In an era where Splinter Cell has gone AWOL on consoles, the upcoming Deathwatch animated series on Netflix is as close as we’ll get to reliving Sam Fisher’s glory years.

While there’s been pretty much radio silence on the series since its initial announcement back in 2020, it has suddenly emerged from the shadows – like a certain Third Echelon agent – with a scattershot of news about everything from its unlikely inspirations and the recasting of Sam Fisher.

Trailed by a “trio” of behind-closed-doors clips from Annecy (via Deadline), Splinter Cell Deathwatch creators outlined the premise for the TV show, which is set during the present-day, and the major touchstones for the project.

Director Guillaume Dousse namechecked everything from the “melancholy” of the live-action Ghost in the Shell to the more slow-burn narratives of Ozark and Tokyo Vice.

Given Fisher getting close to hip replacement territory (not least due to all the tendon-destroying split jumps he’s pulled over the years), it’s perhaps of little surprise that Tom Cruise’s name came up in conversation.

The Mission: Impossible star, now in his 60s, appears to be a guiding star-of-sorts for Deathwatch’s portrayal of Sam Fisher (here voiced by Liev Schreiber instead of series veteran Michael Ironside, who has stepped back from the iconic role).

“It was interesting to have this ageing character, not totally like the Tom Cruise version but more realistic, and more weathered by life,” producer Hugo Revon said on-stage.

On the new voice behind Sam Fisher’s gravelly tones, Revon said Liev Schreiber (whose half-brother Pablo Schreiber also has video game adaptation experience as Halo’s Master Chief in the now-canceled Paramount series) is “important for the project” and that “his voice comes to life.”

Splinter Cell: Deathwatch is set for release on Netflix later this year. A Splinter Cell remake is purportedly in the works, though a recent tease during Summer Game Fest seemingly came to nothing.

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