ASSASSIN'S CREED ORIGINS Star Says Netflix's Live-Action Series Needs to Embrace the Franchise's Modern-Day Storyline
The long-awaited live-action Assassin's Creed series at Netflix is moving forward, and while fans are eager to see the franchise's historical action brought to life, one key question remains: what about the modern-day storyline?
According to Abubakar Salim, the actor who brought Bayek to life in Assassin's Creed Origins, the answer is simple. Netflix can't afford to leave it out.
Speaking with ScreenRant, Salim shared his thoughts on adapting such a beloved gaming franchise and stressed that the series should stay true to the elements that made Assassin's Creed resonate with fans in the first place.
He explained: "Especially with something like Assassin's Creed, where it's had so many years in the game space, you have to listen to the fans there in regards to really paying service and homage to it, because it's one of those where it's so easy to try and innovate on it when it doesn't really need innovation."
Salim went on to highlight what he believes are the essential ingredients of the franchise: "It just needs its core, which is the creed itself, the historical elements of it, and the core modern-day stuff as well."
For years, the modern-day storyline has been one of the most debated aspects of the Assassin's Creed franchise. While players primarily jumped into richly detailed historical settings through the Animus, the games were framed by a present-day narrative involving Abstergo Industries, the Assassins, the Templars, and, most notably, Desmond Miles.
Voiced by Nolan North, Desmond became the connective tissue linking the early games together. Some fans loved the larger conspiracy unfolding in the present day, while others preferred spending as much time as possible exploring ancient cities and historical conflicts.
The divide became even more noticeable as the series grew, and when Desmond's story came to an abrupt end in Assassin's Creed III, it effectively shut the door on hopes for a dedicated modern-day continuation.
That's why Salim's comments are likely to resonate with a portion of the fanbase that has spent years arguing that the modern-day narrative is a crucial piece of the franchise's identity.
Netflix's Assassin's Creed is currently filming and the series stars Toby Wallace and Lola Petticrew, and details have slowly started to emerge about its setting. The story will reportedly take place in Rome during 64 AD, the year of the infamous Great Fire that devastated much of the city.
What remains a mystery is how, or even if, the production plans to incorporate the present-day side of the mythology. Given Salim's perspective, there are certainly fans hoping the show doesn't treat the Animus and the modern conflict as optional extras.
The historical adventures may be what initially draw players and viewers in, but for many, the battle between Assassins and Templars across time is what gives the franchise its larger purpose.
Whether Netflix chooses to lean into that aspect of the lore or streamline things for newcomers remains to be seen. But if the creators are listening to longtime fans, Salim may have just pointed them in the right direction.
Meanwhile, Assassin's Creed fans won't have to wait long for their next trip into the series' past. Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, a remake of the fan-favorite pirate adventure, is set to launch on July 9.