This year's N7 Day brought with it an exciting revelation regarding Amazon's ongoing collaboration with BioWare to produce the franchise's first live-action TV show. The news solves what would have been an almost impossible problem for the upcoming addition to the Mass Effect saga.
While there are still many unanswered questions when it comes to Mass Effect's small screen debut, it's comforting to know that at least one huge decision has now been made.
The Mass Effect show's canon status within the larger timeline was addressed by the games' executive producer, Mike Gamble. His wording makes it very much seem like it's the intention to set the upcoming project within the same continuity as the video game source material, after the events of the original trilogy.
For those who haven't played the games, this probably won't mean much to you. However, pre-existing fans will tell you how important this decision is, as well as the importance of another recent reveal about the show.
The Mass Effect TV show doesn't need to cast a Commander Shepherd thanks to BioWare's storyline news
The Mass Effect storyline is notoriously flexible, which is a big part of what makes the series so popular and engaging. As well as the countless plot possibilities, the original trilogy's main character is equally customizable by the player. Although there is a default appearance for Commander Shepherd, many players choose to customize the avatar to either reflect their own appearance or to make their own version of the story feel more unique.
Because the Mass Effect games can be different every time you play them, fans started to wonder about how Amazon would adapt the source material into a set, linear storyline. Thankfully, Gamble has settled everyone's nerves by announcing that the show "will explore a brand-new story" and that it "won't be a retread of Commander Shepherd's story," citing the fact that many players have their own version of the story, which a live-action adaptation would be unlikely to accurately represent.
As an extension of this decision, Amazon is now free of the responsibility of casting someone to play Commander Shepherd. The character can have so many different physical appearances across the Mass Effect trilogy that any actor chosen to bring the franchise icon to life would likely be seen as a "bad" casting by various fans of the games.
Shepherd can be male, female, blonde, brunette, Black, white, as well as boast a myriad of other physical traits, depending on who is playing the games. There are even several backstory options to choose from, which are referenced at various points. It would be impossible to cast someone who would be universally viewed as the "right" choice to play Shepherd, so it makes sense that the show has opted to sidestep that process.
Amazon & BioWare have solved at least one other difficult Mass Effect problem
In the same blog that saw Gamble's Shepherd announcement, he also acknowledged another upcoming Mass Effect project that will invariably impact the show. Mass Effect 4, which is the first proper sequel to the trilogy that featured Shepherd, is currently being made. Not only is it being made, but its connection to the Amazon show is also being carefully considered.
When discussing how the show will slot into the larger Mass Effect canon, Gamble also explained that "the new game" is also part of the apparent plan for everything to share the same continuity, and that a lot of that has already been "figured out." So, it very much seems that Shepherd will exist or will have existed within the world of the Mass Effect show, even if the beloved character never actually appears on screen or gets a mention.