Maybe it’s as with 007; people see that character as a man, a certain type of man. If a director changes too many factors, that means they have invented a new and different character, not what is being advertised at all.
007 has become a tired cliche and an exercise in computer generated destruction. Baaaarf!
I don’t blame Whitaker; it’s the writers and showrunners. she was great in Broadchurch.