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Space Marine 2 wasrecently released to much fanfare, and critics and the public alike have agreed it’s one of the games of the year, at least so far. Announced back in 2021, a year’s delay and a canceled Open Beta later, we finally have our hands on the game, and now everyone gets to see it all in front of their eyes.
Thankfully I was afforded the opportunity to speak to Clive Standen, the voice behind the protagonist Lieutenant Titus, about all thingsSpace Marine 2, the future of the franchise, his process for embodying the 400lb monster of a man, and why he’s a bad brother.
[Some answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.]
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Before you took the role of Titus in Space Marine 2, were you familiar at all with the Warhammer 40K universe in any way, shape, or form?
Yeah, I actually was. I grew up just outside Nottinghamshire, and Games Workshop’s head office there used to be this big fortress. No one really knew much of what went on inside there. Many of the people in my generation wanted to get jobs inside Games Workshop and my brother was one of those, so we used to go down and get the figures and paint them.
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And then, obviously, my brother moved out of home, moved to Nottingham, and had lots of friends who worked within Games Workshop. So, I mean, Warhammer 40K was pretty big where I grew up. And the Space Marines were my main priority in painting. I never played the game, but I was very much into the stories. And… And the liturgy of it all.
You’ve had previous roles, like Ryse: Son of Rome and Alien vs. Predator 3 in the gaming industry specifically, as well as a few more, but what about Titus and what about the game made you want to come back and get involved in the industry again?
Well, I’m really all about immersion, and I just think that this was an opportunity to be in a game where you’re creating a whole world, you know, on the screen. Also, I knew Saber before. I’ve worked with them before on a previous game,Inversion, it was called. And they were in touch with me and they showed me some of the footage of their game they did forWorld War Z. And they have this swarm technology… They just generate and form new enemies, and there’s no lag on it at all.
And they were like, well, we’re going one step better. And they just… They showed me the concept art and they showed me what they wanted to do withSpace Marine 2. And I was like, this is going to be intense. It’s going to be incredible. So, that’s, you know… And obviously, the Space Marines, and the Ultramarines are fantastic anyway.
I just thought that this character of Titus was going to be a big challenge for me. Because, you know, not only is he 400 times more powerful than the other characters, but he is also 400 pounds without his armor on… The reason Tim Willits from Saber came up to me, actually, and he was saying:
The big challenge about these Space Marines is the fact that they are… They can be very two-dimensional in the way that they worship and serve the Emperor. We want to kind of get some humanity into them, to get some feeling and some nuance and everything into the character.
And they’re like, you’re the guy to do this. I would also like to work with Games Workshop and try to give Titus this little edge of ‘What is he going to do next? Is he going to follow the rules? Is he a little bit different? Is he wired slightly differently from what he’s been through in the previous game, where he ends up at the beginning of the second game? Can we break the mold with this guy?’, and that’s what I was interested in.
The way they sold that to me, I’m like, yeah, this is my job. This is what I’m excited about doing. You know, not just making him a grunt. Not just making him serve the Emperor in this kind of generic way, which some of the Ultramarines have done in the past. Yeah, that was a big challenge for me. And I think, hopefully, we found it in the character.
It’s tough because this lineage of the Space Marines has been around for so many years and there are so many fans. You have to work within the parameters set by the world and by the stories and things. It’s one of those dichotomies where you want to be loyal to the fans and just push the envelope down a little bit further and go, Come on, guys. This is what it can be too. But without, you know, having a bounce back.
In the first game, Warhammer 40K: Space Marine, Titus was voiced by Mark Strong. Did you allow that to influence your performance or did you just ignore that, just doing your own thing?
I started playing the first game and I’m listening to Mark. But he is, he’s a bit more grounded in that game and things go wrong. And then I just, it was tough because I had to get more information from the storyline of the game at the beginning. And obviously, it’s very top secret at the beginning when you start working on a video game. And it was hard to get the information, but as soon as I got the information about Titus being in the Death Watch and, you know, about what he’s going to learn from there, I was like, this is it.
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This is the gruff. This is the, there’s a little bit of some razor blades in his voice. There’s a little bit more, you know, there’s a little bit more going on now. So that was, that’s where I took it, and then it evolved from there. People come a long way anyway. And I think some people, some characters, especially ones I’ve played myself, are able to change more in one day than other characters that are capable of a lifetime.
And I think Titus is one of those characters that you go, God, what he’s been through and everything he believes in. And you just go, okay, there’s room for, there’s room to make this guy a little bit more battle-hardened now and a little bit more edgy. And I think that they do age. You know, the Space Marines do age. So I kind of tried to kind of add that a little bit of a rough harshness to his voice that Mark didn’t have. Yeah.
How is recording or performing for a video game different from that of a live-action film or TV show?
I remember years and years ago when I was a lot younger, I remember when The Mummy came out, Brendan Fraser did an interview about how he had to act with a green screen. Because that was the kind of first time that this kind of technology was really being used to that extent. And he was like:
Everything’s attacking you and you just have to imagine it, and you have no idea if it’s going to be bigger or smaller on the day. And you might have overreacted.
Well, I feel a little bit like this in a game like this, because when I first went into the studio with my motion capture on, and they’re saying“Hundreds of Tyramids are swarming coming at you”,and you’re like, well, how big is the reaction? How many are there really in front of me? Because you’re doing it all and you’re able to’t see anything.
So your imagination has to go and you just have to trust, you know, the developers and the director on the day when he’s going, ‘no, bigger, bigger, there’s more of them’. You’ve got to really, you’re really in the thick of it. You’re surrounded. It’s like James Cameron’sAliens. There are the walls all around you. And then you’re still in the back of your mind. You’re like, do I really fully commit or am I going to look stupid? Am I going to be overreacting now? And then it’s a lot of trust.
But what they were very good at, Saber and Focus together, they would render me into the game. So the next performance capture session I have, they would show me what I’ve done and go, see what you’re dealing with now? Does it make more sense now? And I’d see it. And that’s why I felt like the biggest geek on that.
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I got to see some of these things which I wasn’t allowed to talk to anyone about during filming. I get to see some of these cut sequences and some of the in-game action. I’d use it before anyone else. And it was like, whoa. Because the engine really does work. There’s no lag or anything, the way that the enemies swarm in front of you. So that’s what’s different as the actor.
You know, yes, of course. I mean, Games Workshop has already come up to me and said, this is it. You’re the voice of Titus now. And I’m involved in a top-secret Amazon production. And I just had someone the other day,they were thinking about using Titus in a VR game just as a voice.
It is really going back to the basics. The bare bones of an actor is like, let’s use your make-believe skills and just go, right, I have to imagine everything. This world that they’ve told me. I’ve seen some concept art. And then I’m just having to trust that this is exactly what’s in my head is going to be played out in front of the player. And I think we pulled it off. It was funny at times. You’re like, really? They’re like, go bigger, Clive. Go bigger. You’re a Space Marine. Go for it. Swing that chainsaw.
Have you played through the game now?
I still haven’t had a chance to pick up a control pad and play it. I’ve seen people play it in front of me. I’ve seen all the cut footage and I’ve seen all the walkthroughs and the playthroughs as they’ve served me. But I physically haven’t been able to pick up a control pad and play the game myself, because I’ve been getting married. And then I’m straight back on the set. I kind of keep hinting at someone to just like, you know, send me a PlayStation or an Xbox out here so I can, you know.
And other than Space Marine 2, I mean, are you much of a gamer yourself?
I am. I mean, look, I grew up on that. That was my generation. Everything from, you know. I had a Master System. I had the Sega’s, and then I kind of went on to the PlayStation. I used to loveFallout. I would lose myself in a game where I’d literally be, you know, everyone’s been there where you start playing at 9 o’clock at night and suddenly turn around and it’s 4 in the morning.
And you’re like, what have I done? I’d love immersive games like that. But yeah, I remember all of the games growing up. I knew everything fromMetal Gear Solidand, yeah, toFIFA Football.I was obsessed with my consoles.
And then I’m working on a new game as well for Saber right now.John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando. Which does have my facial likeness, which is great. Because, you know, I actually think Titus looks like an aging Chris Pine. Even though it’s my face of expressions they put the motion capture dots.
This new character I’m doing inToxic Commandodoes look like me. And it’s a lot of fun to see me run around blowing up loads of zombies’ heads. So I’m looking forward to that. We’ve got another session coming up very soon, actually, in September, where I get to see a bit more of that game. And that is a lot of fun. It’s a game that’s almost, it’s got that kind of tongue-in-cheek kind of comedy horror that, you know, that John Carpenter does sometimes.
And that’s something that a lot of popular films sometimes have. It’s almost like aGuardians of the Galaxykind of a foursome that have to save the world from these crazy zombie monsters. It’s a lot of fun.
From what you’re saying, it sounds like you’ve got a bit of a partnership going with Saber. Like, they come to you for the characters they know and you’re happy to do it.
Oh, I love it. They’ve just done the Jurassic Park game. I was even trying to get in there and play T-Rex. I was like, there’s no limits to my motion capture skills. In all seriousness, though, I honestly love motion capture because it gives you the ability to play characters that you wouldn’t actually normally play. Maybe not a T-Rex, but I mean, even when I didAliens vs. Predator 3, years ago, for Rebellion, and I got to play the Predator.
Why don’t we release some extra content and get some extra levels down there? Just like you and I, that’s what I wanted to see.
And all this silly stuff that you do at drama school when you kind of copy animals and things, you’re like, how am I going to use this in my everyday acting? It all comes into motion capture because when suddenly you’re playing a Predator, you’re like, wow, what is he? He’s like half gorilla, half panther. He prowls like a panther, but he has the weight of a gorilla. And you suddenly start finding yourself moving in these ways because it’s so freeing, because you’ve just got the dots and the lycra suit on. And you can play a character you’d never get cast as. You know?
When you think about Warcraft and Warhammer and the orcs and the monsters and the ogres and things, you can do any of that on motion capture as an actor. Just look at Andy Serkis as Gollum. It can be some of the most fun jobs you can do. So I am a big fan, and I do get excited. Because sometimes it’s a video game, not a film, but it’s the enjoyment of it that I get into. It’s about doing it. It can be just as much fun as taking on a big character for the screen.
The lines have blurred quite considerably between video game acting and acting. They seem to be becoming more one and the same. But with that said, do you prefer acting video games or live-action?
Oh, definitely live-action because you’ve got more to play with. You’ve got a real-world set. The toughest thing about motion capture, but also sometimes the freeing part, is that when you’re in a motion capture volume, a lot of it has to be… The cameras have to be able to get through the furniture, get through the articles, so as much as you’re using your imagination that this object in front of you has to be something completely different, you can’t.
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I remember doing stuff on other games… I remember it in Killzone and you’re in a drop-ship kind of environment and it’s all made of chicken wire and things. So you can’t actually physically touch anything and you can’t get close to actors sometimes because the two bodies just morph into one with the motion capture. It can be frustrating. There’s a lot more rules to it. There are rules involved. And it can be restricting. And they’re getting there. They’re getting a lot better with it all, but you can’t beat real-world stuff.
It’s like asking you what you prefer, more AI, or having a human do it. I’m never going to side with the world of pixels and AI. But it’s different. It’s fun. It just goes back to being a kid again when you’re running around the playground and I just go, hey, you’re Luke Skywalker. I’m Darth Vader. And then we’ve got imaginary lightsabers. We like to save ourselves. That’s what’s so fun about it. It is like you’re paying me to do this. This is just playing! But obviously playing and taking it very seriously because video games aren’t cheap.
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When I spoke to Tim Willits at Gamescom this year he was adamant we wouldn’t be waiting 13 years for Space Marine 3. Would you be up for returning?
You know, yes, of course. I mean, Games Workshop has already come up to me and said, this is it. You’re the voice of Titus now. And I’m involved in a top-secret Amazon production. And I just had someone the other day, they were thinking about using Titus in a VR game just as a voice.
And they approached me. So I’m like, yeah, this is… He’s my guy. Titus is my guy. And if people like me playing it and they’re enjoying Space Marine 2, then how could I not come back for the third installment? I’d love that.
Have you finished recording everything for Space Marine 2? Are you still coming back to the booth for any DLC or anything like that?
At the moment, I’m done. I’m just waiting to hear how it goes now. It’s all been just about marketing and press. I’ve just done these really cool little videos trying to bring people into the Warhammer 40K universe. Kind of like a basic kind of induction into ‘this is what this is, this is what that is’. They’re going to release those very soon.
I think that’ll be a lot of fun for people who are new to the game and new to the world. You have to explain a little bit about the lineage and where Titus and the Ultramarines exist within this massive codex.
What was your favorite part of the story regarding Space Marine 2?
I particularly liked the fact that the brothers, the Marines, have a camaraderie but they don’t quite trust Titus. And I really enjoyed that kind of arc of this guy who’s got like a chip on his shoulder and he’s got these younger Space Marines who are, you know, they just don’t quite know how to deal with him. I enjoyed that part immensely, kind of bouncing between the two, the two other Space Marines.
Yeah. I remember thinking as well that I was so happy with the stories that came out. At one point when I was reading it, I was like, are we going to go down the Halo route? And then it takes a really different turn and I’m like, oh, I like this. It’s great. And it really does stand alone as its own story.
He prowls like a panther, but he has the weight of a gorilla. And you suddenly start finding yourself moving in these ways because it’s so freeing.
Oliver Hollis-Leick, who was really, really involved in the creative process, is a bit of a genius actually. He’s really so invested in it that he does, he’s the guy that knows the lore. He’s the guy that knows everything. And he would take it very seriously. And yeah, if there was any kind of hiccup in the storyline, it would get fixed by him, so yeah, big props to him.
You mentioned your brother earlier on. Has he got an early release copy being that he’s the brother of the leading star? Have you snuck him a copy so that he can love and live his childhood fantasies?
You’re proving me to be a bad brother now. I’m too polite. I should have put an order in straight away. I should have stepped out a bit here. He did say to me though, I mean, he was like“Get me in there! Is there any way I can just point the Space Marine at the background or something?”, but they were so top secret at Games Workshop. They were like“Nope, no, we’re not going to be doing any of that!”.
I’ll have to earn my stripes first before I start choosing my own Space Marines.
Is there anything never get asked, or that you never get the opportunity to share about Space Marine 2 that you want to at this stage?
The only thing I would say is that when you see these massive Space Marines running around and picking up people, driving monsters through with their chainsaws and ripping them in two and things like that, just, you know, you don’t think to remember that the actors were all wearing two layers of American football gear, kind of clunking into each other in a motion capture studio trying to recreate all that.
It’s very funny to think what we had to do to get that. But, no, I’m just so glad people are receiving the game so well.
It’s also a part of me that likes to keep all the, you know, the smoke and mirrors. It’s like, if you knew what went on behind the scenes to make a game like this, it would ruin the magic of it. Because they’re becoming more and more lifelike now, these video games. It’s quite exciting to kind of create worlds like that.
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I mean, personally, as a fan, I would have loved to spend more time in the Death Watch at the beginning. You know, it’s obviously, it’s the classic way that a game brings you into the story is you have a quick level, and then, boom, you wake up, and then you’re over and, oh, it’s Titus, but I would love to have just explored that world a little bit more. A few more missions down there would have been fantastic.
So maybe this is me as a fan giving a little hint to my bosses going, well, why don’t we release some extra content and get some extra levels down there? Just like you and I, that’s what I wanted to see. I’m like, come on. But I suppose that’s the point is you give someone a taster of it and you see if you want more of it.
It was a real labor of love, actually, because I’m really so involved with it now. I do comic cons now and again forVikingsand some of the stuff I’ve done. And I’ve had a few people now come up and talk to me about the lore and the titles and how much this game means to them.
I hope to meet more of those people and become more involved in it and hear the feedback so I can actually, good or bad, bring it if we do do aSpace Marine 3. Because I’m always looking to make things bigger and better and bolder. And, yeah, so I kind like to feel like I’m joining a family.
Luke Addison
Former Head of Gaming
Articles Published :462
Luke Addison is a Former Video Game Critic and Gaming Editor. As likely to be caught listening to noughties rock as he is watching the latest blockbuster cinema release, Luke is the quintessential millennial wistfully wishing after a forgotten era of entertainment. Also a diehard Chelsea fan, for his sins.
