Leaked Tom Holland & Mark Wahlberg set photos spark Uncharted fan outrage

Brad Norton

Production on the Uncharted movie is well underway though newly leaked set photos have sparked outrage among the gaming community due to our first look at Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg in character.

After more than a decade of issues behind the scenes, the Uncharted film adaptation is now a real thing. Tom Holland is leading the charge as a young Nathan Drake while Mark Wahlberg joins the action as the ever-charming Victor Sullivan.

While the movie is set to explore a younger period in their lives, many fans are unhappy with the appearance of Wahlberg as Sully from a first look. Set photos leaked on September 15 as the production moved to Berlin for a nighttime scene. The two are both dressed to the nines. Similar to how their respective characters appeared in the early hours of Uncharted 4. 

From the two pictures that slipped through the cracks, we can see how Sully is being portrayed in the flick. Wahlberg looks just as ordinary as usual.

There’s no iconic mustache, his hair hasn’t changed, and it’s even dyed a sharp black to de-age this version of the character. All of this has been enough to set off the gaming community in a wave of backlash against the upcoming movie.

In a flashback sequence throughout Uncharted 3, we see how Sully and Drake came together in Columbia. This was 20 years prior to the central narrative. Drake was just a kid, though Sully still appeared older than how Walhberg is presented in the upcoming movie. 

Naturally, this led to immense criticism online as avid fans of the franchise responded to the leaks. “The resemblance is uncanny,” OnlyMcFisherMan replied with a picture of Sully’s in-game model.

“Mark Wahlberg as Sully might be one of the worst casting choices I’ve seen in a movie lately,” another said.

Side by side comparisons of the beloved video game character and Wahlberg’s portrayal followed in droves. Who knows, perhaps the community outrage will be enough to force a change similar to 2020’s Sonic the Hedgehog. 

Hollywood has already shown a willingness to remove facial hair through the power of CGI. Perhaps a mustache could be added to Victor ‘Goddamn’ Sullivan in post.

Uncharted 4 gameplay
Uncharted fans will have to get used to seeing Mark Wahlberg in the shoes of Sully.

The Uncharted movie is still expected to hit theaters on July 16, 2021, despite delays due to the ongoing health crisis. While the leaked set pictures haven’t gone down well within the gaming community, the film could serve as a new entry point to the franchise for the uninitiated.

Only time will tell how the adaptation pans out, though Holland has already gone on record to describe it as “everything [he] dreamed it would be.”

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About The Author

Brad Norton is the Australian Managing Editor at Dexerto. He graduated from Swinburne University with a Bachelor’s degree in journalism and has been working full-time in the field for the past six years at the likes of Gamurs Group and now Dexerto. He loves all things single-player gaming (with Uncharted a personal favorite) but has a history on the competitive side having previously run Oceanic esports org Mindfreak. You can contact Brad at brad.norton@dexerto.com