News Henry Cavill Might Be Working on A Mass Effect Project

[JD]

Yesterday Superman and The Witcher actor Henry Cavill posted a picture of himself getting ready for some kind of secret project, and you could just barely make out a page of text he appeared to be reading. In the original image the page is to blurry to make out the words, but both IGN and Game Pressure used a program called Focus Magic to clear up the image, and in the cleared up image you can out words like Cerberus, Tali'Zorah, and geth. IGN was able to identify the text as coming from the Mass Effect 3 Wikipedia page.
I find it a bit hard to believe they could get as far as filming a live action ME project without anybody knowing about it, but at the same time I find it unlikely that he would post about a secret project, and just happen to have that text visible in the picture. He had to know people were going to find a way to read it, so I think it's pretty likely he picked that page on purpose.

 

[Awesome Possum]

Isn't there going to be a HD remake of the games? He could be doing some voice work and motion capture for it.

 

[HotRod]

Isn't there going to be a HD remake of the games? He could be doing some voice work and motion capture for it.

More of a remastering of the original trilogy with special attention given to ME1. If what Cavill is doing is related to the games, it will be for the upcoming sequel. Otherwise this does seem to point at a potential Mass Effect film or series project.

 

[captainkirk]

Given that it was just announced that EA is shifting developers away from Anthem to focus on the next Mass Effect, that's my guess. If he was going to star as Shepard in a live-action ME, I'd be cool with that too. I just find that to be less likely.

 

[JD]

Another possibility occurred to me, some games have done live actions trailers from time to time, so maybe that's what this is, and then he'll also go on to do voice mo-cap for the next game.
I had assumed the hair and/or make up he appears to be getting was for the ME project, but there's always a chance that's for something else, and the ME reading is prep for something he's doing later.

 

[Skywalker]

We'll know for sure if a reporter asks him to elaborate and he just says "I should go," and walks away.

 

[Thestral]

"Shepard."
"Geralt."
"Shepard."
"Geralt."
"Shepard."
"Geralt."

"Heh heh heh heh"

 

[ITDUDE]

As long as they stay away from ending of ME3, I'm all for this!

 

[crookeddy]

As long as they stay away from ending of ME3, I'm all for this!

The ending was much improved in the DLC... I don't see how else it could have ended.

 

[Phily B]

ME3 is one of the worst games I've ever played to the point it ruined the whole series for me. I think I played ME1 a dozen times, ME2 2 or 3 times all the way through. I didn't even look at Andromeda.

Not to mention we already have a Mass Effect TV show in Babylon 5. Hard pass.

 

[USS Firefly]

As long as they stay away from ending of ME3, I'm all for this!

Yeah the ending is terrible, after I played It i really thought " is that it?". And l the alternative endings looked too much alike, It ended bad for everyone

 

[crookeddy]

Yeah the ending is terrible, after I played It i really thought " is that it?". And l the alternative endings looked too much alike, It ended bad for everyone

How else would it end... ME3 was basically a long good bye to everyone.

 

[Phily B]

How else would it end... ME3 was basically a long good bye to everyone.

"Get the hell out of our galaxy."

 

[crookeddy]

"Get the hell out of our galaxy."

Generic happy ending?

 

[Reverend]

I honestly doubt this is to do with the new game as that seems to still be in the very early stages. Typically, the voice acting/mo-cap side of things gets left as late in the process as possible so they have the script and dialogue trees locked before they waste too much time recording things they'll end up cutting and/or having to re-record new material. They'll still do that one way or another no doubt, but the idea is to minimise it as much as possible.

So, assuming for a moment that this is indeed a live action Mass Effect project; while Cavill is a decent choice looks wise for a live action version of the default male Shepard, and he has legit gamer credentials that mean he'd almost certainly do a very good job...I'd much rather see them go with FemShep instead. Or failing that, not Shepard at all but a new story set in the universe.

Jon Grissom maybe? The story of finding the Prothean archives on Mars, uncovering the Charon mass relay, the first trip to Arcturus, the Relay 314 incident. Plenty of potential there for a more hard science skewed adventure in a similar mould to the likes of 'The Martian' & 'Arrival', with maybe a little 'Apollo 13' thrown in.

Or they could make it a bridging story between ME3 & whatever ME5 is going to be. We only know Liara will be in the new game, which means it could easily take place centuries later leaving plenty of room for a backstory for the new game.If they play their cards right and put the game out around the same time as whatever this is, they'll have a uniquely cross-media event to drive sales.

Isn't there going to be a HD remake of the games? He could be doing some voice work and motion capture for it.

That's a remaster. Basically the same games with some extra polish, ported to modern systems. That shouldn't require anything new acting wise and certainly not from an entirely new character. There's also a fifth entry in the series in the making, but as stated above that's probably too early in development to be casting anyone.

 

[crookeddy]

I would be fine if they went with the story of Mass Effect 1...

 

[USS Firefly]

How else would it end... ME3 was basically a long good bye to everyone.

What about a happy ending for everyone?
A good/ bad end for some.
A bad ending for all.
Something like that

 

[captainkirk]

I’ve never understood this idea that a sad ending is the only possible outcome. Yes, it can be an option, but you should be able to work hard enough and make the right decisions to lead to a happy ending.

 

[Reverend]

Depends on the kind of story you're telling. In this case the story was an apocalyptic war story that all basically hinged on one "hero" being the glue keeping everyone else together. Those kind of stories don't get a "happy ending", nor should they. Bittersweet at best. Anything too maudlin and it becomes disingenuous.

I think I mentioned this over in the gaming thread but honestly, I'll be happy if they just pick "High EMS Destroy" as the canon ending. It's by a WIDE margin the one with the most potential for future storytelling, and indeed, probably the closest to a "happy ending" that can reasonably be got. Reapers gone, most everyone survived, relays damaged but repairable (and who knows, maybe the Geth and EDI too if need be), the future of the galaxy is no longer in the hands of greater powers, and you even get the hope that Shepard survived.

You also get a galaxy who's social, political, and economic order has been completely upended. All of the capital worlds smashed, the major colonies his almost as hard, massive population displacement, refugees everywhere, and a galactic frakton of military ordinance and ridiculously advanced organic technology is just lying around.
The post-war reconstruction years are going to be chaotic and harsh. After that, a new status quo will finally settle but it won't be just go back to how things were. New factions and institutions will arise. New species will start making moves to expand and fill some of the power voids left by the war. There'll be a new wave of exploration and expansion as new relays are built in the push out into the wider galaxy away from the old network; a land and gold rush driven by a need for new fertile colony worlds, and a desire for many displaced groups to find somewhere to settle.
Oh and the Leviathans are still out there, patient, watching, fully intending to go back to being at the apex with a galaxy under it's thrall.

 

[captainkirk]

Depends on the kind of story you're telling. In this case the story was an apocalyptic war story that all basically hinged on one "hero" being the glue keeping everyone else together. Those kind of stories don't get a "happy ending", nor should they. Bittersweet at best. Anything too maudlin and it becomes disingenuous.

But that’s the beauty of video games. They can have the bittersweet ending for those who want that and they can have the happy ending for those who want that.
Think of Mass Effect 2 and the suicide mission. Despite its name, it’s possible for everyone to live. Or you can have everyone but Joker die. 3 should have allowed for as much variation.