From Middle-Earth, Westeros, comic book universes, and galaxies far, far away, popular properties are severed from the names of those who bore them. The case of Lisbeth Salander’s division from Stieg Larsson, if that’s indeed what has happened, isn’t new. If Salander has truly grown beyond Larsson, then what exactly does that mean for her future? When characters and concepts grow beyond their creators, are they irrevocably damaged, or are they allowed to become something more meaningful and contemporary? This weekend’s release of Fede Alvarez’s The Girl in the Spider’s Web, adapted from David Lagercrantz’s 2015 novel of the same name, is mounting evidence that Lisbeth Salander and the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo brand has become its own entity, separate from the impetus of its creator.
Like so many works adopted into the world of popular culture, the posthumously published Stieg Larsson novels have matured beyond his pen. She is one of those prized creations that has grown beyond country, actress or even author. Salander, known for both her sleuthing skills and punishment of deserving men, has become an iconic figure, one unbound to any singular novel or adaptation. For fans of the Millennium series, this information is nothing new.
