Scottish actor Mark Bonnar has revealed he would love to step back into the boots of Blackbeard for a future Assassin’s Creed film or television adaptation, BBC reports. The Hertfordshire-based star originally brought the infamous pirate to life through motion capture in the critically acclaimed 2013 video game Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.
The comments follow a recent announcement from developer Ubisoft confirming that a ground-up remake of the pirate classic is set to launch in July. Meanwhile Netflix is currently in the process of shooting a live-action Assassin’s Creed series in Italy. The streaming giant is hoping to capitalise on the booming success of recent video game adaptations like The Last of Us and Mario Bros.
Speaking to the BBC before the remake was officially unveiled, Bonnar admitted he gets «really kind of jealous and annoyed» whenever he watches a pirate show. He expressed a strong desire to play the historical figure in a live-action format.
Reflecting on his original casting as Edward «Blackbeard» Thatch alongside protagonist Edward Kenway, Bonnar described the role as one of his absolute favourites. Because of the intense secrecy surrounding the project he initially auditioned under the assumption it was for an animated series. When his agent revealed it was actually a major video game he jumped at the chance, calling the prospect «amazing».
The 18th Century adventure was a massive hit and secured four nominations at the 2014 Bafta Games Awards including a nod for Best Game. While he kept quiet about any insider knowledge regarding the upcoming remake, Bonnar confessed he uses the pirate voice at any given opportunity because the character is so «unbridled».
As a lifelong gamer Bonnar also noted he would jump at the chance to feature in other heavy-hitting franchises like God of War or The Last of Us due to the high quality of their writing. He specifically praised Black Flag writer Darby McDevitt, adding that any project with a fantastic script is destined to be a success.
