Live-Action Zelda Star Benjamin Evan Ainsworth Missed Breath of the Wild Launch Due to Age
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, the actor playing Link in the upcoming live-action Zelda movie, revealed he missed out on playing Breath of the Wild at launch due to his age, relying on playthroughs instead before diving into the franchise's rich history.
Casting news for major video game adaptations always brings out the internet detectives, but the latest detail about the upcoming live-action Zelda movie comes with a heavy dose of nostalgia. Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, the actor cast to play Link, recently revealed in an interview with GamesRadar that he actually missed out on playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild when it first launched in 2017 because he was simply too young. At just eight years old at the time and without a Nintendo Switch in his household, Ainsworth experienced the modern classic the way many younger fans discover massive gaming events. He watched creator-led playthroughs instead of playing it himself.
Of course, stepping into the boots of one of gaming's most iconic silent protagonists requires some serious homework. Now seventeen, Ainsworth notes that he has since dived deep into the franchise to understand its sprawling forty-year history, exploring the varied tones, stories, and iterations that make up the Zelda legacy. While plot details and official first looks for the Wes Ball directed adaptation remain heavily under wraps, production has wrapped in New Zealand, and the film is currently slated to hit theaters on April 30, 2027.
For a community that has watched the franchise evolve from pixelated adventures on CRT screens to massive open-world playgrounds and cloud-enabled portable setups, watching the new generation of actors discover gaming history is a familiar ritual. Nintendo is keeping marketing close to the chest for now, but with an Ocarina of Time remake also on the horizon for the Switch successor, the cultural footprint of Hyrule is about to expand even further into mainstream pop culture and streaming feeds alike. Original reporting and insights on this casting background come via Eurogamer.
Originally reported by Fran Ruiz on Eurogamer.
Tags: Nintendo, The Legend of Zelda, Movies, Gaming Culture, Casting News
Original article: Eurogamer