Here's Why Netflix's Assassin's Creed MUST Be About Ezio Auditore

Summary:

• The Assassin’s Creed live-action adaptation was announced by Ubisoft and Netflix back in 2020, only to remain in limbo until 2023;
• Plot and casting details remain unknown to this day;
• While Ezio Auditore da Firenze remains the franchise’s most iconic character, the fandom is divided on whether he should be the main character of the upcoming TV series, or if Netflix should explore new possibilities of the popular videogame’s universe.

The Assassin's Creed saga began with a Syrian master assassin Altair, but it was Italian heartthrob Ezio Auditore da Firenze who truly secured the videogame series' place in history.

Despite typically having a new protagonist for every single new game, Assassin's Creed had to surrender to Ezio's popularity to the point of him having an entire trilogy of games for his own. Assassin's Creed fans played him since he was a newborn to his very death; it's safe to say his story is the videogame saga's most extensive and compelling.

Now, flashforward to 2020: Ubisoft and Netflix announce that a live-action Assassin's Creed TV series is coming, leaving everyone guessing whether it's going to be an entirely original project or if it will be based on one of the already existing characters. Aside from Altair and Ezio, there is Edward Kenway, Jacob and Evie Frye, Bayek, and even an all-new assassin from the newly-released game Mirage, Basim.

Well, here we are in 2023, with little to no information about the upcoming Assassin's Creed live-action. Honestly, many fans are starting to lose hope for the project to ever leave the production limbo. At this point, all we can do is speculate; so let's do exactly, that.

Should Netflix Adapt Ezio Auditore's Story?

When it comes to what part of the vast Assassin's Creed world Netflix should bring to screens, the fandom immediately gets divided. No matter how popular, lovable and developed Ezio is, there's one huge reason not to dedicate the live-action to him: he has literally had plenty of material for himself.

There's hardly a part of Ezio Auditore's life that OG Assassin's Creed fans don't know; as we mentioned, his trilogy guides us through his memories from birth to death. Some people claim it's time to let Ezio rest, and this point of view makes sense.

Until it doesn't.

Ezio Auditore Is The Best Assassin For Screens

No matter how extensively the videogames have covered Ezio's story, there are plenty of people who simply didn't play. The games are pretty old: Assassin's Creed 2, which first introduced us to Ezio, was released in 2009, and followed by Brotherhood in 2010 and Revelations in 2011.

Feel old yet? That was more than ten years ago. An entire generation of gamers hardly know who Ezio is, even if they are familiar with the Assassin's Creed universe in general. Besides, not everyone's a gamer; after all, The Last of Us pretty much just transferred the game to the silver screen, and it was a massive success even though many people were very much familiar with the story.

Ezio's trilogy already looked like a cinematic experience for players, but having his adventures brought to screen would just hit different. Imagine the heart-racing pursuits, stealthy killings and beautiful Italian landscapes we could receive from an adaptation of Ezio's story!

The series could encompass his adventures in Florence, Venice, Rome, and even Constantinople, sprinkled with good old parkour. And don't even get us started on seeing the leap of faith on our screens.

Ezio was and is the perfect assassin; despite the success of other chapters with different characters, many people still believe the Assassin's Creed games are not quite capable of topping that. Placing that responsibility on a Netflix's live action would be too much of a leap of faith, if you know what we're saying.

After all, fans who claim that Ezio had enough and the live-action should go for something original may be missing the point: the upcoming series has to attract an audience, and merely using the Assassin's Creed label might not be enough. We already had a 2016 movie that proved it.

When Will Netflix's Assassin's Creed Release?

That's the tricky part. Ever since 2020, there has been little to no information about the actual progress of the adaptation. In 2022, Ubisoft teased it would be "epic," without delving into details too much. In 2023, Jeb Stuart, who was assigned to be the showrunner, exited the project.

Now, we believe that the adaptation has stuck in development hell, and Hollywood strikes didn't help. Perhaps, now that the writers strike is resolved and hopes for a fair deal for the actors are high, we can also expect some updates on Assassin's Creed live action from Netflix.