Netflix’s Assassin’s Creed Can Fix The Film Adaptation’s Biggest Mistake

Netflix has given the green light to a live-action Assassin’s Creed series, and it has the chance to fix the film adaptation’s biggest mistake. The Assassin’s Creed game series debuted in 2007, featuring a story that tied modern-day characters to their ancestors through a unique machine called the Animus that allows them to relive their memories. The unique concept evolved with each game in the franchise, allowing players to explore numerous historical eras while playing assassins caught up in an ancient feud with the Knights Templar. The latest game, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, was even released earlier in 2025, allowing the series to thrive in yet another unique new time period.

In 2016, a feature film adaptation of the game series was released in theaters. Despite the initial promise the trailers showed, highlighting elements of the game, the adaptation failed to capitalize on franchise lore in an entertaining way. Even with a stellar cast, including Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons, Brendan Gleeson, and Charlotte Rampling, Assassin’s Creed was maligned by critics and audiences, with Rotten Tomatoes referring to it as “a joylessly overplotted slog.” However, with a new series on the way, Assassin’s Creed has the chance to rectify past mistakes.

The Assassin’s Creed Movie Adaptation Spent Too Much Time In The Present Day

Not Even The Award-Winning Cast Could Save This Mess

The 2016 Assassin’s Creed film followed Callum Lynch, a character reminiscent of Desmond Miles from the game franchise. The movie saw Callum put into the Animus and sent back into the memories of his ancestor, Aguilar de Nerha, during the time of the Spanish Inquisition. Attempts were made to capture the games’ conflict, pitting the Assassins against the Knights Templar in a battle for control, which saw Callum jumping back and forth between periods to gather information and attempt to free himself from his imprisoned situation.

The Assassin’s Creed movie had its fair share of problems, as most characters were unlikable (including the protagonist), and it spent a lot of time on exposition. Still, its biggest mistake came in the film’s balance between the present day and Callum’s ancestor in the 15th century. The games mainly take place in the past, allowing players to explore different historical eras. While the movie embraced that idea, the bulk of its narrative takes place in the present day. Desmond and other present-day characters are often a part of the gameplay experience, allowing those in control to step out of the Animus for generally mild gameplay or to advance a part of the story. However, the franchise rarely lingered in the present, allowing players to explore their detailed open worlds.

The Netflix Series Offers Assassin’s Creed A Better Format To Allow Its Premise To Thrive

The Show Could Run For Multiple Seasons If They Crack The Code

Given that the Assassin’s Creed film was unable to balance the present day against the past, it is safe to assume that a TV series can allow for the idea to thrive. Rather than needing to fit everything into a 2-hour movie, a TV show can have several hours across multiple episodes to establish a present-day protagonist, the stakes of the plot, and how the mechanics of things work. For a film adaptation, it makes sense to focus on the central protagonist’s story in the present day. However, the series has a little more room to breathe.

Using a present-day protagonist is a fantastic way to embrace the games, which saw Desmond enter different time periods across different games, before the franchise branched off without him in later installments. Using the present-day (or even a near-future) protagonist could act as a framework for the series, allowing the show to thrive beyond the restrictions of a feature film, as the 2016 game adaptation was locked into a single time period.

The Assassin’s Creed Show Should Still Embrace A Wide Array Of Time Periods

It Would Be A Mistake To Limit The Show’s Scope

Embracing Assassin’s Creed’s greatest strength is a surefire way to get fans interested in the series. Rather than just seeing the Spanish Inquisition era like the 2016 film, it can embrace numerous eras, as seen in the franchise. The Assassin’s Creed games have sent players to Ancient Greece, Ancient Egypt, the Viking Era of Norway, Victorian London, Renaissance Italy, and feudal Japan, and players have been able to experience historical events like the French Revolution, the American Revolution, piracy in the Caribbean, the Crusades, and World War I.

The biggest hindrance to the Assassin’s Creed series being able to capitalize on different eras would be budgetary constraints. Each different time period would require costuming and sets for each new ancestor, making it a potentially pricey show. It’s possible the show embraces one new era per season, sticking to a format mirroring the games. While the plan for the show still remains unknown, a series based on the Assassin’s Creed games offers one of the best ways to adapt the material beyond the games, and if it can find the proper balance between modern-day characters and unique ancestors from the past, it could easily be an improvement on its feature film predecessor.