With rumors about a potential film or TV adaptation of the Mass Effect games being a constant mainstay among fandom rumors, it’s always a fun little exercise to discuss casting choices for such a project.
Now, to set things up, while the 4th game in the series, Mass Effect: Andromeda, is a great game on its own despite an overblown negative reception in certain loud areas of the internet (seriously, play it, it’s good), most people’s minds drift to the original trilogy when the name Mass Effect is brought up. So it could be safely assumed that any big budget adaptation would be based on that story.
On that note, arguably the most important casting choice for an adaptation of this sort would be Commander Shepard, the trilogy’s main character. Since players can choose Shepard’s gender between male (sometimes called “Broshep” in the fandom) and female (“Femshep”), it would be interesting to see how a non-interactive medium would handle the character. But for the sake of being thorough, here are some picks for both versions.
Note: While both versions of Shepard sport a rather ‘neutral’ American/Canadian accent, the character could conceivably be from anywhere and be of any nationality. Even the preset “backgrounds” players can choose are all intentionally vague in this regard. So all of these casting picks will be made with that in mind.
Voiced by phenomenally prolific voice actor Jennifer Hale, “Femshep” has a distinctly cool, husky delivery that conveys her years of experience in the Alliance military. She’s intimidating yet collected, and definitely charismatic. However, that’s more of a jumping off point than a rigid template. Shepard is meant as a conduit for the player, so there isn’t necessarily a nailed down “personality.” With that in mind, here are a few actresses who could do some great things with that baseline character.
Even if she hadn’t kicked all kinds of butt in Mad Max: Fury Road and, more recently, The Old Guard, Charlize Theron’s range would still be astronomical. Even 15 years ago in 2005’s Æon Flux, she was already a seasoned pro in the industry, and her acting chops have only gotten more refined and powerful since then.
Theron would be right at home playing Shepard in her “sole survivor” iteration, though she could easily cover the “war hero” or “ruthless” profile as well. Really, no matter the background, it would be exciting to see Theron taking charge much like she does in The Old Guard, where it’s less about being a commander and more about just naturally fitting into that role given her experiences. Of course, her familiarity with action scenes would be a great boon as well, given Mass Effect‘s military setting.
It’s really about her uncanny ability to convey her characters’ past traumas without saying a word. From Furiosa to the immortal Andy, just one look from her tells audiences a lifetime of stories. While one of Mass Effect‘s strengths is its character interactions, sometimes silence speaks louder than any conversation. Considering how the “sole survivor” backstory involves a horrific past event that leaves psychological scars, Charlize Theron sounds like a perfect fit.
Recently leaving her mark with shows like Luke Cage and Altered Carbon, Simone Missick has a proven track record in “no-nonsense” roles. Playing a cop in the former and a bounty hunter in the latter, she has sharpened her “I’m extremely done with your crap” face to an insecurity-targeting edge. Of course, the face is only part of the package, and her acting chops back up the expression with gusto.
Missick would be a perfect fit to play “war hero” or “ruthless” Shepard. Contrary to Charlize Theron’s quiet intensity, Missick shines when portraying characters who know what they want and make no secret of that fact. Rather than taking charge and bringing any uncooperative companions in line, her Shepard would be fully willing to say “forget this” and just get the job done on her own.
Of course, there would be depth to the character. In Altered Carbon, Missick’s character, Trepp, faced some drama in trying to balance her personal life with her bounty hunting work. A strained relationship with her wife and an endless search for her missing brother spice up what could otherwise be a rather typical style of character. Missick handles the action, drama, and intensity with ease, and the character of Shepard would benefit greatly from such expertise.
This one might be more wishful thinking based on what she could do rather than what she has done, though Adrianne Palicki’s acting talents and accomplishments aren’t to be underestimated. From Friday Night Lights to Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and even The Orville, her versatility is enviable among even the most veteran of Hollywood circles. The high school theatrics of Friday Night Lights established her as a fantastic dramatic actress, while S.H.I.E.L.D. allowed her to flex her action muscles. Meanwhile, The Orville allowed for a bit of a hybrid between the two, all while injecting a healthy dose of snark.
The wishful thinking part comes from how Palicki doesn’t typically go to bat as military leader-type characters. But the combination the three varieties of roles mentioned earlier would make her a great choice to put, perhaps, a slightly less “seasoned” spin on the character of Shepard. Commander Shepard has known the military life for quite some time at the beginning of Mass Effect, but a small adjustment to her active years might add some interesting spice to the character. It wouldn’t change much, as she would still have earned distinction on the battlefield and would still become a Spectre as a result, but a little subtlety can add a lot to a performance.
But even if the character were to remain unchanged, Adrianne Palicki would still be an excellent choice to bring Commander Shepard to life.
Broshep was voiced in the games by Mark Meer, who also lent his vocal talents to a surprising number of other characters in the Mass Effect series (namely every hanar and vorcha, among other individual roles). Meer’s performance is distinctly more neutral than that of Jennifer Hale, which has divided fans in their preferences. Some prefer Hale, who adds a bit of personality to the blank slate character and maintains a regular consistency throughout the games. Others prefer Meer, whose more neutral voice makes it easier for players to project themselves onto the character, but also adds more nuance to his performance as the games go on. Of course, a neutral, monotone performance wouldn’t necessarily work outside of a video game, so here are some live action options.
Known equally well in different circles for his work in both Altered Carbon and the 2012 game Sleeping Dogs (among others, of course), Will Yun Lee shines with a unique, forceful delivery that works just as well for intense situations as it does in more laid back moments. As one of the iterations of the highly trained soldier Takeshi Kovacs in Altered Carbon, Lee has no issues pulling off erratically edited action scenes in a professional manner. At the same time, his voice acting role as undercover cop Wei Shen in Sleeping Dogs proves his aptitude at conveying an entire characterization through his vocal performance.
As a soldier himself, the character of Commander Shepard would be well-served with Lee behind the wheel. His distinctly raspy voice gives an extra dimension and weight to his deliveries, providing a fitting feel for a military leader. The sheer emotion Lee is capable of conveying meshes well with the more quiet moments that would come with a Mass Effect show or film, and as a bonus, his recognizable voice would make things a lot easier for any helmeted moments.
Besides, just look at those eyes. Those are the eyes of a commander right there.
Borrowing once again from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the show presents yet another excellent pick. Henry Simmons, who played Alphonso ‘Mack’ Mackenzie in the series, could best be described as a big softie who also has a shotgun with an axe on it. As the eventual Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Mack tended to prefer diplomacy, but wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty in the interest of protecting his people. Yep, sounds like Shepard alright.
Similar to Charlize Theron, Simmons might do good work with Shepard’s tragic “sole survivor” background. Just watching one episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will likely barrage the viewer with a healthy collection of “Mack gives a meaningful look” scenes punctuating the action, and as mentioned before, the ability to convey a story without saying a word is a valuable skill. Aside from that, another strength of his on the show is how, due to his gentle demeanor, when Mack eventually does get let loose and start beating down on some bad guys, it’s that much more impactful. The contrast does him credit, and considering how Shepard’s job involves just as much talking people down as it does going pew pew, that skill would translate well to the Commander’s role.
Besides, Henry Simmons needs to have a big break. He’s a fantastic actor and has the feel of a big star who just hasn’t been discovered yet. Make that happen.
Anyone not familiar with the name Enver Gjokaj just needs to watch a highlight reel of his character, Victor, in Dollhouse. In a show where nearly every actor essentially played multiple roles, Gjokaj arguably stood out as the most versatile among a cast of theatrical shapeshifters. Playing characters ranging from a serial killer to a nerdy tech wiz and nearly everything in between, his tenure on the show made his acting abilities seem nearly limitless.
More recently, Gjokaj just finished his run on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (What? It’s a good show.) as Daniel Sousa, the same character he played in Agent Carter (time travel, don’t ask). As an agent of the titular organization with a war background, Sousa knew how to keep cool under pressure while also remaining open-minded to new ideas. This portrayal, combined with the bottomless pit of personalities he tapped into on Dollhouse, makes Enver Gjokaj a prime choice to play Commander Shepard.
In this case, it’s not like he fits into a certain version of Shepard. No, the ideal situation would be to just toss him in front of a camera with a basic outline of the character and say “action.” But in all seriousness, since Gjokaj is so versatile, it’s difficult to nail down a specific type of character for him. So it’s more fitting to say that, no matter what kind of person Commander Shepard is, Enver Gjokaj could probably play him, and do it really well.
So there they are, just a few small suggestions in the (at this point hypothetical) event that Mass Effect finally gets a retelling on screens of any size. There are plenty of other options, and many fans are sure to have their own choices as well, so consider these just a jumping off point.
Anyway, keep hoping, and maybe go play Mass Effect: Andromeda in the meantime. It’s a good game, dang it.
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