Mass Effect’s Commander Shepard voice actor Mark Meer supports the idea of Henry Cavill getting the live-action gig, but he has some caveats. As he explained to Dexerto, a TV spinoff with an all-new story might be the best way forward.
Despite millions of gamers rolling credits on the main Mass Effect trilogy all the way back in 2012, the franchise is still hotter than ever. With the Legendary Edition rekindling the spark for longtime fans and striking a chord with newcomers just the same, the brand remains strong in the lead-up to a mysterious new sequel of sorts.
Over the years, even as Mass Effect was still establishing itself as a sci-fi classic in the medium, there were often talks of bringing the series over to the world of film and TV. Now, with adaptations thriving like never before, going from strength to strength with HBO’s The Last of Us winning awards before Fallout broke records for Prime, if there ever was a time to take a swing, it’s now.
When speaking with Mark Meer, the voice actor behind the game’s male version of the protagonist, he supported the idea of a TV spinoff, but had a few conditions to help it excel.
Who should play Commander Shepard in a movie or TV show?
When it comes to casting the lead role, there’s obviously plenty to consider here alone. “Are you going to do Shepard as a male or female character?” Meer pondered. “There are many possible permutations. There’s all kinds of ways they can go with it.”
Of course, being so close to the series, he’s heard all sorts of “rumblings” and “many, many rumors over the years” of who might take on the N7 armor next.
When we mentioned the Henry Cavill picture that circulated a few years back, Meer had naturally seen it, too, and he agreed that the former Superman star could play the part well.
“Henry Cavill, sure, I can see him as Commander Shepard,” he said before listing off others who were tied to the gig at various stages.
“There have been so many over the years. I remember Channing Tatum was a real favorite. I’ve heard both of the guys from Supernatural…”
So for now, there’s no clear frontrunner he’s putting his all behind, but with so many high-profile options, any live-action spinoff should be spoilt for choice when casting Shepard as a male or female.
How to make a live-action Mass Effect project work
Beyond the cast, however, Meer did have some words for any creative teams trying to get a Mass Effect project off the ground. Firstly, he advised against the limitations of film, preferring instead to see a full-fledged TV show to let it breathe.
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“I do think, given the rise of television as a medium for longer-form narratives, Mass Effect would be better served as a television show than as a film.
“Of course, you could quite easily do a film in the Mass Effect universe, but if you were adapting the original storyline, you’d want TV just for the amount of the stuff you’d have to fit in.”
However, exactly what such a TV series should focus on is also a huge factor. As a straight adaptation of the original games, Meer isn’t so sure it would play well to audiences around the globe, describing it as an “easy pitfall to fall into.”
“As soon as you decide something is canon [in the show], you’d have lots of people going ‘That’s not my canon!’”
To avoid the issue, he recommends that prospective showrunners examine the rich lore of the Mass Effect universe and set a new story either before or after the events of the mainline games.
“We saw it recently with Fallout,” he explained. “Fallout did not follow any of the games but it’s in continuity, so maybe that’s the way to go. Setting something within the universe.”
He added, “I can see someone doing a TV show, them wanting to have that freedom.”
If that’s the case, obviously we might see a Mass Effect project without Commander Shepard at the helm, depending on the timing.
But with hundreds of years of narrative branches mapped out, there’s certainly no lack of ideas for a live-action spinoff. Now, we just need the right team to get on board.