Halo live-action series director explains why Cortana's design was changed

After the first trailer for the Halo live-action TV series debuted in January, a section of fans focused on the new design of the character Cortana, and they really didn't like it.

Unlike the bright sci-fi look in the games, Cortana in the Paramount+ TV series is more human-like and has softer tones and skin tones.

One fan said: "Can we have them change Cortana like they did in the Sonic the Hedgehog movie please?" This refers to the fact that Sonic's design was completely redesigned after a huge backlash from fans when it was first revealed in the 2020 Sonic the Hedgehog movie. But unlike Sonic, Cortana will remain the same.

Speaking to GamesRadar+ on March 24 about the controversy surrounding the Halo series before its release, Kiki Wolfkill, executive producer and head of transmedia at 343i, explained the reasoning behind the changes.

“It’s so interesting because we change her design for every game. A lot of it is driven by technology,” Wolfkill said. “As we progress through the generations, a lot of the design changes are because we can get better graphics, better technology, more pixels, more effects. So it’s always been about adapting Cortana to the environment.”

Wolfkill continued, "In this case, it's very different from the games because she has to feel real. And I don't mean feel like a real person. She has to feel like a real AI, a real hologram. And be a character that a real person is going up against... That was really the source of designing her - how do we make her feel really fitting in this Halo world?"

Jen Taylor, who has played Cortana since 2021's Halo: Combat Evolved and will continue her role in the series, said she's going into the show with an open mind.

"I understand why people would be protective of that (original design)," Taylor said. "I'm interested to see how it's received. I'm interested to see something different, to see something new. I apologize for my flippantness: Yes, I understand. Yes, I'm also interested to see what she looks like in this new version."

Cortana's new look doesn't just extend to her design. Taylor revealed that we'll be seeing "a completely different Cortana than we've seen before."

"Her goals are different from the Cortana we've known for the last 20 years. So that's really fun. I get to do something slightly different."