To commemorate the red-carpet premiere of the new Ryan Reynolds film Free Guy, the people behind Halo Infinite sent the Deadpool star a life-sized, working model of the ever-dependable Warthog rover. In his latest movie, Reynolds plays the titular Guy, a video game NPC who gains self-awareness and sets out to become his own person and save the MMO he lives in from the chaos that engulfs it every day.
So far, critics are praising Free Guy for its loving look at video games and gaming culture, with some referring to the action-comedy as one of the best video game movies ever made - despite it not being based on an actual video game. Ryan Reynolds himself has gone all out in promoting Free Guy in the months leading up to its release, even going as far as appearing as posting a reaction video of himself as Deadpool alongside Korg (played by Taika Waititi, who co-stars as the villainous game designer Antwan) in a sort of unofficial MCU crossover. Now, it looks like Free Guy has gotten another cross-franchise promotional mash-up just in time for its long-awaited (and previously delayed on account of COVID-19) premiere.
As reported by Game Informer, Halo Infinite developer 343 Industries sent a 1:1 replica of the franchise’s Warthog to the red-carpet premiere of Free Guy earlier this week. The official Halo Twitter account posted pictures of Ryan Reynolds posing alongside the iconic vehicle along with former Halo player and eSports star Tyler "Ninja" Blevins, who makes a cameo appearance in Free Guy. 343 Industries has deployed this model Warthog for gaming events in the past, but this marks its first appearance at a movie premiere - and one that doesn’t involve Halo to boot.
The M12 Force Application Vehicle (or Warthog, as it’s affectionately known as) is a fan-favorite vehicle among Halo fans for its iconic design and dependable maneuverability in the heat of battle - something that the Master Chief himself can attest to as he's driven it at least once in every installment of Microsoft's landmark first-person shooter franchise. Players have often built their own real-life versions of the fabled rover throughout the years, and Xbox has even suggested that Elon Musk try his hand at making one using his Telsa-branded Cybertruck as a base.
Free Guy is a love letter to massively multiplayer online gaming, and Halo is chief among the franchises that have shaped the online multiplayer landscape that professionals and casual players alike enjoy to this day. As such, it's very fitting for the Warthog to make an appearance at Free Guy’s red-carpet debut. Fans will be able to ride the legendary vehicle once more when Halo Infinite finally launches this holiday season, but before that, they can check out Free Guy when it hits theaters on August 13.
Source: Game Informer, Halo/Twitter
