Chris D’Elia Recast in Army of the Dead: Tig Notaro Steps In

• Chris D’Elia recast in Army of the Dead due to 2020 sexual misconduct claims.
• Tig Notaro replaced him via 3 weeks of costly reshoots.
• Netflix spent 8-10 million to digitally erase D’Elia and insert Notaro.
• Film succeeded with Notaro boosting fan appeal and Snyder’s vision intact.

Netflix’s zombie heist film Army of the Dead underwent an unprecedented recast after production wrapped. Comedian Tig Notaro replaced Chris D’Elia following allegations of sexual misconduct against the original actor.

Director Zack Snyder made the decision in August 2020, several months after principal photography had concluded. The replacement required expensive reshoots and complex visual effects work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Netflix ultimately spent millions to digitally remove D’Elia from the completed film and insert Notaro into his role as helicopter pilot Marianne Peters.

Background on the Army of the Dead Controversy

The controversy began in June 2020 when multiple women accused Chris D’Elia of sexual harassment. Several accusers claimed they were underage as young as 16 when D’Elia sent them inappropriate explicit messages online.

The comedian was subsequently dropped by his agency, CAA, and his management team. Netflix also canceled an unscripted prank show they were developing with him. D’Elia has denied the accusations, maintaining that all his relationships were “legal and consensual.”

Timeline of Events Leading to the Recast

Principal photography for Army of the Dead wrapped in late 2019. The first allegations against D’Elia surfaced in June 2020. By August 2020, Snyder made the decision to remove D’Elia entirely.

Netflix announced Tig Notaro as his replacement that same month. Reshoots took place in September 2020 during the pandemic, and the film was released in May 2021. The entire process from allegations to release spanned nearly one year.

Zack Snyder’s upcoming zombie film ‘Army of the Dead’ replaces Chris D’Elia with Tig Notaro

There will be reshoots with green screen and CG to swap her in

(via @THR | https://t.co/pHXLNoYJTH) pic.twitter.com/jxJq6Ue5o6

— Fandom (@getFANDOM) August 14, 2020

Why Chris D’Elia Was Removed From the Film

Snyder called the decision to recast “a fairly easy one” given the seriousness of the allegations. Multiple women accused D’Elia of pursuing underage girls online, with one accuser sharing screenshots of conversations from 2014 when she was 16 and he was 34.

The cumulative weight of these accusations made retaining him in the film untenable for Netflix. Producer Deborah Snyder noted that Netflix “put their money where their mouth is” by funding the expensive replacement.

How Tig Notaro Was Brought In for Reshoots

The technical process was extraordinarily complex. Because the pandemic prevented the full cast from gathering, Notaro filmed almost all her scenes alone in front of a green screen. Visual effects supervisors then digitally inserted her into the exact positions where D’Elia had been removed.

Ana de la Reguera was the only cast member who filmed directly with Notaro, returning for two specific scenes where the digital insertion proved too difficult to execute convincingly.

Zack Snyder Explains the Expensive Recast Process

The recast cost Netflix “a few million” dollars, according to the Snyders. Deborah Snyder compared the expense to the budget of the film’s prequel, Army of Thieves. The cost covered digital erasure of D’Elia from existing footage, reshoots with Notaro, and extensive visual effects work to integrate her seamlessly.

Snyder admitted he was nervous the process “could have been a disaster,” but his team’s experience with large-scale visual effects made it feasible.

What Tig Notaro Said About Taking Over the Role

Notaro saw the completed film eight months before its release, gaining early insight into her own performance. Her portrayal unexpectedly generated significant attention. Notaro told Kara Swisher on a podcast that she “went viral for being sexy” in the role, receiving reactions from straight men, gay men, gay women, and straight women.

She later collaborated with Snyder on a new project called Deviants, describing it as a “hot lesbian action” film inspired by her Army of the Dead experience.

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Last Updated on March 27, 2026 by 247 News Around The World