The Uncharted movie trailer teases an appearance from Nathan Drake’s brother, Sam, and since no actor has yet been announced for the role, it’s possible that fan-favorite actor Nathan Fillion could play Sam on the big screen. For years, Fillion was the number one choice to play Nate in live-action, but the Uncharted movie never manifested in time for that casting to take place. However, because of what’s been revealed in the Uncharted movie trailer, and because of the various ways the film is changing the core story of the video games, Fillion could still feature as the older Drake brother.
In the Uncharted video games, Sam Drake is Nate’s older brother by several years. The two siblings go on many treasure-hunting adventures in their younger days until Sam is caught and presumably killed during one particular mission gone wrong. Years later, Sam reappears to reveal he’d been alive the entire time, dragging his younger brother back into the shady world of crime he tried so hard to leave behind.
From what’s been revealed about the story so far, it’s hard to tell how big a role Sam Drake will ultimately play in the new movie. There are already a few Uncharted video game characters confirmed to appear, including Nathan Drake (Tom Holland), Victor “Sully” Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg), and Chloe Frazer (Sophia Taylor Ali). But while all of those notable characters appear in the movie trailer, Sam is only mentioned by name, setting up a possible third act reveal of epic and satisfying proportions. Here’s how the Uncharted movie’s biggest twist could be a Nathan Fillion cameo as Sam Drake.
Uncharted Hints At Sam But Hides His Identity In The Trailer
Most of the Uncharted trailer focuses on the relationship between Nate and Sully and their quest for the lost treasure of Ferdinand Magellan. Nate’s older brother plays into that story in a big way, but Sam is hidden in the Uncharted trailer, with only a few stray mentions of his name. It’s revealed that he disappeared while chasing the same treasure, and it’s clear that Nate believes finding Magellan’s hoard will also help him find Sam. However, the older Drake brother fails to make a proper appearance, and no actor has yet been confirmed to be playing the character either. That suggests that Uncharted is setting up a big third act twist tied to Sam – a big reveal of where he’s been all that time and why he hasn’t contacted Nate. If the Uncharted movie wants the biggest audience reaction possible to that twist, it would help to cast someone big in the role of Sam.
Nathan Fillion Was Always The Fan Choice For Drake In Uncharted
Though Nathan Fillion never played Uncharted’s Nathan Drake in an official capacity, he’s been the go-to fan cast since the very first video game released in 2007. The two share a similar appearance, the same devil-may-care onscreen energy, and even the same first name. Plus, Fillion is a big fan of the video games. His affection for the character of Nathan Drake went so far that he even starred in a short but spectacular Uncharted fan film in 2018 alongside Stephen Lang (Sully) and Mircea Monroe (Elena Fisher). Oddly enough, that film also featured a quest for Ferdinand Magellan’s lost treasure.
Why Nathan Fillion Is Perfect To Play Sam
On paper, Sam Drake is the exact type of character Fillion is known for playing – a tough, sardonic adventurer with a penchant for getting into trouble. In the Uncharted video games, Sam is portrayed as being almost addicted to his dangerous lifestyle, to the thrill of maybe, finally securing a big score. It’s a dangerous personality trait that gets him and Nate both nearly killed, but it also makes the character undeniably riveting to watch. Fillion is perfectly suited to bring that distinct character to life on screen, using all the talents that have made him the number one fan cast for Nate over the years. Though production delays precluded the former Firefly star from playing the lead in Uncharted, Fillion is still perfectly suited to the world the franchise has constructed over the years.
Additionally, an altered version of Sam Drake played by Fillion could be a perfect fit alongside Holland’s Drake and Wahlberg’s Sully in the Uncharted movie. The film is already retconning some big parts of the series’ timeline by making Nate much older when he first meets Sully and having Sam go missing earlier on in his brother’s life. Those changes mean it’s possible that the Uncharted film could also change the age gap between Nate and his brother, making Sam notably older in comparison or even making the two stepbrothers to make sense of the increased age gap. If the movie does end up with a different, older take on the Sam Drake character, Fillion would be even more ideally suited to taking on the role.
Why Nathan Fillion Shouldn’t Play Sam (& Who Else Could)
Unfortunately, without a big age retcon for the Sam Drake character in Uncharted, Fillion might be a little old for the part. The film is clearly an Uncharted prequel story for Holland’s Nathan Drake. While Fillion could be the perfect age to Play Sam in the original game timeline, he doesn’t line up as well with an origin story. There’s also an argument to be made that Fillion’s presence in any capacity could take away from Holland’s own performance since he was the favorite to play Nathan Drake for so long.
Without a Fillion cameo, there are still plenty of talented actors who could be great as Sam Drake. One option would be to get famed voice actor Troy Baker – who plays Sam in the video games – to bring the character to the big screen. Doing so would be great for fans of the series, and Baker has plenty of live-action chops in addition to his voice-acting career. Alternatively, Supernatural star Jensen Ackles was once rumored to be involved in the Uncharted movie, and while he’s a good deal older than Holland, he could still pass for a great Sam Drake. If Sony decides to go in a much younger direction, they could cast a more up-and-coming star opposite Holland, like Titans’ Brenton Thwaites. Whoever ends up playing Sam Drake in the Uncharted movie, it should be interesting to see how he’s incorporated into the story and what it could set up for the potential sequel.
- Uncharted (2022)Release date: Feb 18, 2022
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