The lasting effect of early video game movies still lives on as every announcement awakens fans’ fears that their favorite franchise is about to be ruined by Hollywood. However, in 2019 Detective Pikachu helped usher in a new era of where video game adaptation were suddenly good.
It only made sense then that Sonic and Mario would come next, with Sega’s blue hedgehog making many change their minds on whether it was possible to create a successful film franchise that could honor the legacy of the games. With The Super Marios Bros. Movie already showing tons of promise and charm, here are some of the video game franchises with brimming potential to make it to the big screen.
Samus Aran - Metroid
Despite her exploits on the NES and Super Nintendo, Samus’ star has slowly faded as years have passed to the point where Metroid Dread’s 2.9 million copies sold can be called a success. Nevertheless, the space bounty hunter offers a world like no other just begging to be brought over to film, largely thanks to the fact that Metroid games already have the ability of evoking feelings of fear, uncertainty and being lost when Samus is traversing any of their mysterious and obscure locations.
Not only that, in day and age where Hollywood is constantly looking for its next iconic female hero, Samus is as close it gets to a fresh version of Sigourney Weaver in Alien with all the backing of a beloved franchise that’s never received the movie treatment. A Metroid movie could see Samus tackle missions from any of her games, be it Metroid Prime, Super Metroid or even Other M. When it comes to women in gaming, Samus is hard to beat, and she’s perfect blockbuster material.
Link - The Legend Of Zelda
When the new Mario movie was announced, Nintendo fans started making memes about the Super Smash Bros. cinematic universe in no time, and one can’t simply have such a thing without Link and Zelda. The epic scale of Link’s quests has for long made it the target of speculation regarding a series or movie adaptation, with Netflix maybe coming closest to convincing Nintendo to give it a go.
Meticulous pieces of fanart have already imagined what a Legend of Zelda cast could look like, and though much of it could depend on Mario’s fortunes, a Zelda movie seems almost inevitable. One thing though, the disorderly nature in which Nintendo has released Link’s adventures makes Zelda almost too perfect for a film franchise, as there’s practically no wrong way to kickstart the project, as well as offering a Doctor Who-type possibility for future recasts.
Ezio Auditore - Assassin's Creed
Sure, there’s already an Assassin’s Creed movie out there, but the problem is that 2016 adaptation didn’t give fans the story they really wanted, which was none other than Ezio Auditore da Firenze’s. While Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla is still going strong for Ubisoft, and both Origins and Odyssey have steered the franchise into new territory gameplay wise, many gamers would argue Assassin’s Creed hit its peak during the Ezio trilogy, especially in terms of story.
Perhaps the trickiest part about adapting Assassin’s Creed is getting the Animus right, however, Ezio’s life offers what that failed movie lacked which is a captivating story from beginning to end in the facet that made the games so great, its unique brand of historical fiction. Assassin’s Creed 2, Brotherhood and Revelations saw the character mature from a reckless young man into a wise master assassin and porting Ezio to film could really add that extra nuance and depth the games didn’t have room for. Netflix may be working on a live-action series, but for Assassin's Creed it might as well be Ezio or bust.
Solid Snake - Metal Gear
Technically this one is already closer to becoming a reality than any other game to movie adaptation as Oscar Isaac was already cast as Solid Snake, Jordan Vogt-Roberts (Kong: Skull Island) was tapped as director, and even Jurassic World's Derek Connolly had reportedly penned a script, but it’s been really long since fans have heard anything about it. Luckily, Sony owns the rights to Metal Gear Solid, and Uncharted and Gran Turismo speak volumes about the company’s willingness to make it happen.
Regardless of that, the biggest obstacle so far is the film’s creative staff putting together a story good enough to warrant filming, so at least the team is handling Solid Snake with the utmost care. Metal Gear’s lore is massive, and it almost feels like the film could either be the launch of a massive espionage franchise or a forgettable adaptation that resembles earlier video game movies.
Sam Fisher - Splinter Cell
He’s always stood in Solid Snake’s shadow, but even if Sam Fisher lacks the complexity and epic scale of Metal Gear, it’s precisely that what makes his transition to film much easier than Kojima’s creation. In John Wick’s Derek Kolstad, Netflix’s upcoming animated series has the right people for the job, yet it’s hard not to imagine Fisher better suited to movie theaters.
As Mission: Impossible’s Ethan Hunt edges closer to retirement and James Bond’s takes a sabbatical, the realm of spy movies could be Sam’s for the taking. No matter which, take any Splinter Cell game and there’s an action movie somewhere in there tying up all those missions.