Posted in: Games, Video Games | Tagged: adi shankar, Castlevania, HRL, Metroid, nintendo

Would Nintendo Allow Adi Shankar's Dark 'Metroid' Series?

Published Thu, 13 Jul 2017 11:45:19 -0500

Last updated Thu, 13 Jul 2017 12:01:57 -0500

One of the many producers on Netflix's Castlevania series is a man by the name of Adi Shankar. Shankar has production credits on a number of projects, including the copyright-infringing Power Rangers short from a few years back. His current project slate includes an Assassin's Creed series, but it looks like he's already decided on his next project — a dark, gritty animated series set in the world of Metroid. This news comes to us from a recent interview Shankar had with Nintendo Life, in which he discussed his work on Castlevania and briefly hyped his Assassin's Creed project before dropping the Metroid bomb on us.

Shankar's IMDB page has the list of his production credits, which include the Dredd reboot, The Grey, and Lone Survivor, alongside his Judge Dredd mini-series. While Shankar has spoken about wanting to do a new Dredd project, that seems to be stalled for now. And while a dark Metroid series would be interesting, it doesn't seem like the kind of thing Nintendo would be willing to get behind.

Nintendo's primary MO has always been having family-friendly gaming opportunities, and based on what we've seen in Castlevania, that just doesn't fit with Shankar's body of work. Shankar's films and mini-series seem to go for the Game of Thrones type of dark, gritty tone, and as much as the plot line of Metroid is built for that, I just don't see it happening with image-conscious Nintendo.

Castlevania was one thing. That series had always had dark themes and stories, so the Netflix show wasn't at all outside of their wheelhouse. However, Nintendo has always done a good job of making the genocide of a sentient race in Metroid seem like its just your average, everyday deal.

Granted, the Metroid project is, in fact, less of a project and more of a potential idea at this stage. But stranger things have indeed happened, so you never do know.

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