Sam Fisher may be scruffier and more haggard than his video game counterpart, but that’s not stopping Splinter Cell: Deathwatch from taking him out of retirement. Building on the previous trailer for the Netflix animated series, a new clip has dropped with additional glimpses of the story beats, including a new adversary that ties back to his past in the Ubisoft video game franchise.
Following the appearance of Douglas Shetland, a character in the Pandora Tomorrow and Chaos Theory entries, in the official teaser footage, viewers are introduced to his daughter Diana, CEO of Xandau, the corporation hinted to be the mastermind behind a new crisis. For the uninitiated, Douglas was killed by Sam in the source material, after the former — also one of his closest friends — turned against his country, forcing Fisher to confront another ghost of his past.
The trailer marks a departure from the stealth-focused nature of the games, featuring a healthy dose of straight-in-the-face brawls and big action set pieces. It’s an understandable change, considering how high-octane sequences probably make for better television, though long-time fans will have to get used to Liev Schreiber (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) as the protagonist.
While Michael Ironside has voiced Sam in most of the Splinter Cell titles to date, Eric Johnson took over the role in Blacklist, the latest instalment in the series. Schreiber is joined by Killing Eve actress Kirby Howell-Baptiste as original character Zinnia McKenna, Janet Varney (The Legend of Korra) as series staple Anna Grimsdottir, and Joel Oulette (Avatar: The Last Airbender) as Thunder, another fresh face.
John Wick co-creator Derek Kolstad serves as head writer and producer on the project, with Sun Creature Studio and Fost responsible for animation. Guillaume Dousse and Félicien Colmet-Daage are co-directing Splinter Cell: Deathwatch, which is slated for release on 14 October. The forthcoming show will tide fans over the wait for an in-development Splinter Cell remake, first announced in 2021. Updates have been scarce, however, since the departure of game director David Grivel in 2022.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
