Since the release of the first “Halo” game, “Halo: Combat Evolved,” in 2001, which helped make the Xbox a smash, “Halo” has played a significant role in pop culture. It has now become one of the largest video game franchises on the planet and has long been expected to make it to Hollywood. Finally, the Paramount+ team has brought the universe of the game to the general public with a brand-new, expensive “Halo” TV series with a multi-season commitment. However, there is a crucial aspect of the show that we must talk about, and that is its placement in relation to the games’ general storyline.
The Silver Timeline
The essential thing to grasp here is that the show has been inserted into something the creative team has nicknamed the “Silver Timeline.” We won’t really get into spoilers for the first couple of episodes. So what does that actually mean? It basically indicates that the “Halo” TV series is not part of the primary timeline that gamers are familiar with. This Master Chief (played by Pablo Schreiber) may not be the same Master Chief that we have grown to know over the years while holding the controller. Producer Kiki Wolfkill, who has worked on the games for a while, previously provided the following explanation:
“We’re referring to this as the Halo Silver Timeline as a way of differentiating it from core canon. And both protecting core canon and protecting the television story, and by that I mean being able to give ourselves the chance to evolve both and for both to be what they need to be for their mediums without colliding with each other.”
The creative team essentially desired complete freedom to tell the story they desired to tell. Beyond “Halo: Infinite,” the most recent game in the franchise, they would have been bound to what had been before and what might come later if they were more closely adapting the games. It will be up to each person to judge whether or not it was the right choice in the eyes of the fans, but from a creative standpoint, it’s not too hard to understand why having a fresh start would make sense.
Is this a multiverse?
Beyond stating that the show is set in its own timeframe, the producers have been somewhat evasive. Will this story eventually be connected to the one that gamers are more familiar with? It’s challenging to say. The Master Chief removing his helmet early in the program, something he never did in the games, is one of the most notable deviations so far. It is obvious that these are separate species of animals.
It might be possible to state that there is a “Halo” multiverse in order to explain everything. John, the Master Chief, lives in a Silver Timeline universe. The game’s Master Chief, perhaps? In the Xbox timeline, he exists. Because everything counts when you want it to, but can also be ignored, multiverse storytelling has gained popularity, with both Marvel and DC doubling down on the concept recently. The multiverse could be opened up if the creators decide at some point that they want the worlds to collide a little more directly, and then the issue would be resolved. Fans will need to accept the fact that this is a new story with fresh renditions of these characters that contains recognizable components but is not a familiar whole in any case.
You can watch “Halo” right now on Paramount+.
Dramatizing an epic 26th-century conflict between humanity and an alien threat known as the Covenant, “Halo” the series will weave deeply drawn personal stories with action, adventure and a richly imagined vision of the future.
