1 Road House Character Didn’t Get A Replacement In The 2024 Remake (& It’s A Big Letdown)

WARNING! This article contains spoilers for Road House (2024)!

Though most characters from the 1989 movie had replacements in the 2024 Road House remake, one beloved figure from the original action film didn’t get an updated version. Only a few characters in Road House’s remake directly mirror characters from the Patrick Swayze-starring 1989 original, such as Dalton, Ellie, and Frankie. Largely, however, the remake’s characters are primarily new with loose similarities or comparable plot functions to characters from the 1989 film, such as the 2024 Road House’s Charlie loosely replacing Sam Elliott’s Wade Garrett.

In addition to introducing plenty of original new characters, such as the sheriff or Post Malone’s Road House role of Carter, the remake also leaves out a few figures from the 1989 film entirely. With Road House (2024) being centered more prominently around Dalton, Ellie, Frankie, and the film’s villains, the remake was missing many of the supporting employees and staples of the bar that were found in the 1989 action flick. Sadly, this meant that one of the greatest supporting characters in Patrick Swayze’s Road House didn’t receive a new counterpart in the 2024 version of Dalton’s story.

Road House’s Remake Doesn’t Give Jeff Healey’s Character Cody A Replacement

Road House (2024) doesn’t give the band members a big focus

One of the best characters in Patrick Swayze’s Road House movie was Cody, the blind lead singer of the Double Deuce’s band who helped Dalton adjust to the rowdy roadhouse. The character was played by singer Jeff Healey, who diegetically performed many of the songs for the original movie’s soundtrack. Before Sam Elliott and Patrick Swayze’s Road House characters, Wade Garrett and James Dalton, reunited in the film to defend the bar against Wesley, it was Cody who proved to be Dalton’s closest friend in town. Furthermore, as the roadhouse’s band leader, Cody had a personal stake in the film’s story of cleaning up the Double Deuce.

However, Jeff Healey’s Cody doesn’t have a new counterpart in Amazon’s Road House remake. In fact, despite the fact that various bands are featured performing at The Road House and even make their way onto Road House (2024)’s soundtrack, the remake doesn’t introduce any of the band members as characters. Unlike in the 1989 movie, most of the employees at the roadhouse Dalton is hired to help out are confined to background roles, with the exceptions of Laura and Frankie.

Meanwhile, the original film saw Dalton spend plenty of time getting to know the numerous bouncers, band members, and bartenders he’d be working with. In addition to Jeff Healey’s Cody, Road House (1989) had a bigger ensemble of characters at the Double Deuce as Dalton taught the employees his “be nice” mantra. These characters also included Carrie Ann, Morgan, Jack, Ernie, and Steve, who would remain at the thriving Double Deuce after Dalton defeated Wesley in Road House (1989)’s ending. However, Road House (2024) seems to spend more time with Brandt’s hired men and those sent to disturb the roadhouse.

Why Road House 1989 Making The Band Leader A Character Was So Important

Jeff Healey’s Cody raised the stakes of the movie

In addition to providing Dalton with a familiar and more personal support system as he joined the Double Deuce’s team, Cody being a significant player augmented audience investment in saving the roadhouse. By having more investment in a character like Cody, who didn’t own the roadhouse but had been working there since before Dalton arrived, Road House (1989) gave audiences an even bigger reason to root for and be protective over the Double Deuce. In that way, Dalton was just one of the many lovable characters who audiences were able to support, making the roadhouse being saved all the more worth it after the villain’s demise.

Additionally, Cody, the band members, and the bouncers having bigger roles in Road House (1989)’s cast contributed to a more familiar, captivating atmosphere for the Double Deuce. On the other hand, Road House (2024)’s story feels more removed from The Road House itself, as most of the important characters seem to exist outside of that location and have less of a stake in its success. With the band leader and employees being more familiar in Patrick Swayze’s Road House story, the payoff of saving the bar is even greater than it is in Road House (2024)’s ending, which becomes more disconnected from Dalton.

Road House 2024 Thankfully Maintains The Original’s Live Music Feature

The bands play on to score the chaos of the bar

Despite the fact that Road House’s remake doesn’t have a character equivalent for Cody, the 2024 action film does maintain a great element that Jeff Healey’s character brought to the table. Cody and his band were constantly playing music live in the Double Deuce, scoring the fight scenes while punches, drinks, and glasses were being thrown around and smashing into the wires protecting them. This was a great choice in further establishing the contained nature of the bar in the 1989 movie, and the 2024 Road House movie does the same with several bands that rock out while Dalton takes care of Brandt’s disruptive goons.