There aren’t many video game characters in recent history that are as famous as Marcus Fenix. From his first appearance in the original Gears of War, fans fell in love with his deep voice, badass attitude, and surprising wit.
He has since featured quite often, not just in the sequels but in the comics and novels as well. Even after he transitioned from lead protagonist to supporting player, he was still an important and entertaining character. With his many appearances, it can be difficult to remember everything about him. But there are certain things that fans need to know about the war hero.
10 He Shares A Voice Actor With Bender From Futurama
Whether he’s shouting at his teammates or cracking wise, Marcus’s voice is one of the most iconic in all of gaming. His grizzled tones are provided by experienced voice actor John DiMaggio.
DiMaggio has had an impressive career with many significant credits to his name. But arguably the role he is most known for is Bender from Futurama. The actor lent his voice to the foul-mouthed robot for over a decade. It really is a testament to DiMaggio’s vocal talents that he’s able to voice both Marcus and Bender so convincingly as they sound very different.
9 The Difficulties Of His First Mission
During the games, Marcus became a legendary war hero because of how influential he was during the conflict against the Locust. However, his military career didn’t get off to the best start.
His first mission was to patrol around an imulsion refinery. Unfortunately, a group of UIR soldiers ambushed him and his company, killing one of his comrades. The attackers even blew up the imulsion wells at the refinery. It wasn’t Marcus’s fault, and his superior officer even gave him credit for stopping the hostiles from doing more damage. Fenix still saw the mission as a failure, though. This is all depicted in the Gears of War: Unsaid comic.
8 He Was Close Friends With Dom’s Brother
The friendship between Marcus and Dom is legendary and is a big focus in the first three games. However, Fenix was just as close with Dom’s brother, Carlos. The older sibling’s friendship with Marcus was mostly depicted in Gears of War: Aspho Fields and Gears of War: Unsaid.
They met as kids and later became soldiers together as part of the same company. Unfortunately, Carlos got severely injured during a battle and ended up sacrificing his life to damage the enemy. If Marcus’s friendship with Carlos had been shown in the games, then it would likely be as beloved as the one he had with Dom.
7 Dave Bautista Wants To Play Him In A Film Adaptation
Casting a Gears of War movie would be difficult as it would require finding several actors who are or could become as abnormally big and muscular as the COG soldiers. One actor who already has the required physique is Dave Bautista, who’s known for playing Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy.
The former wrestler has lobbied to play Marcus Fenix for some time now. He even featured as a skin for Marcus in Gears 5’s multiplayer. It’s unclear if Bautista will ever be given his desired role, but he would be perfect for it.
6 Why He Was Imprisoned
At the start of the first game, Marcus was already locked up in prison, and the game didn’t fully explain why. Luckily Gears of War: The Slab shed more light on what happened.
When Ephyra was under siege by Locust forces, Marcus was ordered to deliver the Hammer of Dawn’s targeting laser to Major Tomas. However, Marcus went to save his father instead, who was also being attacked by Locusts. Without Fenix delivering the laser or the optic for it, the horde took over most of the city, killing many civilians and Gears in the process. Marcus was court-martialed and sentenced to 40 years in prison for his actions.
5 The Origins Of His Last Name
For a series about muscular quick-witted soldiers, the games have always told emotional stories. Equally deep is the meaning behind the protagonist’s last name.
The creator of the franchise, Cliff Bleszinski, once revealed that he named the character “Fenix” because he himself was rising like a phoenix from the ashes of his failed marriage. It’s already a cool sounding name that has become iconic, but the important meaning behind it makes it even better.
4 He Was 60+ Years Old In Gears 4 And 5
The fourth and fifth numbered games presented a significant change for Marcus Fenix as he was no longer the lead protagonist. And while the rugged Gear never looked young in the first few titles, he was still visibly older in the more recent installments.
Gears of War 4 took place 25 years after the events of the original trilogy, which meant Marcus was in his 60s during that time. It didn’t seem to make him any less deadly, though.
3 The Origins Of His Signature Look
A bandana, scarred face, and stocky body is the classic Marcus look. Yet, according to the designers of the game, it took some time to decide on those features. The face, in particular, was a struggle as the early versions didn’t have enough character.
Then an artist named Jay Hawkins came up with a design that had scars, acne, and what would become the signature bandanna. It was a rugged look that fit the character perfectly.
2 How He Got His Facial Scar
Jay Hawkins came up with the idea of giving Marcus scars, but there’s also an in-universe reason for the big one next to his eye.
While he was in prison, there was a guard named Campbell who was out to get him. On one occasion, the guard released a couple of attack dogs on Marcus and fellow prisoner, Reeve. Fenix managed to kill the two canines, but received a giant cut beside his right eye in the process. The resulting scar was visible throughout the games, yet this story of how he got it was only told in Gears of War: The Slab.
1 His Mother Was The First To Discover The Locust
An often forgotten member of the Fenix family is Marcus’s mother, Elain. She was a biologist who spent significant time researching the Hollow. During her work, she discovered the existence of the Locust horde before anybody else.
Unfortunately, she was killed by the creatures before she could make her discovery public. However, she noted down her findings in her journal, which her husband Adam found. He then began his own research on the species and went on to end both the Lambent and most of the Locust threat. All this was made possible by Marcus’s mother, Elain.
NEXT: Gears Of War: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Kait
