Amazon's Mass Effect TV Show Has The Chance To Do Something Hilarious With Commander Shepherd
Written by Dan Bibby
With Variety reporting that Amazon is finally moving ahead with its Mass Effect TV show, speculation can finally begin in earnest about what the live-action adaptation of Bioware's beloved space opera series will look like. Fans of the games will be well aware that making Mass Effect into a story with a solid plot will be, to put it lightly, hard. Optimists will see the endless possibilities of a Mass Effect show, but the pessimists (realists?) are probably focusing on everything that can go wrong.
Details are still incredibly sparse when it comes to what Amazon has in mind for the show's plot, as well as who will appear in the adaptation. No actors have been announced, but there is at least a showrunner now attached to the project. On the positive side, the showrunner in question (Daniel Casey), does have some sci-fi experience, as the mind behind the Drone YouTube webseries. Worryingly, his most recent project is 2021's Fast & Furious 9. The movie is...not that much like Mass Effect, but only time will tell how the show will turn out. For now, let's imagine a world were Amazon lets its sense of humour lead its casting decisions.
Paramount+'s Master Chief Actor Would Be A Hilariously Meta Commander Shepherd Casting in Amazon's Mass Effect Show
Pablo Schreiber could snag another huge role in a space opera
Mass Effect will be incredibly challenging to adapt for several reasons. Not only will the budget need to be gargantuan to do the source material justice, but the highly-customizable main character will make finding the right actor to play Commander Shepherd a long process. One actor who knows what it's like to step into the shoes of a beloved video game character is Pablo Schreiber, who played the thoroughly divisive Master "John" Chief in Paramount+'s now-cancelled Halo show. However, Schreiber's sci-fi experience isn't the only reason he would be a good fit to play Shepherd.
The biggest point of contention among Halo fans when it came to Paramount+'s adaptation was how frequently Pablo Schreiber's version of Master Chief removed his helmet. He spent a great deal of time with his face on show, whereas his video game counterpart took off his protective headgear....well, never. As a result, Schreiber got a lot of heat for his role on Halo, especially when he defended the choice of removing Master Chief's helmet so frequently (via IGN), claiming it was impossible to "tell that story without taking the helmet off."
Helmet controversy aside, Schreiber's performance as Halo's main character was actually pretty good - even if it deviated a lot from the source material. So, picture this scene: It's the opening moments of the Mass Effect TV show, Commander Shepherd enters the shot, helmet on and in the throes of a mission. When the danger has passed, he hauls off his headgear, and your heart is racing to find out who has Amazon has cast as the best protagonist in the Mass Effect franchise...and it's Pablo Schreiber. And here's the thing...you can't really complain this time.
Sure, Shepherd doesn't have a consistent appearance. While could be argued the default settings in the game's customization menu represent the character's canonical face, that would be an impossible debate to settle. Regardless, Shepherd isn't Master Chief, and by that, I mean the Normandy's commanding officer doesn't run around with his helmet on 100% of the time. Seeing Shepherd's face isn't optional, so it's the opposite problem to what Schreiber was facing when playing Master Chief. So, is there really a proper reason why he shouldn't be Mass Effect's leading man?
Casting Schreiber As Shepherd Would Solve One Of Amazon's Biggest Adaptation Decisions
The Mass Effect Trilogy makes it possible to make Shepherd female
Mass Effect players have the choice to make Shepherd male or female, as the character's first name is never used. So, there is an argument that Amazon's lead actor should be a woman. Having said that, it's reported that less than 20% of players opt to play the game as the female Shepherd, and an overwhelming majority choose to play the male version of the character. As such, it wouldn't make much sense to go against the unofficial vote on which of the two options presented in the game should be softly canonized in the show.
At the moment, there is no frontrunner for the role of Shepherd in the TV show. Therefore, it is still possible that Amazon will choose to go with a female protagonist. On the other hand, the opportunity to give Schreiber a chance at space opera redemption and play a character who will allow him to remove his helmet without being berated feels like too good to waste.
It's Still Possible For Amazon To Avoid Its Commander Shepherd Casting Headache By Taking The Fallout Route
Amazon's Mass Effect show could take place away from the events of the games
Amazon has already proven it's capable of doing a phenomenal adaptation of a video game series by making the Fallout TV show. Although Fallout could have used an existing storyline from the games, it chose to make the awesome decision to set the show within the same canon as the source material. It was weird, but it worked really damn well. Mass Effect could easily be the second Prime Video property to follow this framework. If so, Shepherd may never need to make an appearance at all.
Just as the Fallout show happens away from the core of the franchise, Amazon's Mass Effect show could consist of original characters and storylines, while Shepherd's adventures happen at some other corner of the space opera's vast universe. The easiest way to do this would be for Amazon to produce what is effectively a standalone Mass Effect prequel, but there are other options. Additionally, turning away from the main events of the Mass Effect games would also avoid Amazon having to make plot-altering decisions that are usually reserved for the player.