In just five years, Michael Fassbender has cemented himself as one of Hollywood's most notable talents. He played Magneto in the "First Class" trilogy of X-Men movies, he appeared in Prometheus as David (a role he's reprising next year in Alien: Covenant) and he portrayed Steve Jobs last year in the appropriately-titled Jobs. Those are just a few of his notable projects, but next month, moviegoers will see him as both Callum Lynch and Aguilar de Nerha in the Assassin's Creed cinematic adaptation. While the movie promises plenty of blockbuster action, Fassbender doesn't want people comparing it to the likes of Star Wars in terms of how it tackles morality.
While speaking with Empire, Michael Fassbender noted how his present-day Assassin's Creed character, Callum Lynch, is an anti-hero, and is an example of how the movie is exploring how both sides in the conflict have their flaws and dubious intentions. He explained:
It's not like Star Wars, where you've got the light side and the dark side. This is very ambiguous morally. Both of these parties -- the Templars and the Assassins -- are hypocritical at certain points. There are not clear-cut good and bad characters. I think it's a little more provocative for an audience to see that. You know, 'Should I be feeling that? Should I be backing this character?' That's always fun.
Just like in the Assassin's Creed video game series, the movie will revolve around the centuries-old conflict between the Assassins and the Templar Order. However, rather than use Desmond Miles and one of his ancestors from the video games, the movie adaptation opted to create Callum Lynch and Aguilar de Nerha to be the main characters. While the Assassins are considered the protagonists of these stories, Michael Fassbender makes it clear that this isn't the same kind of light vs. dark battle that one would see in Star Wars or any number of fictional tales (even the X-Men movies at times). There is more pronounced moral ambiguity, which Fassebnder believes will make it a more interesting tale for audiences.
The Assassin's Creed movie will follow Callum Lynch, a career criminal who is rescued before his execution by the Abstergo Industries, which is the modern incarnation of the Templar Order. While held in this new captivity, he'll be forced to relive the memories of his ancestor Aguilar, who was active as an Assassin during the Spanish Inquisition. As this simulation plays out, Callum will absorb the necessary knowledge and skills to battle the Templars on his own. Aside from Fassbender, the movie's cast includes Marion Cotillard as Sophia Rikkin, Jeremy Irons as Alan Rikkin (who originated from the first Assassin's Creed video game), Brendan Gleeson as Joseph Lynch, Michael K. Williams as both Moussa and Baptiste (who originated from Assassin's Creed: Liberation) and Charlotte Rampling.
Assassin's Creed slashes its way into theaters on December 21.
