With over three years having passed since the last mainline entry to the franchise, it is no wonder that fans are beginning to wonder about Far Cry 7. Despite not officially being confirmed as in development by Ubisoft, there are usually around three or four years between releases for the series, with some fans consequently expecting an announcement to be made in the near future.
As well as this timeframe, intrigue around Far Cry 7 has only been boosted thanks to the extensive leaks and rumors that are already surrounding the potential project, which aim to shed light on its setting, core mechanics, story, and characters. One of the most popular recent rumors surrounding Far Cry 7 concerned the game's major antagonist, with early reports alleging that Oscar-winning actor Cillian Murphy was set to take on the villain role for the project. It seems that this particular rumor is now dead in the water, and while it would have been fantastic to see what Murphy would bring to the franchise, Far Cry's villains have always worked best when they feel completely grounded and unique to the stories they appear within.
Far Cry 7 Shouldn't Be Afraid to Break One Setting Tradition of the Mainline Games
Ubisoft still hasn't provided much in the way of what Far Cry 7 will entail, but there is one idea it could try to distinguish the next major entry.
Far Cry 7 Needs to Look to the Past for Its Villain Approach
The Far Cry franchise has become renowned for its villains over the years, with its mainline releases being dominated by discussion and debate over their antagonist roles before they even release. This was largely kicked off by Michael Mando's iconic performance as Vaas Montenegro in 2012's Far Cry 3, with Vaas being considered by some as one of the best video game villains of all time.
Some extremely strong antagonist performances were later had within the franchise by the likes of Troy Baker as Pagan Min in Far Cry 4, Greg Bryk as Joseph Seed in Far Cry 5, and more recently, Giancarlo Esposito as Far Cry 6's Anton Castillo. The expectations and prestige surrounding the antagonist of a Far Cry title have grown immensely thanks to this track record, and so it is no wonder that so many question marks already exist over who will land the role for the rumored Far Cry 7.
High-profile leaks have suggested things like Far Cry 7's story being centered around a constantly depleting in-game timer, or being set on fictional islands off the coast of North Korea. While these are highly interesting in their own right, the most dominant rumor that has existed around Far Cry 7 suggested that Irish actor Cillian Murphy was set to take on the lead villain role. This news came off the back of Murphy's Oscar-winning performance in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, with many fans skeptically brushing off the rumors as too good to be true.
Far Cry 7's Villain Needs to Feel Completely Confined to the Game Itself
This skepticism appears to have been wise, as the initial rumors around Murphy's involvement in Far Cry 7 were quickly walked back, despite how widespread they already were. While Cillian Murphy would have no doubt delivered an excellent performance as a Far Cry villain, the next game could be much better off by going back to its roots and steering away from the star power that has taken over its antagonist roles.
While Giancarlo Esposito did a fantastic job as Anton Castillo in Far Cry 7, many fans had a tough time looking beyond the massively popular actor in-game, giving a less immersive quality to Anton Castillo's role as a twisted dictator. This can be contrasted to the most successful villains of Far Cry's past, with Michael Mando getting his big break in the industry as Vaas, and Troy Baker being able to completely lose himself in Pagan Min as a voice actor without his likeness on screen. An ever-increasing level of star power may only serve to lessen the cultural impact that specific Far Cry villains have, and so a return to basics for Far Cry 7 may be the best way forward for the franchise.
