Back in 2021, Amazon was in talks to develop a Mass Effect TV series. The popular video game franchise from BioWare has been around since 2007. Set in the future, the military drama puts players in the middle of humanity trying to find its place among aliens out in the galaxy. And now, we finally have an update about the adaptation. A Mass Effect TV series is officially in development at Amazon MGM Studios, according to Variety. We don’t know much more than that yet, but we do know that original game cast, especially Shepard voice actor Jennifer Hale want to be a part of the Mass Effect TV show fun.
Shepard voice actor Jennifer Hale Wants the Original Cast to be Part of the TV Show
When an adaptation takes place, fans are always wondering how the cast and characters of the original incarnation will feature into the mix. Of course, we don’t exactly have answers yet, but Mass Effect voice actor Jennifer Hale thinks the original cast needs to be involved as much as possible. She shares firstly that she would love to return as Shepard in a TV show if given the chance, noting “You will always get a yes vote from me on Shepard coming back in any form. That was such a gift, and it’s a gift I will always be extremely joyful to receive.”
But, of course, she’s not here to dictate how the series should tell its story. Hale says, “I never suppose to tell creators what to do. The only thing I must say about that TV series is I want to play! Any capacity, I will be there with bells on!” But, of course, she’d like to return as female Shepard in the Mass Effect TV series. But whether or not that happens, Hale’s opinion is that, “They’d be really smart to pull as much of the original cast into the show in cameos and Easter eggs and recurring and regular [roles] as possible. I think that would be an absolutely genius move.”
What We Know So Far about the Mass Effect TV Series
Daniel Casey, writer on the ninth Fast & Furious movie (F9), will write and executive produce the Mass Effect TV series. The video game franchise is currently comprised of five different games, with the most recent one releasing in 2017. Mass Effect 5 is also currently in development. We don’t know yet which of the Mass Effect games the TV series will adapt or if it will adapt any game at all. But, for ourselves, we’d love to see a live-action version of Commander Shepard and Garrus, no matter which plot they find themselves in.
Regardless of the story, this Mass Effect series has the potential to be a gritty sci-fi in the style of Battlestar Galactica, but with aliens. Television adaptations of popular games have been gaining traction recently, with The Last of Us seemingly leading the way. Of note, Prime Video’s Fallout has been especially well-received. The success of Fallout makes us feel excited to see what a Mass Effect series from Amazon could look like. We’ll share more details when we have them.
Originally published on November 7, 2024.
