This Michael Fassbender Action Movie Could Have Been The Start Of A Massive Franchise (If Only It Hadn’t Been A Disaster)

Michael Fassbender is an incredible talent, but his 2016 Assassin's Creed movie failed to capitalize on the potential of the game series. Video game adaptations had a long drought with movies that failed to tap into the fanbase in any meaningful way. It appeared as though every movie based on a video game struggled to make an impact, or to tell stories that felt relevant, or fun for the people who engaged with the games, and were completely disconnected from wider audiences.

Until Sonic the Hedgehog came out in 2020, these types of movies didn't really manage to make it to the mainstream. Yes, Detective Pikachu made some waves and earned more at the box office the year prior, but strictly speaking, that franchise has long been bigger than the games. Since Sonic, however, video game adaptations are thriving with incredible new releases like The Super Mario Bros. Movie and the Sonic sequels paved the way for many more,

Assassin’s Creed Could Have Been A Cinematic Universe If Done Right

Assassin's Creed Had A Lot Of Potential... That Went Unrecognized

But ultimately, this makes the failure of 2016's Assassin's Creed all the more disappointing. The games have grown into a sprawling franchise with some of the most incredible storytelling in modern video games. Despite this, the movie was a total flop, even with the star power of Fassbender leading the project. But the movie could have sparked a larger franchise if handled correctly.

Michael-Fassbender-in-X-Men-Dark-Phoenix

Michael Fassbender’s Box Office Bomb With 18% On Rotten Tomatoes Somehow Looks Even Worse 8 Years Later

There’s one movie in Michael Fassbender’s filmography that was a flop upon release, but it’s only gotten worse in the years that followed.

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The beauty of the Assassin's Creed series is the wealth of stories that come from test subjects stepping into an Animus, and experiencing the lives of their ancestors. The first movie approached this subject, but it did so in a way that was pretty much the inverse of the video games. For the most part, the games are immersed in the rich stories that the subjects explore, with a small amount of time spent outside the sequences.

Why Michael Fassbender’s Assassin’s Creed Movie Flopped (Was It That Bad?)

The Adaptation Ignored The Source Material

This approach left a bitter taste in the mouths of fans of the series, as the movie spent most of its time looking at the present, instead of diving into the action of the past. Some of the games barely explore the outside world, which makes it all the more intriguing and mysterious when the game transports the player from ancient Jerusalem, or renaissance Italy, to the modern day. This could have been a fantastic twist in the film, rather than the entire premise.

Beyond that, the movie strayed too far away from the action, intensity, and fun that made the games so successful. Had they done more research, and played beyond the first game in the series, it would have been simple to see that the games are not so much about the surface-level outer mystery, but more about exploring the ancient society of assassins and their dealings that shaped history.

What An Assassin’s Creed Live-Action Adaption Should Really Be Like

Assassin's Creed Still Has The Potential To Be A Great Movie Franchise

Assassin's Creed Shadows Naoe looking out over the horizon.

The most interesting part of Assassin's Creed games is the rich historical exploration. Set in the context of a secret society of assassins who work under the radar to influence major historical moments. Had the movie tried to take this approach, and sprinkle in a generous amount of action, it would have certainly helped the movie to be a much better adaptation of the games.

RRR Has The Best Assassin's Creed Setting Ubisoft Can't Ignore

Though a lot of Ubisoft fans are hoping for a Japan-based Assassin's Creed game, RRR shows just how awesome India would be as a setting.

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This isn't to say the outside world couldn't be explored, and the powerful Animus, but that premise has yet to be explored in-depth in the games, and the movie would have to create a new narrative from scratch. But that likely wouldn't appeal to a fanbase that has been exploring these worlds for years, and slowly unfolding the mysteries that lie beyond the advanced technology. Assassin's Creed had potential, but the movie did not capture the spirit of the games.