Netflix’s Bioshock movie has been trending on social media, and fans have a pressing question: will Jack be among the cast?
Based on the popular game series, Jack Wynand is the 2007 original’s main character. Taking place in 1960, Jack’s plane crashes into the ocean, where he discovers the relics of an underwater city, Rapture. Players control the nonverbal, grunting hero as he navigates the mysteries of the city, uncovering clues to piece together the full story.
Will Jack be in the movie? No one knows which characters will be in the film, and Jack may be left out entirely depending on what direction Netflix takes. Considering the three Bioshock games tell a sweeping epic that spans from 1912 into the 1960s, it leaves many possibilities on the table.
The big announcement from only days ago was that the streaming service had found its director in Francis Lawrence. His main claim to fame came from directing the Keanu Reeves cult-classic, Constantine, and I Am Legend starring Will Smith. He was also behind the camera for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, as well as both parts one and two of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay. While not necessarily critical darlings, all of these films were hits with fans, so Bioshock should be in good hands.
Netflix has been quiet about anything else involving the movie. What the plot could be is another mystery, but that has become the norm for Bioshock. The game itself is about the decaying Rapture and its many denizens, including numerous, creepy enemies. Through Jack, players slowly uncover the real plot and the fall of the utopian city. Created in the ‘40s by business mogul Andrew Ryan, things turned dark when his scientists discovered a gene-altering substance in sea slugs. Refined into a substance known as ADAM, it gave subjects telekinetic powers, a la Stranger Things. Just like all secret, superpower experimental programs, things went awry, and Ryan’s utopia crumbled.
The calling card for Bioshock is the massive, modified deep sea-diving suits that serve as the game’s mascots. Known as “Big Daddies,” these were Ryan’s mutated humans that were bound to the suits. They were tasked with protecting the “Little Sisters,” the young girls that were given psychic abilities thanks to the sea slugs. If we don’t at least see one Big Daddy, Bioshock fans are sure to riot in the streets.
One intriguing theory is that the Bioshock movie will serve as a prequel to the video games. In the ever-popular world from the games, Ryan’s underwater city was at one point as beautiful and bustling as he had ever hoped. Things began to unravel in his undersea utopia, however, culminating with the New Year’s Eve massacre of 1958, which took place two years before Jack and his fateful plane crash.
Focusing the story on Ryan would give Lawrence and the rest of the creative team more freedom in terms of storytelling. Since Jack doesn’t speak throughout the games, this is a way for them to get around that aspect. As we have seen with Paramount Plus’ Halo adaptation and even The Book of Boba Fett, the fans are right to be concerned when a major character loses his mysterious aura in the live-action version. The easiest way to avoid doing this to Jack while also connecting directly to the games is to use Bioshock as a prequel. If the movie is profitable, Netflix could always dive into the ‘60s adventure with the next installment.
Another benefit to steering towards a prequel is avoiding the usual missteps of game adaptations. Traditionally, video games turned into movies or a series is a dreadful experience. Whether it’s Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Super Mario Brothers, Doom, Resident Evil and more, filmmakers don’t tend to know what to do with video game stories. They usually end up as campy schlock that makes numerous “Worst of” lists across the internet. Even Netflix’s recent Resident Evil series has fallen into that category, and it’s already been sent to the trash heap. When both Sonic the Hedgehog movies are the best of the best when it comes to video game adaptations, it speaks volumes.
Trying to do a full Bioshock adaptation with all the places and characters from the games could be the movie’s downfall. In-depth, role-playing games like this can have several hours of intricate storytelling per game. Opting for a Ryan-centered prequel that sets the stage for the first game while telling its own, unique story could be just the trick. Of course, the third game in the series, Bioshock Infinite, rewound the clock to 1912. Instead of the underwater city of Rapture, this narrative unfolded on Rapture’s precursor, the floating city of Columbia. Again, this could be a pitfall, considering the track record of video game movies.
Of course, this is all conjecture and theory. Until Netflix begins releasing casting choices and plot details, we’ll keep playing the guessing game. Hopefully the streaming giant will have some announcements to quench our thirst before the end of the year.
