For over a decade, a screen adaptation of the Halo franchise has floated around from studio to studio. But finally it's actually happening. The Stephen Spielberg produced Showtime TV series is well into development, having been originally announced in 2013. The series is set to premiere in early 2021.

What little information there is to know about the show's story or characters has been confirmed by casting. Orange is the New Black regular Pablo Schreiber is set to play Master Chief and British actress NataschaMcElhone cast for the roles of Cortana and Dr. Halsey. With a ton of room left to speculate, here's some choices we would love to see made in the Halo TV show.

RELATEDHalo TV Show Posts Photo of Master Chief Actor with Helmet

6 A Fresh Take on the Story

While it wouldn't be surprising to see a straight adaptation of the events of the original Halo trilogy, it would not be very exciting either. A fresh, unexpected take on the characters we know and love like Master Chief, Cortana, and Guilty Spark could give Halo fans enough of what they want, while still leaving room for experimentation.

A retelling of that story with major narrative differences or new characters could potentially be fascinating. That may be a safer route than an entirely new story set after the events of Halo as we know it.

5 Spartans

halo master chief close-up

A fresh take on the story would hopefully lead to a show featuring other spartans. Whether the show begins before the fall of Reach or they set after the events of Halo 5, we need Spartans. The troopers are visually iconic and add the possibility for more characterization.

The dynamics between Spartans in Halo: Reach was a high point for the Halo story and seeing that revisited would be exciting. There are plenty of great Spartan characters in the games, novels, and lore to bring into the spotlight.

4 Iconic Weapons

Halo Combat Evolved - fps view of beach

Even if you are a casual Halo fan, you can probably cite a favorite weapon. Love the battle rifle in Halo 2? Do you miss being able to dual wield needlers?

The shooter franchise has an enduring legacy of creative and interesting weapons that has expanded with each new game release. Surely, we will see Master Chief's trusty assault rifle and the Arbiter's energy sword. But beyond that, seeing glimpses of our favorite covenant weaponry, like the needler and plasma rifle, is going to be an essential part of making the show look, sound, and feel like Halo. 

3 The Arbiter and Major Covenant Storylines

Killer Instinct Arbiter

To folks who have only seen the marketing, Master Chief is the Halo guy. But ever since Halo 2, the Arbiter has been a character that emotes more and has more compelling motivations. His role in the final chapters of the trilogy was vital, and no Halo adaptation would be complete without giving ample time to the Arbiter and introducing major Covenant characters.

Showing the internal politics of Covenant side of the conflict is great show fodder. It conjures images of early seasons of Game of Thrones, heavy on the lore and character drama but still an exciting adventure. This could add a much needed layer of depth to the space marine story of Master Chief and the USMC.

Oh, and Keith David is still an active voice actor so there's no reason why he couldn't return to reprise his voice role as The Arbiter. He should.

2 Vehicle Chase Sequences

halo warthog real 2

One of the most iconic moments of the Halo franchise comes at the end of Halo 3, as the player drives a Warthog through legions of enemies with the ground collapsing at their feet. This moment is emblematic of how important vehicles are to the identity of Halo. In both campaign and multiplayer, the vehicles have always set Halo apart in an era of first-person shooters.

Showing Warthogs, Ghosts, Wraiths, and Banshees is all a must for the first episode alone. But for it to really be Halo the creators have to craft exciting vehicle battle and chase sequences.

1 References and Easter Eggs

You can't build a show on the back of a nearly two decade spanning franchise without throwing in a little something for the fans who got you there in the first place. Throw in a reference to a classic chapter title like "I would have been your daddy." There will have to be some situation in which Chief needs to give the Covenant back their bomb. Maybe we'll see what happens at an actual Grunt birthday party.

In all seriousness, the Halo franchise owes a bit of its longevity to the community of creators that used the game's tools to tell their own stories. Machinima and Youtube played a major role in the continued development of The Forge and custom game tools.  A reference to Machinima like Red vs. Blue would be extremely appreciated by long-time fans.

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