Paramount's second season of the Halo The Series is now streaming, and if you've been wondering why Cortana looks different this time around, Master Chief's actor Pablo Schreiber has shed some light on this change.
While Cortana's original live-action model didn't go down so well with some fans in the first season, this look as Schreiber explains is simply because there's a new showrunner (David Wiener). He also highlighted how it's obviously not out of the ordinary for the series, given how regularly the games have changed Cortana's physical appearance over the years.
Here's exactly what he had to say (via RadioTimes.com):
"That does occur in the games. The difference in [Cortana's] appearance I would also attribute to a new showrunner, a new vision for the look."
Season 2 also puts Chief and Cortana (who is still voiced by Jen Taylor) in a different situation (warning: spoilers):
"So, in the second season, there's a journey back to each other, he has to find his way back to her. And I think when they do find each other again, the nature of the relationship will be quite different than it was in the first season."
Cortana isn't the only thing that's changed under the new showrunner. It's been previously revealed by Wiener how this new season is a much more subjective take which results in what's ultimately a more "grittier, more grounded, more visceral ride".
The show's executive producer Kiki Wolfkill has also mentioned how Season 2 has allowed the team to "step up and do the best" to remedy some things it would have liked to in Season 1 but didn't get the chance.
Season 2 so far has been (mostly) well-received by critics, you can see some first impressions in our roundup: