Alan Wake 2’s New Character Is Way More Important Than You Think
It’s all connected.
A lan Wake 2 is a sequel nearly 13 years in the making, the game that Remedy Entertainment has wanted to make ever since the release of the original cult classic in 2010. Outside of that, Alan Wake 2 also marks a watershed moment for the Remedy Connected Universe, with creative director Sam Lake promising “plenty of content” for the studio’s multiversal storytelling. In that regard, a new character reveal might be our biggest clue yet on how things tie together.
On Twitter, Sam Lake revealed a new character named Mr. Door, a late-night talk show host in Alan Wake 2 played by David Harewood (best known for J’onn J’onzz in Supergirl). The title of his show is “In Between With Mr. Door,” and while Remedy has often featured in-game radio and TV shows, this one is clearly different.
The most important thing to note is that this isn’t the first time we’ve heard of “Mr. Door,” as the name first popped up in Control. In that game, Jessie Faden’s brother Dylan is told about the multiverse by an entity that goes by Mr. Door. Here’s what Dylan says.
“I was in a dark place, and there was a dark man there. His name was Mr. Door, and he told me that there are many worlds - side-by-side, on top of each other, some inside of others. In one world, there was a writer who wrote a story about a cop. In another world, the cop was real. Door said he himself was in all of them at the same time, endlessly shifting between them.”
This line clearly references the world of Alan Wake and Max Payne, as the cop in question is Alex Casey. There’s an Easter Egg in the game Quantum Break that shows a live-action video featuring the cop Alex Casey, who’s played by Sam Lake himself. Of course, Lake also served as the actor and face of Max Payne, in the first game. What makes this all the more interesting is that “Alex Casey” is back in Alan Wake 2, helping the new protagonist, Saga, search for the lost writer.
In Control, Dylan says Mr. Door came to him in a dream and told him about the multiverse, but refused to help spread The Hiss.
Even though all we have is a single image of Mr. Door in Alan Wake 2, it seems like he could be some kind of multiversal talk show host. This is supported by the “In Between” in his show’s title, suggesting this show exists across universes simultaneously. Also, on Mr. Door’s desk, there’s a mug from the Oh Deer Diner (featured in the first Alan Wake), and what appears to be a copy of the official real-world novelization of the game.
It’s clear that Mr. Door will play a vital role in Alan Wake 2, but he may have ties to Quantum Break as well. One of the main villains of Quantum Break, Martin Hatch, is a “shifter,” someone that can move between parallel timelines. An optional note you can find in the game gives more insight on how Hatch sees his powers and role, as he says “I stand in between. I don't see myself as a gate. I remain humble. I'm something smaller. A hatch."
Quantum Break’s Martin Hatch (played by the late Lance Reddick) bears some suspicious similarities to Mr. Door.
It feels like too big of a coincidence that Hatch describes himself as “in-between” and then Mr. Door’s talk show has that same term. And both characters’ names denote a kind of portal or happening: Hatch and Door. They could actually be the same person, or related to one another in some way. Multidimensional beings would probably have knowledge of each other. Right?
It’s hard to say exactly what role Mr. Door will fill, but based on what we’ve seen so far it seems like he could be set up to be an intermediary between each Remedy game, almost like a Nick Fury-esque character who pops up everywhere. Considering a simple talk show host is themed as a “reveal,” you can bet Remedy has a plan for Mr. Door moving forward.
