Halo reveals the TV show's Cortana, Master Chief's backstory in new trailer

Halo fans hear a familiar voice in the new trailer for Paramount+'s upcoming TV series adaptation of the popular video games.

The footage, which dropped during Sunday's AFC Championship Game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals, reveals Cortana, the most highly advanced A.I. in human history that, potentially, is also the key to the human race's survival.

The voice of Cortana belongs to actress Jen Taylor, who has voiced the character throughout the entire gaming franchise, starting with 2001's Halo: Combat Evolved.

The Halo trailer also lays out the backstory of the Master Chief, a.k.a. Spartan-117, played by American Gods and Orange Is the New Black actor Pablo Schreiber.

The story takes place in the 26th century in the midst of a war between humankind and an alien collective known as the Covenant. Dr. Halsey (Natascha McElhon) created the Spartans, enhanced super-soldiers, to help humanity win the war. The Master Chief is the most powerful, but as he learns of hidden truths, he seemingly breaks from his programming.

Halo gets its name from the massive ring-shaped, habitable super-weapons created long ago, and the Master Chief's mission is track down the Halo.

"Find the Halo, win the war," seems to be the new "Save the cheerleader, save the world."

Bokeem Woodbine (Fargo), Shabana Azmi (Fire), Natasha Culzac (The Witcher), Olive Gray (Half Moon Investigations), Yerin Ha (Reef Break), Bentley Kalu (Avengers: Age of Ultron), Kate Kennedy (Catastrophe), Charlie Murphy (Peaky Blinders), and Danny Sapani (Penny Dreadful) feature among the cast.

Ryan McParland (6Degrees), Burn Gorman (The Expanse), and Fiona O'Shaughnessy (Nina Forever) will also be playing brand-new characters not in the video games that were created for the show.

Halo premieres on Paramount+ this March 24. Watch the trailer above.

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