Although it is still a month away from premiering, the Halo TV show is already repeating The Book of Boba Fett's biggest mistake. After years in development, the first-ever Halo adaptation to large-scale live-action production has found its home on Paramount+ and promises to be one of the main selling points of the streaming platform. The show, whose first season was produced by Steven Kane and Kyle Killen, will have to deliver a story that works for both fans of the saga and casual audiences if it wants to break the long-held curse of video game adaptations.
Already renewed for a season 2, Halo is being described as a non-canon interpretation of the Halo saga that will adapt some storylines of the games while also creating new adventures. While any adaptation should be able to stand on its own, big changes to the lore or overall tone of Halo could weigh against the show. Among the changes conceived by the live-action series, two of the most criticized have been the change of Cortana’s design and the recast of Master Chief. As if those two controversies weren't enough, a new interview from 343 Industries’ Studio Head of Transmedia Kiki Wolfkill revealed that Master Chief will be removing his helmet during the show.
The decision to show Master Chief's face not only goes against a tradition of the games but also repeats a classic mistake of productions such as Stallone's Judge Dredd movie and The Book of Boba Fett. For characters of few words whose mysterious aura around them is so important to their identities, choosing to remove the helmet or mask often risks undermining what makes the character who they really are. Among The Book of Boba Fett's many mistakes, having its main character not wear the helmet for much of the series was one that most impacted the show’s reception for both fans and casual audiences.
Even those who did not know much about Star Wars' most famous bounty hunter associated Boba Fett's name with the classic armor and helmet. By having the character not wear them for much of season 1, The Book of Boba Fett not only shed the Boba Fett mystique but also risked alienating general audiences. Decades earlier, Stallone's star power made Judge Dredd choose to remove the character’s helmet in a moment that undermined an important element from the comics.
While the producers of Halo could be looking for a more intimate Master Chief journey, going over what is perhaps the main definer of the character's identity might be the wrong call. After choosing to recast Master Chief, making another significant change in how the character is portrayed could make the Halo TV show not land well. The best alternative to dealing with Master Chief's face would be to choose a few but central parts of the show in which removing the Spartan's helmet would actually add to the story.
The Halo TV show will be another strong competitor in the constant battle of streaming platforms for sci-fi audiences, and that's why it should avoid making the same mistakes of The Book of Boba Fett. The helmet element of characters like Dredd, Boba Fett, and Master Chief is more than just a prop and actually adds a lot to their identity. How Halo will handle this issue is something viewers will find out on March 24th.
