Why Fans Are Hesitant About the Assassin’s Creed TV Series

For years, it seemed like Netflix might give up on a live-action Assassin’s Creed series. Since its first 2020 announcement, the series had seen a revolving door of people attached and at least one drastic change of direction that had series fans concerned. Now, however, Netflix has confirmed the adaptation will finally move forward with a showrunner duo announced for the gig.

Netflix Assassin’s Creed Series Gets Announced Showrunners

Netflix has announced that two showrunners have been attached to take on the challenging project of adapting Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed series for live-action. The team is led by Roberto Patino and David Wiener. The former is a television veteran with experience on both Sons of Anarchy and Westworld. The latter is well-known for his work on the live-action Halo series for Paramount+ and as a writer for AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead.

Showrunners David Wiener and Roberto Patino are both fans of the game series and are now committed to bringing the franchise to live-action form. “We’ve been fans of Assassin’s Creed since it first launched in 2007,” they shared in a joint statement. “Every day we work on this show, we’re just reminded again of how big the world is and how deep a well of stories there is to tap. Underneath all the adrenaline and intrigue, at the heart of it is an intimate, very human story about who we are, what we’re meant to do, who or what we believe in, and what binds us across time.”

The pair also commented on the themes they’re going to focus on adapting. “It’s also a show about how precious our connections to each other are — and have been through the centuries and across cultures — and how perilous those connections can be when threatened. With a talented and passionate team at Ubisoft, and Netflix’s backing, we can’t wait to get to work on this one.”

Assassin’s Creed is one of the most popular and long-running video game series of all time. In 2007, it was one of the most memorable new titles from Ubisoft, with a unique social stealth gameplay loop, a prominent historical setting in the Holy Land during the Crusades, and an incredibly grounded, compelling main character. But it was the Italian Renaissance outings of Assassin’s Creed II, Brotherhood, and Revelations that brought the series to the mainstream and highlighted its strengths. The third-person action stealth games gave players a new favorite protagonist in Ezio Auditore, who became a key character in the series. The games brought to life a very detailed and immersive version of Renaissance Italy and began to explore more of the potential story and drama that could work within the series’ philosophical framework.

The past 18 years have seen 14 Assassin’s Creed titles, each with its settings, protagonists, and narratives. Revolutionary America, the Golden Age of Piracy, Ancient Greece, the pirate-infested seas of the Caribbean, the Napoleonic Wars, Imperial China, Victorian London, and Ancient Egypt are just some of the eras and locations fans have been able to experience in Assassin’s Creed. More recently, the series has moved into a big open-world RPG structure, and the most recent titles have ranged from Ancient Greece in Odyssey to Viking-era Britain in Valhalla. The most recent Assassin’s Creed: Shadows centers on feudal Japan, a setting fans have long wanted to see explored by the series. Shadows has thus far been very well received, with much of the praise going to Ubisoft’s decision to delay the game’s release to ensure a high level of polish was met before release. Fans are hopeful that Netflix can deliver a similar result on the television front.

Details of the actual series have yet to be confirmed. Like the films before it, the TV show is expected to focus on the series’ basic premise, which should be familiar to even casual fans. The basic idea of modern-day people accessing the memories of their ancestors trapped in an age-old battle between the Assassins and the Templars should be familiar to anyone. But more specific information, such as which characters, periods, or actors might be included, is still in the planning stages.

Optimism is high for a showrunner team that has both the background and skillset to make the transition work. Wiener and Patino both have extensive experience in the high-budget live-action arena, with a great deal of action, historical, and sci-fi content under their belts. Filling their vision with talent and a commitment to the material could be the winning formula that Assassin’s Creed needs to reach new heights and audiences.

Netflix has had Assassin’s Creed on its radar since 2020, and its first known attempt was to adapt the big third-person action stealth franchise as a serialized live-action television show. In the years since that plan was announced, a great deal has changed. The series had been rumored to have been put on an indefinite hold, with a variety of different writers, showrunners, and stars attached to the project.

Now, all signs point toward the Netflix adaptation finally moving forward with a new showrunner team and high hopes from the streaming giant. The universe of Assassin’s Creed is a big one, a series spanning nearly two decades and 14 mainline games. The series has long taken place over several periods. In the games, that is all tied together by a modern-day narrative which sees modern characters suddenly thrust into reliving the life of their ancestors, caught in an age-old battle between Assassins and Templars. Each series also features additional stories and characters in the present day, adding even more threads to an already rich tapestry.

Fans are hoping that the Netflix show will be a direct adaptation of some specific entry in the game series, but the major concern for many is the decision to package the franchise into one television series. It’s yet to be seen if there are enough Assassin’s Creed fans to truly make a successful television show with the franchise or if it’s all a lot of talk with very little substance.

The promise of television is a chance to develop characters and universes to their fullest. If done right, it’s a chance to tell new stories while also giving fans something to dive into. The Assassin’s Creed series is a great one, and one that fans all over the world have been patiently waiting for news of on Netflix. As the live-action field for gaming universes opens up, there is both great promise and great competition. But with an experienced creative team at the helm, Assassin’s Creed has a chance to be one of the next great successes in video game adaptations if they have the chance to make it happen.