The Doom series’ silent protagonist might one day be retired in favor of a new hero entirely.
Fictional – and therefore immortal – he may be, but the folks at id Software, like any studio whose business involves creative freedom and expression, could decide at any time to retire the franchise’s mascot in order to make room for new stories and adventures. That’s not to say anything of the sort will be happening soon, though the director of last year’s Doom Eternal, Hugo Martin, has certainly considered the prospect of replacing the Doom Slayer with another in the past.
During a recent live stream (H/T, Kotaku), Martin was posed with the question of whether he would ever think about introducing a female Doom Slayer, to which he replied with a somewhat surprising yes. Elaborating on his thought process of what the change would entail, Martin said:
I think if we did it, Iโd want it to be lethal. I think itโs interesting how it would impact the glory kills, the kind of weapons that she would have, the fighting style. All aggression, absolutely, but a different type of aggression. I would really strive to allow it to impact the gameplay in a way that was meaningful. Iโve definitely put a lot of thought into that.
Not all considerations make it past the conceptual stage, of course, though for what it’s worth, it appears as if many fans are fully on board with the future introduction of a female Doom Slayer. In fact, some have already put forward a preexisting character with previous ties to the nemesis of hell.
Originally written as Doom Guy’s teacher and instructor, Quake 3 Arena NPC Crash has been described in the past as being the former’s mentor and is depicted as wearing a similar suit of armor to his own. Who better to take up the so-called mantle of female Doom Slayer than her, then?
Y'know I've always wanted to see another doom slayer take the title after doom guy's story was over. Having crash for example becoming the first female doom slayer would be awesome to see and play as
— Buckio (@Buckio6) February 23, 2021
https://twitter.com/DeathwingDuck/status/1363675647164510212?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1363675647164510212%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Fgaming%2Fnews%2Fdoom-eternal-female-doom-slayer-rumor-crash%2F
I'm all for a Female Doom Slayer, but ONLY if it's Crash. The perfect set up is right there; "Once, she was Doom's military instructor. Now the Arena Eternal tests Crash's mettle to the extreme patience. She is the trainer who introduces new warriors to the skills of battle." pic.twitter.com/AWVBjYTYVe
— James Gaelhart (@hiddendemiurge) February 21, 2021
There is only one female Doomslayer @idSoftware @bethesda and that…..is Crash ๐
— CrowCMP32 Vtuber๐ค๐ฆโโฌ ๐๐๐ (@CrowCMP32) February 23, 2021
All conjecture and a series of big what-ifs for now, then, though who truly knows what the future holds for Doom? Would you like to see id shake up the series with a new protagonist, or would you prefer its current face stay exactly where he is? Let us know in the usual place below!