Let’s Not Pretend It Was Kristen Bell’s Fault That She Was Removed from Assassin’s Creed

If you’ve ever played Assassin’s Creed, you probably remember a few things: intense parkour, stealth kills, and the occasional chase through medieval cities. But there was also a modern-day storyline that focused on Desmond Miles, a character who linked the past with the present through the Animus.

One of the standout characters in that modern-day story was Lucy Stillman, voiced by Kristen Bell, who you probably recognize from Veronica Mars or The Good Place. However, Lucy was written out of the series much earlier than expected, leaving fans confused and disappointed.

But was it really Kristen Bell’s fault? In short—no. There’s a lot more to the story than just Bell wanting out. In fact, the reason Lucy was removed from Assassin’s Creed has a lot to do with behind-the-scenes drama, including contract disputes and a major change in the direction of the game series.

But there’s also a whole lot more to the Assassin’s Creed saga that you probably didn’t know about. Let’s take a deep dive into why the actress was taken out of the series.

Why Kristen Bell Was Removed from Assassin’s Creed

Kristen Bell’s role as Lucy Stillman in the Assassin’s Creed franchise was a pretty important one, especially in the early games. She wasn’t just any side character—she was central to the modern-day storyline, which linked everything Desmond was doing in the past with his struggle in the present.

Fans loved her for her charm and intelligence, and she was one of the few characters that made the modern-day storyline worth paying attention to. However, despite her success in the role, things behind the scenes weren’t so smooth.

In a 2017 interview with Jeux Vidéo Magazine, former Assassin’s Creed creative director Patrice Désilets revealed that Bell had asked for royalties for her role in future Assassin’s Creed games. In other words, she wanted to be paid not just for her appearances in the games she’d already been in, but for any future games that might feature her character.

This demand for additional payments didn’t sit well with the team at Ubisoft, and instead of negotiating a new deal or reaching a compromise, the decision was made to kill off Lucy Stillman. Just like that, one of the most interesting characters in the franchise was written out of the story.

While it’s easy to assume that Bell was just trying to cash in, it’s important to remember that actors and voice talent deserve fair compensation for their work—especially if the series is making millions. Bell’s request wasn’t unreasonable, but the studio didn’t want to deal with it, so they took the easy way out and had Lucy killed off at the end of Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood.

It wasn’t all bad for the actress, though. She went on to become a household name, landing major roles in both TV and film. But as for Lucy? She was gone, and Assassin’s Creed fans had to live with that decision.

Assassin’s Creed Was Initially Set to Conclude in Space

You might think of Assassin’s Creed as a historical action-adventure game, right? We’ve all spent hours running around ancient cities and fighting Templars in places like Jerusalem, Rome, and Constantinople. But in reality, Assassin’s Creed was supposed to end… in space.

Yes, you read that right— the original plan for the series involved Desmond and Lucy traveling into space to start a new life on another planet. According to Assassin’s Creed co-creator Patrice Désilets in an interview with Euro Gamer, they were meant to become the new Adam and Eve.

The idea was to have Desmond and Lucy escape Earth in a spaceship, and it was going to be this huge, dramatic moment that ended the entire trilogy. Imagine it now: you’re playing through the final moments of Assassin’s Creed and suddenly—Desmond and Lucy are on a spaceship, heading to some far-off planet to start fresh.

It sounds like the kind of plot twist you’d expect from a Star Wars or Star Trek movie. But at one point, this was the plan. However, as Assassin’s Creed grew, things started to change. The developers began to realize that a space ending might not be the best direction for the series, and some key people left the team.

So, the whole idea of ending the game in space got scrapped, and the story evolved into something much more complex and open-ended. Instead of a grand finale with Desmond and Lucy in space, the story continued to evolve, exploring different time periods and new characters.

Assassin’s Creed was A Smash-Hit

When Assassin’s Creed first launched in 2007, it was clear that the game had a lot of potential. The concept of blending historical fiction with a modern-day conspiracy was something new and exciting, and the game’s graphics, story, and gameplay mechanics were impressive for its time.

Kristen Bell, voicing Lucy Stillman, was an important part of that early success, even though she wasn’t in the game as much as the main character, Desmond Miles. Critics were mostly impressed by the game, with many praising its innovative parkour mechanics, the open-world environment, and the attention to detail in recreating real-world cities. 

Game Informer gave the game a 9.5 out of 10, calling it a must-play, with GameSpot noting that it offered some of the best graphics of its time. In terms of sales, Assassin’s Creed was a huge success.

In the UK, the game debuted at number one, knocking Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare off the top spot (via MCV). According to LEVVVEL, the game has sold over 200 million copies to date. While not every critic was totally sold on the game, its commercial success spoke for itself.