Halo actor Pablo Schreiber has revealed that his Spartan suit from the upcoming series weighs 50 pounds and is incredibly difficult to perform in. The actor is set to play the iconic role of Master Chief in the series, which will premiere on Paramount+. The show is scheduled to debut on the streaming service on March 24.
Halo is one of the most highly anticipated video game adaptations of all time. Based on the Bungie and 343 Industries games of the same name, the franchise follows Spartan-II super-soldier John 117, a.k.a The Master Chief (Schreiber), as he helps humanity fight against a coalition of alien races known as The Covenant. In the games, John’s adventures lead him to a series of ancient alien superweapons known as the Halo arrays. The Paramount series appears to be making some notable changes to Halo lore by altering how humanity becomes aware of the Halos themselves. Still, the core story of humanity’s battle against The Covenant remains the same.
One of the defining elements of the Halo franchise is Master Chief’s MJOLNIR armor, which he never removes in the games. Speaking about the challenges of bringing Master Chief to life during a recent interview with THR, Schreiber revealed that the MJOLNIR prop suit weighs 50 pounds and makes performing incredibly difficult. The actor explained:
It’s 50 pounds of plastic and the suit is meant to make you superhuman — it enhances the Spartan’s capability for his performance tenfold. In reality, it’s the opposite. It’s a challenge to manipulate a cumbersome costume and find ways to shoot it so it looks like you’re super capable.
This is not an uncommon complaint among the cast, as Bokeem Woodbine also recently admitted that he had trouble moving in his MJOLNIR armor. As depicted in the games, expanded media, and upcoming series, the Spartan-II super soldiers are all enhanced beings who have undergone rigorous training and received augmentations during their time in the program. Their physical prowess is further enhanced by the MJOLNIR suits, which make them stronger, faster, and far more durable. Some expanded Halo media have even shown regular humans have become crippled by the suits when they attempt to use them without Spartan enhancements.
While Schreiber admitted to having some difficulties working with the suit, hopefully, the end result will be an authentic Master Chief performance that feels reminiscent of the games. The character’s movements are supposed to feel weighty due to a combination of the suit's bulk and the mass of the genetically-enhanced soldier inside. If Schreiber is able to make his Chief look “capable,” then audiences may be able to look forward to a live-action version of the character that feels like the powerhouse soldier seen in the games when Halo finally premieres on Paramount+ later this month.
Source: THR