Halo's Pablo Schreiber Teases Epic Master Chief Battle and How It Shifts the Tone for the Series

Halo's Pablo Schreiber teases an epic Master Chief Battle and how it shifts the tone for the series in season 2

By Matthew Aguilar

Fans will have the chance to step back into the world of Halo with the show's second season, which boasts a new showrunner and new additions to the cast. The show has also teased a shift to a grittier tone for its sophomore outing, and one particular battle sequence involving franchise star Master Chief early in season 2 embodies that shift. ComicBook.com had the chance to speak with Master Chief himself Pablo Schreiber about that sequence and if the battle sets the tone for not just Master Chief but also the show's new outlook in general.

"Absolutely. I think there was a very palpable tonal shift from season one to season two, that I think it was really important to start off the season with Chief doing what Chief does," Schreiber said. "And to see him in a circumstance where you could experience the grittiness and the darkness of what the tonal shift is going to be like through the season."

"You get a very different experience by just opening up, and you have a battle sequence in the fog. You can't quite tell what's happening. You can't quite see what's going on. All the action sequences are told from a more subjective point of view. You're put into the position of the character a little bit more, a lot more handheld, the way that it's shot. So you're really in there with the characters. Feels more immediate, feels more direct. It feels more dangerous," Schreiber said.

"And that's an amplification and a reflection of what's going on at the time in the Halo universe, right? Humanity is on its back foot, they're losing the war with the Covenant in a bad way, and everything is getting ... Everybody's under a lot of pressure, and it's making people question each other. It's making people question authority," Schreiber said.

There are also some questions from Master Chief's own team, and he can't blame them for having them either. "And Silver Team is on some backwoods planet doing work that they feel that they're overqualified for. So they're looking at Chief and saying, 'What the hell is going on?' He doesn't know," Schreiber said.

You can find our full interview with Schreiber in the video above, and you can find the official description of Halo season 2 below.

"In season two, Master Chief John-117 leads his team of elite Spartans against the alien threat known as the Covenant. In the wake of a shocking event on a desolate planet, John cannot shake the feeling that his war is about to change and risks everything to prove what no one else will believe – that the Covenant are preparing to attack humanity's greatest stronghold. With the galaxy on the brink, John embarks on a journey to find the key to humankind's salvation, or its extinction – the Halo.

Halo stars Pablo Schreiber (American Gods) as Master Chief, John-117, and Natascha McElhone (Californication) as Dr. Halsey, who both serve as producers this season. Additional returning cast members include Jen Taylor (HALO game series, RWBY) as Cortana, Bokeem Woodbine (Fargo), Shabana Azmi (Fire), Natasha Culzac (The Witcher), Olive Gray (Half Moon Investigations), Yerin Ha (Reef Break), Bentley Kalu (Avengers: Age of Ultron), Kate Kennedy (Catastrophe), Charlie Murphy (Peaky Blinders), and Danny Sapani (Penny Dreadful). This season's new cast additions include Joseph Morgan (Vampire Diaries, The Originals) and Cristina Rodlo (No One Gets Out of Here Alive, The Homeless World Cup)."

Halo season 2 premieres on Paramount+ on February 8th.

Are you excited for Halo season 2? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things gaming with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

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