Over the years, Ubisoft’s Far Cry franchise is becoming stale with every new entry, and the sixth installment in the series didn’t bother changing the formulaic approach. But the Far Cry franchise as a whole has been successful in delivering some A-list antagonists, including Faith Seed and Vaas, so when Giancarlo Esposito was announced as the next big baddie, fans were extremely excited.
Following his time in shows like Breaking Bad and The Boys, known for playing incredible villains, fans were optimistic about his character Antón Castillo, and the actor was excited too.
Giancarlo Esposito was completely invested in his role in Far Cry 6
According to Far Cry 6 narrative director Navid Khavari, Giancarlo Esposito was extremely passionate about playing the character of Antón Castillo. Known for playing Gus in the unanimously acclaimed show Breaking Bad, the actor has the knack for pulling off great antagonists, and when he was offered the role of the main antagonist in Far Cry 6, the actor was overjoyed to join it.
During his first meeting with the narrative director, the Breaking Bad star also brought his own props for the character and was adamant about bringing something new to the table. Khavari explained,
“It was a bit surreal to sit down in front of him in our first meeting in New York. That meeting lasted for something like four hours. It was the most prep I’d honestly experienced with an actor in a first meeting. He’d done extensive notes and even had some props.”
Following his investment in the Far Cry world, fans were assured that the sixth installment in the series will bring something new to the table, acting as a course correction for the IP’s future.
Why Giancarlo Esposito’s Antón Castillo failed to stand out?
Considering fans were fully invested in the game, the end product left a lot to be desired. Although Far Cry 6 is by no means a bad game, it also isn’t something new that hasn’t been done in this long-running franchise. But by far one of the biggest let down was Giancarlo Esposito’s Antón Castillo, and even though Esposito does nothing wrong and delivers a great performance, he was let down by the material of the game.
Despite providing an extra layer of intrigue and depth into his character, who is grooming his son to become his heir, the character mostly felt detached from the main story following his minimal presence.
Despite the wastage of his potential, he still delivers some top-notch performances as the dictator, which is expected from exceptional actors like Giancarlo Esposito.
Source: The Loadout
