Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Saw X!
There are several returning characters in Saw X from previous movies, but the movie smartly avoids a fatal mistake with them. For the tenth installment in a franchise, it should come as no surprise that Saw X features a few familiar faces. Movie franchises are largely built on audiences knowing existing characters and staying invested in the story to see how they individually progress. This is why one of the most exciting aspects of Saw X was bringing back Tobin Bell’s John Kramer in a lead role. The franchise did not hold back on returning characters, though, as Amanda Young and Detective Mark Hoffman also came back.
The decision to have Jigsaw and accomplices return in Saw X gave the Saw franchise a chance to flesh out some of the biggest characters in its canon, but it could only be done in this setting. John Kramer, Amanda, and Hoffman all have died in various Saw movies. This makes it so prequels and flashbacks to earlier points in the timeline are the only ways that their stories can continue. That creates a temptation to de-age actors or recast characters with younger performers, but Saw X manages to smartly avoid the franchise mistake.
Saw X Doesn’t Use De-Aging Tech To Make Jigsaw, Amanda, Or Hoffman Look Younger
The prequel setting for Saw X inherently creates the question of whether de-aging technology should be used to make its returning characters look as young as they should. There is nearly a 20-year difference between when Saw X was released and where it fits in the Saw timeline, which creates some potentially distracting characterizations of Jigsaw, Amanda, and Hoffman. It is unmistakable that Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, and Costas Mandylor look older in Saw X‘s ending than they do in movies that technically take place after it. The franchise easily could have used de-aging technology to make them all look age-appropriate, but it does not.
The decision not to have Saw X de-age its returning characters is a rather smart one. De-aging technology has come a long way over the years, leading to some incredible displays of visual effects at work in other franchises. The Marvel Cinematic Universe frequently uses de-aging technology, while Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny de-aging Harrison Ford was quite convincing. However, the technology still is not perfect and has resulted in some jarring effects at times. If Saw X‘s mid-credits scene had utilized the technology, there is a greater chance that it might have wound up as an example of the latter.
Saw X De-Aging Its Returning Cast Members Would Have Gone Badly
The biggest issue that would have come with Saw X using de-aging technology would be the cost. Saw X‘s budget was relatively small, but making Tobin Bell look 20 years younger for the entire runtime would have driven the price up. Even de-aging Shawnee Smith and Costas Mandylor would have been costly. This would either mean that the studios would have to be fine with a higher budget and risk Saw X‘s box office success or accept the fact that the results would not be entirely convincing. That’s why it was better for Saw X to skip the ordeal entirely and simply let audiences overlook the differences in appearance.
