Netflix's Assassin's Creed: New Faces Emerge From the Animus, Hinting at an Uncharted Ancient Past
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Netflix's long-gestating *Assassin's Creed* adaptation is finally gaining momentum with new cast members Lola Petticrew and Zachary Hart, set to explore an 'untouched' Ancient Roman era, while Ubisoft subtly confirms a *Black Flag* remake is also on the horizon.
Right, so you know that feeling when you've been waiting for a spell to fully charge, watching the little progress bar crawl, and just when you're about to give up, *poof*, something actually happens? That's been the vibe with Netflix's live-action *Assassin's Creed* series, mate. It’s been in the works longer than it takes to decipher a First Civilization glyph, announced all the way back in 2020. Four years of radio silence broken by mere whispers, making us all wonder if they'd misplaced the Animus remote.
Well, good news, because it seems the Animus is finally whirring louder with the addition of two new faces: Lola Petticrew and Zachary Hart. Petticrew, known from *Bloodlands* and *Trespasses*, and Hart, who you might've spotted in *Slow Horses*, are joining the growing cast. Naturally, because this is *Assassin's Creed* and secrecy is practically the franchise's middle name, their specific characters are locked tighter than a Templar vault. We just know Hart's a series regular, joining the previously announced Toby Wallace, who's set to play a co-lead. It’s always a bit of a dance, isn't it? Announce actors, but keep their roles under wraps. Makes you wonder if they're playing a particularly elaborate game of digital charades.
But here's where my wizard senses started tingling, and the digital tea leaves got truly interesting. Rumours have been swirling – and let's be fair, in this industry, rumours are often just thinly veiled leaks – that this show isn't just treading old ground. Oh no, apparently, it's set to plunge us into a time period 'hitherto untouched' by Ubisoft's gaming series. And if the whispers are accurate, we're talking Ancient Rome, featuring big hitters from history like Emperor Nero and Seneca the Younger.
Think about that for a second. While Ezio famously ran riot in *Brotherhood*'s Renaissance Rome, a full-blown Ancient Roman *Assassin's Creed* story, complete with historical figures of *that* magnitude, is practically virgin territory for the franchise. We've had Ancient Greece with *Odyssey* and Ancient Egypt with *Origins*, both cracking entries, but the heart of the Roman Empire at its zenith? That's a grand stage just begging for hidden blades and leaps of faith. Imagine the political intrigue, the gladiatorial arenas, the sprawling city itself – a perfect playground for a proto-Brotherhood struggling against nascent Templar-like forces. It also suggests that the 'new characters' won't just be new faces, but potentially new *kinds* of Assassins, operating in a world very different from the established orders we're used to.
This is where my gently skeptical side gets a little burst of optimism. A common pitfall of game adaptations is simply rehashing what players have already experienced. But by diving into an 'untouched' era with entirely new characters, Netflix and the showrunners – Roberto Patino (*DMZ, Westworld*) and David Wiener (*Halo, Homecoming*) – are actually taking a bit of a leap of faith themselves. It means they're aiming to expand the lore, rather than just repackage it. Filming is expected to kick off in Italy next year, which, let's be honest, is practically mandatory for anything set in Rome, ancient or otherwise.
Now, speaking of the *Assassin's Creed* universe expanding and re-evaluating its past, the rumour mill isn't just churning out casting news for Netflix. Nope, it’s also been screaming about a remake of everyone’s favourite swashbuckling pirate fantasy, *Assassin’s Creed Black Flag*. Remember all those leaks? Well, they practically turned into a full-blown confirmation earlier this month when 'Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced' popped up on the PEGI ratings board website. Fair dinkum, you can't get much more concrete than that, can you? It's just a matter of when, not if, Ubisoft officially announces it.
The *Black Flag* news, in a way, mirrors the cautious optimism for the Netflix show. It shows a franchise willing to revisit its beloved classics for a new generation – or perhaps just to give existing fans a modernised taste of what they loved. It's a smart move, balancing new storytelling mediums and timelines with a nod to the games that built the empire. It implies a strategic approach from Ubisoft, ensuring the *Assassin's Creed* brand remains vibrant across all forms of media.
So, what does this all mean for us, the actual players and viewers? It means the *Assassin's Creed* universe is not just alive and kicking, but it's branching out in some genuinely exciting, if a little mysterious, directions. New faces, unexplored eras that could dramatically shake up the established lore, and a beloved classic getting a fresh coat of paint – it’s a lot to chew on. Here's hoping Netflix manages to stick the landing with their leap of faith, and that the Animus finally delivers the goods we’ve been waiting for. The potential for truly compelling, lore-expanding content is there, and that, mate, is something worth getting genuinely excited about.
Tags: Assassin's Creed, Netflix Adaptation, Ubisoft, Gaming News, Black Flag Remake
Original article: Eurogamer