New Halo Image Shows First Look At Pablo Schreiber As Master Chief

You ever wonder why we're here? Wait, hang on, we're getting updated information that this is a different "Halo" reference. The incredibly influential 2001 video game has gone on to spawn a massive franchise, including a number of sequels, complicated backstory and lore (as told in several expanded universe novels), and, yes, the tangentially related (but no less hilarious) "Red vs Blue" shorts that would go on to take on a life of their own. The latest entry in the core game series, "Halo: Infinite," just hit shelves last month.

But after many years of failed attempts to bring "Halo" into the realm of live-action, we're finally about to receive the adaptation that fans have been waiting a long, long time to see. The newest image of the helmeted hero of these stories, Master Chief, helps make this dream feel a little more like reality and you can check it out below.

One of the biggest questions hanging over the head of this new "Halo" series is whether it makes sense to simply repackage the same stories, tone, and aesthetic seen in all the games, or strike out on its own, using the franchise as merely a loose guideline that will allow the story to go in whatever direction the creators want. If this first image is anything to go by, then fans appear to be in for, well, much more of the same. 

We've only received the barest hint of what to expect from the series in the form of a very brief teaser, but now Paramount+ and Entertainment Weekly have released a much better look at the famous mug of its main character, the genetically engineered Spartan super-soldier John-117.

Paramount+/Entertainment Weekly

Played by actor Pablo Schreiber, Master Chief looks as faithful to the iconic game design as fans could possibly hope for. Schreiber, known for his appearances in "American Gods" and "Orange Is the New Black," tells the outlet that maintaining his physique throughout the pandemic to convincingly embody the role of the 26th Century human weapon was a challenge: "It's a huge job, from setting the tone on set down to the grueling task of waking up at the crack of dawn to work out, then go to shoot, and go home to work out some more. Nothing about it is easy, and I wouldn't want it to be." It remains to be seen whether the series will take its cues from the games and keep Master Chief's helmet on at all times, but Schreiber goes on to say that show will "crack the veneer" of the super-soldier:

"It takes place very much in the universe that the video games created, but it's a TV show. We get to expand that universe and create stories in it. There's going to be some new characters that are introduced, there's going to be a lot of familiar characters that everyone will know from the game."

According to the report, "Halo" will debut exclusively on the Paramount+ streaming service "later this year." The first trailer is expected to arrive later today.