With over three years having passed since the last mainline entry to the franchise, it is no wonder that fans are beginning to wonder aboutFar Cry 7. Despite not officially being confirmed as in development by Ubisoft, there are usually around three or four years between releases for the series, with some fans consequently expecting an announcement to be made in the near future.
As well as this timeframe, intrigue aroundFar Cry 7has only been boosted thanks to the extensive leaks and rumors that are already surrounding the potential project, which aim to shed light on its setting, core mechanics, story, and characters. One of the most popular recent rumors surroundingFar Cry 7concerned the game’s major antagonist, with early reports alleging that Oscar-winning actor Cillian Murphy was set to take on the villain role for the project. It seems that this particular rumor is now dead in the water, and while it would have been fantastic to see what Murphy would bring to the franchise,Far Cry’s villains have always worked best when they feel completely grounded and unique to the stories they appear within.
Far Cry 7 Needs to Look to the Past for Its Villain Approach
TheFar Cryfranchise has become renowned for its villains over the years, with its mainline releases being dominated by discussion and debate over their antagonist roles before they even release. This was largely kicked off by Michael Mando’s iconic performance as Vaas Montenegro in 2012’sFar Cry 3, with Vaas being considered by some as one of the best video game villains of all time.
Some extremely strong antagonist performances were later had within the franchise by the likes ofTroy Baker as Pagan Min inFar Cry 4, Greg Bryk as Joseph Seed inFar Cry 5, and more recently, Giancarlo Esposito asFar Cry 6’s Anton Castillo. The expectations and prestige surrounding the antagonist of aFar Crytitle have grown immensely thanks to this track record, and so it is no wonder that so many question marks already exist over who will land the role for the rumoredFar Cry 7.
High-profile leaks have suggested things likeFar Cry 7’s story being centered around a constantly depleting in-game timer, or being set on fictional islands off the coast of North Korea. While these are highly interesting in their own right, the most dominant rumor that has existed aroundFar Cry 7suggested that Irish actor Cillian Murphy was set to take on the lead villain role. This news came off the back of Murphy’s Oscar-winning performance in Christopher Nolan’sOppenheimer, with many fans skeptically brushing off the rumors as too good to be true.
Far Cry 7’s Villain Needs to Feel Completely Confined to the Game Itself
This skepticism appears to have been wise, as the initial rumors aroundMurphy’s involvement inFar Cry 7were quickly walked back, despite how widespread they already were. While Cillian Murphy would have no doubt delivered an excellent performance as aFar Cryvillain, the next game could be much better off by going back to its roots and steering away from the star power that has taken over its antagonist roles.
WhileGiancarlo Esposito did a fantastic job as Anton Castillo inFar Cry 7, many fans had a tough time looking beyond the massively popular actor in-game, giving a less immersive quality to Anton Castillo’s role as a twisted dictator. This can be contrasted to the most successful villains ofFar Cry’s past, with Michael Mando getting his big break in the industry as Vaas, and Troy Baker being able to completely lose himself in Pagan Min as a voice actor without his likeness on screen. An ever-increasing level of star power may only serve to lessen the cultural impact that specificFar Cryvillains have, and so a return to basics forFar Cry 7may be the best way forward for the franchise.
