Note: This article contains story spoilers for Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate. We recommend completing the campaign before reading this material.
Destiny 2 expansions typically introduce new characters and expand their narratives. In “The Edge of Fate,” the first installment of Bungie`s new “Fate Saga” story arc, a highly unusual character named Lodi was presented. Serving as your primary contact in the new destination, Kepler, Lodi possesses a deep, mysterious backstory that brings numerous fresh elements to the game`s narrative and lore.
Lodi, it turns out, is a time traveler, abducted from the 1960s and thrown centuries into the future as part of an unknown scheme. This distinguishes him from typical Destiny 2 characters, as his perspective is much closer to that of the players than to the immortal Guardians. He also comes across as more of an “ordinary person” compared to other heroes featured previously, making him an intriguing anomaly in the Destiny 2 universe.
In “The Edge of Fate,” Lodi is embodied by actor Brian Villalobos, marking his debut in the game. Since taking on the role, Villalobos has actively delved into the Destiny 2 world, even starting to stream the game on Twitch (his brother, Michael, is the well-known Dark Souls streamer LobosJr). GameSpot interviewed Villalobos via email to discuss his experience portraying Lodi and how he uncovered the character`s humanity amidst the game`s cosmic magic.
Interview with Brian Villalobos
GameSpot: We noticed you`re streaming Destiny 2. How familiar were you with the game and its story when you took on the role of Lodi? What was your process for inhabiting the character and finding his place in the Destiny world, and how did your prior knowledge of the game influence this?
Brian Villalobos: I was not very familiar. I wouldn`t say I`m a huge gamer — my younger brother, a famous Dark Souls streamer, once got me into that beautiful nightmare, and he had played Destiny a bit, but I never did. I found out I was cast a little over a year ago. Of course, I`d heard of Destiny and knew it was a massive, long-running franchise, and I have friends who`ve played it forever. But I only saw it as a `space shooter.` I thought you just teamed up with friends and blew up robots and aliens or whatever. (Besides that, I think I might have known Nathan Fillion was in it? Haha.)
Brian Villalobos: What truly astonished and thrilled me when I began to delve deeper was the incredible depth and scope of the storytelling, characters, and lore. There`s a complete cosmology. You have space magic; a kind of space religions; coexisting peoples and societies; a convoluted military history; Eldritch interdimensional interference — it immediately felt as vast and profound as something like “Star Wars” or “Lord of the Rings.” So, that aspect — which, as an actor preparing to somehow step into that world, was the first thing I engaged with and the first thing I truly fell in love with — was completely new to me. Which, honestly, in a strange way, perfectly aligned with preparing for Lodi: one of his very fortunate traits — and I`ve been incredibly, incredibly lucky with this guy in so many ways — is that he`s this “Timelost,” “Stranger In a Strange Land” type of character.
Brian Villalobos: So, I prepared — that is, I played the game, avidly watched lore videos and Destiny storylines, researched background information, and all that — but much of his character, a.) felt so clearly and beautifully written in the script, and b.) was based on the idea of, `Okay, welcome to Destiny, you`re playing this astonishingly normal-seeming guy who`s constantly overwhelmed and confused by everything, yet very interested in this massive, pre-existing fantastical future-world he`s just been thrown into. He seems to have no idea what`s going on, is in over his head, and really doesn`t want to mess things up, but he`s just doing his best.` And I thought, `Yep. Okay. I can fully relate to that.`
GameSpot: Lodi faces rather significant challenges: he was abducted by aliens, sent to the future, and now his mind is being tampered with. Your portrayal effectively conveys deep anguish in several moments. Could you discuss the difficulties of capturing such a broad emotional range? How did you manage to transform all this incomprehensible strangeness into humanity, given such an extraordinary situation?
Brian Villalobos: Oh, it was so much fun. So, so much fun. Honestly. There`s a ton of massive-scale weirdness, but that`s precisely what makes this role a dream — it`s a shame I can`t spoil anything, but there were moments I got to play as Lodi that I literally never, ever, ever would have imagined I`d do as an actor. Ever. Ever. Haha. The stakes are immense, everything holds cosmic significance, with existence itself hanging in the balance, but at the same time, he`s just a regular guy. Dealing with all of it. And he`s smart, adaptable, kind, and open, which are all wonderful, useful qualities. But someone just flipped his reality and spacetime upside down, and he has to grasp it all, survive, and integrate without a single facial twitch giving him away. But I believe, as an actor, what you always and obviously have is the writing, the character`s thoughts, emotions, and experiences. And, if you`re lucky, another actor`s eyes, which, for the cinematic parts, I was very, very fortunate: We performed motion capture in Stockholm with multiple teams of wonderful people, including two truly amazingly talented actors, Allyson Kulavis and Richard Sloniker — who are Destiny legends and, besides voicing characters, have provided the physical and facial performances for many characters throughout the series` lifespan — they made my job significantly easier.
Brian Villalobos: We began with motion capture, which was fantastic. So, I had Allyson and Richard as scene partners (and patient, expert PCap mentors, since I`d never done it) to help ground the performance. All I had to do was immerse myself in what I imagined Lodi was thinking and feeling, look into their eyes, see what they were experiencing, and I was there. And then, when we did all the booth-recording sessions over the past year, that week in Sweden with the team, Allyson, and Richard served as a solid foundation, which was a huge help, because in the booth, you`re alone, just imagining things.
The Conclusion of Destiny 2`s Fate Saga is Already Known — And No, Lodi Did Not Assassinate Kennedy.
Brian Villalobos: As for humanity: it`s embedded in the writing. Truly. The narrative team for “Edge of Fate” is incredible (and kind!). They not only crafted a character that I instantly connected with but also provided immense support — they had a very clear vision, and everything was meticulously scripted. Yet, they gave me complete freedom to bring my natural cadences, pauses, vocal idiosyncrasies, and essentially my entire self and personality to Lodi.
Brian Villalobos: Early on, I understood the immense scale of this story — it features almost incomprehensible cosmic elements, interstellar time travel, unknowable space deities and wizards, and the end of existence. Not to mention, it`s Destiny, meaning over 10 years of incredible performances, storytelling, an incredibly passionate community, and tradition — a vast amount of material I could have felt pressured to live up to. But I`ll give myself credit for one thing: I instinctively felt that approaching it that way wasn`t part of the job. The job is this guy, what he thinks and feels. What he says isn`t even my concern; that`s handled. Just be open, trust, don`t impose any judgment or anything extra, and trust, and take a step into the unknown. And trust. Much like the guy himself.
GameSpot: Lodi is also a very fascinating character within Destiny 2 because he`s arguably the biggest “fish out of water” anyone could be, or has ever been, in Destiny 2. Yet, he must also be authoritative in some respects, guiding the player through the story. What was it like balancing these two aspects?
Brian Villalobos: Again, it`s rather like the job itself. And in a way, like any job an actor undertakes. To paraphrase the brilliant and kind Alison Lührs, Bungie`s narrative director, Lodi is a fish out of water, but he`s also the most qualified fish from that specific pond. So, as an actor, you arrive with your own set of experience, skills, and perspective, and you can feel a certain level of confidence and comfort in that, and in the fact that you`re here, that the artists crafting this story saw something in you that, in their estimation, seemed to fit, so you must be somehow `right` for the job. (Or perhaps the other candidate wasn`t available.) But either way, you were chosen for this purpose. You`re `qualified,` let`s say. However, this job is also different, enormous, strange, and a lot rides on it. So, what do you do? You do what Lodi does. He`s like the top-tier “fake-it-`til-you-make-it” kind of guy. And don`t we all kind of do that? Or, no, not fake it. Trust it. More positively: “Trust it `til you conquer it.”
GameSpot: What was the most engaging or compelling aspect of playing Lodi for you? What drew you to this role?
Brian Villalobos: Well, everything, which isn`t the best answer, but it`s the honest one. Literally everything about this character was interesting and compelling to me. We also share an uncannily large number of similarities on paper. We both love languages and people, are pacifists at heart, share a primary passion for communication and connection, are both part Latino and speak Spanish but easily pass for regular white guys, and we are both peacemakers to a fault — I mean, it gets ridiculous. I even loved ceviche before I became vegetarian. (I mean, I guess I still technically love it.) We also bear a slight resemblance.
Brian Villalobos: One element of the character and story I particularly enjoyed was the significant amount of situational comedy that arose from being a `guy from the `60s thrust into a space-magic-future.` There were genuinely fun moments to explore with Lodi when he was completely disoriented, trying to maintain his cover and blend in with people who are centuries beyond his frame of reference. He`s like the ultimate “How do you do, fellow kids?” character, which, come to think of it, is another similarity we share. I`ve kind of felt functionally 40 since I was 17. (Without, you know, all the responsibility and knowledge about stocks.)
GameSpot: Were there any specific films or performances that inspired you while bringing Lodi to life? Any other sources of inspiration?
Brian Villalobos: I received a subtle hint about Kyle MacLachlan/Dale Cooper, which made me squeal very audibly in the booth because I`m a huge Lynch and Twin Peaks fan. And there was, I think, a small mention of The X-Files. But honestly, it might sound mundane, but my “North Star,” so to speak, was the script itself and Lodi. There were very interesting and amusing references made when discussing how to approach Lodi`s other — let`s say, `personalities,` to avoid spoilers? — but I`m honestly not sure I`m at liberty to discuss those. Heh. Man. That`s why this character is amazing. I truly got to do so much with him that I never anticipated.
GameSpot: Are you familiar with the theory that Lodi assassinated JFK? Follow-up: Did Lodi actually assassinate JFK? Do you have a different theory? We`re open to headcanon on this one.
Brian Villalobos: Excuse me, hold on. I think I`m getting a call. I probably need to answer this.