts to start the sequel, but each time he realized he couldn't recapture the magic of the original.)

* The ''Series/{{Arrowverse}}'' has had this effect for the mythos of ComicBook/GreenArrow, ComicBook/TheFlash, and ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}, which have been the biggest out-of-comics takes on those franchises. As a result, several Flash villains like Zoom, Captain Cold, and Savitar are more likely to bring up their show versions than the originals, and elements of ''Series/Supergirl2015'' like the name Kara Danvers and National City have made their way to the comics, and the general audience would be surprised to learn they didn't exist before 2015. Unfortunately for many fans of the comics, though, as the shows receive a ''great'' deal of TheyChangedItNowItSucks treatment and there's something of a FandomRivalry between fans of the comic versions and fans of the shows, having the shows become the popular representation of the franchises in pop culture can be something of a sour point[[note]]''especially'' for fans of the Wally West era, as the show has popularized Barry Allen as the Flash, with Wally's tenure being seen as only a temporary venture by many in spite of having over two decades of story to himself. This is a case of MisBlamed, though, as DC (former co-publisher Creator/DanDiDio, mostly) has been sweeping Wally, and to a lesser degree all other non-Barry Flashes, under the rug for quite some time. Some fans of Wally were ''astonished'' that the show ever used him in the first place![[/note]]. This especially goes for the Green Arrow, whose comic version is very different.[[note]]The show version begins as a very dark JudgeJuryAndExecutioner, and after that is always struggling with his own dark side. He is TheCowl to TheCape of Barry, and even a Russian Mafia captain nicknamed "The K. G. Beast" is shocked by his brutality. Very compelling, yes, but it leaves him with [[InNameOnly little in common]] with the comic version, or ''[[WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague any]]'' [[WesternAnimation/TheBatman other]] [[{{Series/Smallville}} adaptation]], beyond "shoots arrows."[[/note]]

** Additionally, the success of Mozart's version has doomed any attempt to adapt the third play in the trilogy, ''The Guilty Mother'', because of its darker tone. Beaumarchais wrote the trilogy as a progression from comedy to tragedy, but Mozart toned down or removed many of the darker themes from the second play that made that progression more gradual; his version only hinted at Cherubino's lust for the Countess and cut any mention of her reciprocation, and it [[PlayedForLaughs Plays for Laughs]] the Count's plan to force Cherubino [[UriahGambit into military service]]. As such, ''Guilty Mother'''s revelation that the Countess had an affair with Cherubino (who is now dead, having been killed in battle) and [[SomeoneToRememberHimBy gave birth to his child]] is a GenreShift that is too abrupt for audiences to accept, given the light comedic tone of Mozart's opera.

* ''Series/{{The Boys|2019}}'' is definitely this for people in regards to [[ComicBook/TheBoys the comic]] it's based on. The comic is one of Creator/GarthEnnis' lesser-known works and was generally meant to be a way for him to vent his frustrations and distaste at the superhero industry being a massive TakeThat at DC and Marvel with shock for shock's sake violence, sex (often non-consensual), grotesque imagery, nihilism, and good old fashioned ToiletHumour. The much more well-known Amazon show, though still exceptionally dark and edgy, is really a LighterAndSofter {{Reconstruction}} that celebrates superhero tropes as much as it subverts them, leading to a far more nuanced and less hateful look at the genre. The show's portrayals of Homelander, Starlight, A-Train, The Deep, Mauve, and Soldier Boy in the show are all loved by fans, but in the comic itself, most said characters were very generic (even Starlight is just the SatelliteLoveInterest to Hughie). Comic Homelander in particular isn't anything like the LoveToHate charismatic super-bastard of the TV show that fans are fascinated by. Ironically, a good deal of fans of the show are simply turned off by the comic, either finding it too gross or just unsatisfied that it doesn't have the layers of the TV series.

** The anime is this to [[Manga/DragonBall the manga]]. People familiar with the many (fairly accurate) jokes about how dragged out the fights are and the heavy use of InactionSequence might be surprised to find that the manga is, for the most part, fairly fast-paced and frantic. The anime also colours Goku as a more intentionally heroic character than in the manga, where he's more focused on a good fight and only steps in if someone has been cruel to those he cares about.

** Creator/AlanRickman's portrayal of [[Characters/HarryPotterSeverusSnape Severus Snape]] is so iconic it is the main image the public (and even parts of the book fandom) think off when the character is mentioned, despite Rickman is [[AdaptationalAttractiveness more conventionally attractive]] and [[AgeLift significant older]] than the character is described in the books. Also, his SadistTeacher tendencies are [[AdaptationalNiceGuy heavingly downplayed]] and [[AdaptationalComicRelief more of a source of comic relief]] in the movies, helping to give Snape a "DracoInLeatherPants" treatment within the fadom.