The Mysterious Transformation of a Twisted Metal Character in Season 2 Leaves Filmmakers Guessing

Summary

The "Twisted Metal" live-action adaptation successfully balances an emotional story with the unhinged nature of the video game series.

There are logistical questions surrounding the inclusion of the iconic game character, Axel, in the show. However, there is excitement about how this inclusion will be achieved.

The practicality of adapting Axel lies in the challenge of his exposed body. One possible solution could be to outfit him in Kevlar.

Warning: Spoilers for Twisted Metal ahead. Twisted Metal is a fantastic adaptation of a wildly eccentric video game series. The original game, released in 1995, envisioned a future world (2005) where the annual Twisted Metal tournament offered extraordinary rewards to the victorious driver. Despite the series' unconventional premise, showrunner Michael Jonathan Smith, producers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, and the rest of the creative team skillfully infused an emotional and surprisingly realistic storyline while maintaining the chaotic essence of the games.

Naturally, numerous characters from the Twisted Metal games were featured in the show, with hints of more to come in the next season. One particularly exciting promise at the end of the season involves the iconic character Axel, who in the game is depicted as being strapped into two massive wheels in a pose reminiscent of the Vitruvian Man. However, this intriguing development also raises significant logistical challenges. This issue has prompted inquiries from various individuals involved in the series, including costume designer Liz Vastola and composers Zach Robinson and Leo Birenberg. Here's what they had to say on the matter:

Liz Vastola: I'm curious about how we would bring Axel to life and what that would actually entail. I'm really interested in finding out what potential possibilities there might be.

Leo Birenberg: There's a lot of excitement surrounding Axel.

Zach Robinson: Because how are they going to do it? I can’t even imagine.

Leo Birenberg: Who knows? It’s going to be insane. It’s going to be ridiculous.

This Twisted Metal Moment Promises A Game-Accurate Axel

Axel presents the most significant logistical obstacles among all the Twisted Metal characters that should appear in the show, particularly because the series has maintained a relatively realistic tone. However, there is hope as Sweet Tooth sets his head on fire during the final fight of the season, indicating a faithful adaptation of the man/machine hybrid. Although this moment challenges the suspension of disbelief found in the rest of Twisted Metal, it ensures Sweet Tooth's accuracy and provides immense satisfaction for game players. Moreover, it strongly implies that a similar reality-altering approach can and will be taken for Axel.

Despite the vehicle itself not posing the greatest challenge in the adaptation of Axel, it will be intriguing to witness the proportion of practical construction versus CGI implementation. The main issue lies in Axel's exposed body, as Twisted Metal has successfully portrayed its intense fight scenes as genuinely perilous. It is difficult to envision a game-accurate Axel wheeling around shirtless amidst gunfire unscathed. Perhaps the solution to bringing Axel to life in Twisted Metal season 2 is as simple as equipping him with a substantial amount of Kevlar.