John Marston is Probably the Protagonist of Red Dead Redemption 2

John Marston is probably the protagonist of Red Dead Redemption 2, judging by these major clues.

[-Foxtrot]

I love John but I'd only would have want to see him in a sequel...however with how it ended I doubt that would even happen. I thought they would have done a second expansion to show an alternative ending but it never came to be.

The thing about a prequel is you know his and other characters fates...you wouldn't be able to get into it as much

[kraenk12]

I agree...it's hard to imagine the game will have a similar emotional impact as the first one...

Still it makes sense I guess. There are loads of stories to be told with John and his (former) gang.

[IamTylerDurden1]

Obviously it'd have to be a prequel, but there is no way the story can possibly be as emotionally gripping. I think they need a new protagonist. It's appealing to see John in is his prime running with the gang, but how does it make us truly care? We already had the Marston fight for family story.

[Concertoine]

The thing is... if its a prequel why call it Red Dead Redemption 2?

@Vanfernal

True, but even though they were prequels they technically had different protagonists. They also had subtitles. This is Red Dead Redemption 2, plain and simple unless that changes.

[Vanfernal]

@Concertoine

Well Metal Gear Solid 3 and 5 are prequels. Just saying. XD

[deathtok]

@Concertoine

Red Dead Redemption 2 may not be the final name. I was kind of surprised since it's really Red Dead 3.

Many numbered series create new, unique stories unrelated to previous entries. Final Fantasy or even Rockstar's own GTA.

[kraenk12]

It would obviously make sense if it was Marston's son...but wasn't the Wild West area nearing its end by that time?! I'd prefer a new story with new characters told earlier tbh.

[CorndogBurglar]

Yeah, I couldn't agree more.

RDR was about as far into the old west (timeline wise) that I would want to go. I don't want cars and stuff. Go further back. There are literally no good western games outside of the Red Dead franchise. This needs to be the hardcore old west at its finest. No borderline modern era gangsters.

I want a new protagonist. Don't get me wrong, i'll play a prequel and love it. But I already feel like I know everything there is to know about Marston and all the people involved with him.

I want a fresh start.

Being a Bounty Hunter would be cool. Or being a part of a full blown criminal group. Or even being a lawman. I don't know, SOMETHING, ANYTHING would be different enough to have potential!!

[wannabe gamer]

we dont know exactly what happened before RDR and there was a ton of history and backstory hinted at, there is plenty of room for them to make a prequel

[-Foxtrot]

We know about the old gang
We know about the characters
We know they pulled off robberies and give some to the poor
We know the last bank/boat robbery was a failure
We know Dutch shot some high up woman where the Government got involved
We know John almost dies, is left for dead and leaves the gang
We know he runs off with Abbi
We know the other members split up as Dutch's sanity slipped
We know Bill dies
We know Javier dies
We know Dutch dies
We know John dies

I mean what else would you want to know...I mean really. None of the main characters would be in any danger and if they include other gang members then guess what? You know they will die as they aren't being searched for by the Government agents in the first game. The two agents only send John after Bill, Dutch and Javier.

It's not a story worth telling in a main game. DLC...maybe but not the entire game.

[CorndogBurglar]

I agree. I want a new game, with a new protagonist, set earlier in the old west.

No cars.

[-Foxtrot]

"No cars"

Except for that well hidden, easter egg, drivable Back to the Future DeLorean :)

[GrimmyReaper]

True, though it would be nice if maybe you run into John for a few missions or something other.

[LackTrue4K]

Last gen 3 characters that stood out above other games in great character development was Drake/Snake (MGS)
And John Marson!

All 3 games on there own was great but really how John Marson was shown throughout the game was amazing!!!

If it's him, I'm guessing it's the story about the posse.

That it's self can make a great game be told agian. Don't mine being more of a villain again.

[Kryptix]

Being Redemption 2, it has to be related to these characters and from the picture, it does look a like Marston & his gang.

I have an idea, what if it's a prequel and it's about the gang, but you don't play as John Marston, you play as someone else with Marston being a supporting character.

Or, it will be like GTA 5 with character switching which I was impartial with.

Looking at the red picture:

http://static.srcdn.com/sli...

To me, the guy all the way to the left kinda looks like Marston, but with a full grown beard which could be the case as he was younger.

Can't wait for the reveal.

[-Foxtrot]

It also looks like characters from Red Dead Revolver aswell.

http://n4g.com/news/1973139...

Only way I could see it working is if it's a completely different story and Marstons gang is in one section of the game where you need their help. That's it. The only characters I want to invest in are brand new ones.

[Kryptix]

Yea, someone else that agrees that the guy all the way to the left looks like John.

To be honest, I'm liking the theory that it's a mix of Redemption and Revolver characters.

John was born in 1873, Red's story in Revolver takes place in the 1880s, so Redemption 2 would take place in the 1890s with a much older Red. Be cool to play the good guys and the bad guys, one bounty hunters, the other robbers. Which would mean, we could see an emphasis of a cop vs robber mode online and that would be fun. Maybe eventually Red does join up with the gang after time & more time failing to capture them & rather just "hang with the best" and they aren't all bad, giving to the poor.

On October 11, Revolver was released on PS4, so that could be a hint to both of those stories connecting. Rockstar was trying to fill more people in on the first story.

Though, it would make sense calling the game Revolver 2 as this would be a sequel to Red's story, guess Redemption seems more known now.

[Dan_scruggs]

Don't hold your breath.

[zsquaresoff]

Looks like a younger john marston.

[sullynathan]

Or he probably isn't. He isn't the only character in the game with a hat and a gun.

[LackTrue4K]

I don't know, it could be "Puss in Boots" the similarities are there.
😂
😂

[warriorcase]

exactly

[AlwaysPlayStation]

I doubt it. I reckon a new character entirely unless this ends up being a prequel.

[OldGuyStillGaming]

It's his son

[XXanderXX]

So its a prequel , cause if am correct john was put in a pine box at the end of RDR 1

Don't think its John his hat is way different and he seem to favor using the Riffle instead of his pistols in this picture .

[Lighter9]

He rose from that pine box as a zombie.

[LackTrue4K]

One of the best DLC last gen. Was cool as hell see him coming out the grave.

[Lennac]

Prequels (which is what this is looking like) are great when there is some legitimate mystery to the origin and past of the characters. We already know a lot about John Marston, and most importantly, we know how it ends for him and the vast majority of the important characters associated with him.

[kraenk12]

It could obviously be his son.

[XXanderXX]

God no that DLC was lame as hell.

[LackTrue4K]

DLC???? I don't think you finished the game? Or even played the DLC.

[wannabe gamer]

its going to be a prequel but we will be playing as MANY characters ala GTAV character swapping. this is how they are going to make the game seem fresh while also making it a prequel where we know what happens to john down the road in RDR1. playing as many other characters is going to make it feel a lot different than just being John again

[demonddel]

We will know by tomorrow

[Twinblade]

How can he if he's supposed to be dead?

[EazyC]

I'd definitely entertain the idea of him playing a part in another;s story, perhaps Dutch himself? His transition from idealist to selfish cynic would be great to experience.

[Artemidorus]

Seems that way but you never know Rockstar might be trying to be clever with a new character.

[zombiewombie]

Orrrrrrrrr, it's actually Red from Revolver. :P

[Gamesgbkiller]

I wish Bonnie MacFarlane is this game. Her interaction with John was really something special in my opinion.

[CorndogBurglar]

I always use her as an example of what strong female characters should be in video games.

[KwietStorm_BLM]

I was always interested in finding out more about what put him on the path he was on. It would even be interesting gameplay playing as the bad guys.

So what happened to everyone knowing for a fact that it's Red Dead 3, and cant possibly be Red Dead Redemption 2? Oh it's probably now the same people saying it's not John haha

[CorndogBurglar]

Technically it IS the 3rd game in the franchise....

But the fact that they kept the Redemption name makes me think this will include Marston.

[KwietStorm_BLM]

What I'm saying is you couldn't find an article on here in months prior, without people attacking the authors and other people about calling the game Red Dead Redemption 2, which it turns out to be.

[CorndogBurglar]

Yeah I get it man.

You would think that these so-called gamers would be used to games in franchises having different names, but not necessarily following numbers in the title correctly.

For example, look how many Assassin's Creed games there have been. There were 2 in between Assassin's Creed 2 and 3, if I'm not mistaken? Or was it 3 and 4? I don't know, I don't play them, but you get my point.

A game in a franchise can come out at any time that is outside the normal numbering of the main series. It happens all the time with video game franchises.

[CorndogBurglar]

It would be cool to play as outlaws in this one. Like being part of a full blown gang of criminals.

[Igihara]

It's probably his son but I don't mind either way.

[rigo8582]

I think it makes sense if its a prequel. I really want to see what made John turn on his crew and how it all played out up to the beginning of RDR.

[Tzuno]

Yeah maybe on his early days when he was part of the magnificent 7 group???

[vivid83]

it would be nice if you played as a different member of john's old gang as a prequel same history different perspective

[digitalkid]

Nope, his wife should be on promo art. She was in the gang. =)
Well, but guys next to central character look exactly like Bill Williamson and Dutch.

[S-Word]

No thanks. Prequels are trash.

[MetalGearsofWar]

I hope not. Some games need a fresh sequel, not a prequel where there's no surprises.

[GoodOldWrastling14]

Not his fool again, let him rest in peace

[ziggurcat]

It could take place prior to when Marston settled down. That'd be my guess.

[BattleAxe]

I bet this game is a prequel. If you look at the picture, the guy on the far left looks like John Marston, and I'm betting that the guy in the middle is Dutch.

[JamesBroski]

Rockstar better bring back shoulder swap. Playing GTA V without it felt really wrong and cheap.

[Redx165]

I hope he is. He is by far one of my favorite protagonists I've had the pleasure being as.

[quent]

I think there's probably going to be multiple main characters like gta5, it worked well I think and could work even better in a western setting from a story perspective with the whole betrayal revenge thing.

[Enigma_2099]

If it is, that'd be kinda stupid.
#BringBackJack
or even better...
#BringBackRed

[Trekster_Gamer]

I bet it is a whole new storyline...
I doubt people want to spend their whole game in a outlaw game...

Marston was trying to correct his outlaw past. No need to turn this into a GTA thug wannabe