Though the confirmation that a Mass Effect TV series is in development at Amazon might seem like good news to fans of the franchise, the upcoming show could be sitting on a potential powder keg regarding one key decision for its Commander Shepard. After hopes for a Mass Effect film were jeopardized when the project went quiet and appeared to be shelved, the news that a television series was in the works with Amazon seems promising, especially given its recent success of other gaming adaptations like Fallout. However, the question of how Amazon approaches Mass Effect‘s fan-favorite protagonist doesn’t have a clear-cut answer.
Even when talks for a Mass Effect television series were in the early days, the former BioWare narrative lead for Dragon Age, David Gaider, outlined his reservations about the potential adaptation on social media. Though his X account is no longer active, Gaider’s thread about why a Dragon Age or Mass Effect TV series might not work is summarized in an article by IGN where Gaider is quoted about how either series would “need to pick whether said protagonist will be male or female.” However, though the decision might seem initially problematic, Amazon might have two approaches it could take when casting Shepard for Mass Effect.
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Getting Commander Shepard’s Casting Right Matters for Mass Effect
While it could be argued that Mass Effect faces a unique challenge when casting its Shepard due to the popularity and prominence of the character, it is the same issue other role-playing games have to overcome with their adaptations. For instance, with a few creative liberties, Amazon’s Fallout series opted for Lucy as its vault-dwelling protagonist, with a broader cast including other characters like Maximus and Cooper Howard. Ultimately, the decision to cast either a male or female Commander Shepard may be irrelevant, provided that the Mass Effect TV series works to include a strong cast of supporting characters, such as Garrus, Liara, and Joker.
Deciding Between A Male or Female Shepard Could Be Divisive
With there being some clear differences between how male and female Shepard are portrayed in the games, it seems inevitable that not everyone will be satisfied with whoever plays the live-action Commander Shepard. Going with a female Shepard would be a significant opportunity to have a strong female lead for the Mass Effect television series that mirrors the female Shepard from the games. However, there may still be fans who would want to see how a male Shepard would be portrayed in a TV series as well since the two versions can have very different interactions with other characters in the series.
BioWare Might Influence Which Shepard Will Appear in Amazon’s Mass Effect
Though the decision should, above all else, come down to whichever actor or actress best deserves Shepard’s role, there are potential reasons why Amazon might prefer to cast a male or female Shepard over the other. Regardless of being a safe choice, casting a male Commander Shepard seems like it would align with BioWare’s original intentions for the character, as nearly all of Mass Effect‘s cover art and trailers use the male version of Shepard. While players may have always had the choice to choose between a male or female Shepard, it appears that BioWare had originally favored one over the other.
Amazon Should Consider How Mass Effect Evolves with Male or Female Shepard
But BioWare’s supposed preferences shouldn’t interfere with Shepard’s casting during Amazon’s development of its Mass Effect series, as a female Shepard might have more to offer in terms of story-telling that a male Shepard might not. For example, Mass Effect 3‘s section featuring the female Krogan, Eve, includes dialogue specific to female Shepard that could help Amazon flesh out the story should the series reach that point. In addition to the potential romances between either male or female Shepard and key characters, Amazon should do its best to step back and cast its Commander Shepard that best suits its story.
Mass Effect
- Created by
- Casey Hudson
- Creation Year
- 2007
- Developer(s)
- BioWare , Edge of Reality , Demiurge Studios , Straight Right