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Giancarlo Esposito Talks Antón Castillo & Far Cry 6

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A dictator who believes he’s the hero of his own story is about to headline Far Cry 6.

Giancarlo Esposito sat down with Entertainment Tonight’s Ash Crossan to break down his casting as Antón Castillo, the strongman antagonist of Ubisoft’s Far Cry 6, and to explain why he didn’t want to play just another straightforward villain. The actor also touched on his return to The Mandalorian, his voice work as Lex Luthor, and his hopes of eventually landing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

• Esposito plays Antón Castillo, the dictator “El Presidente” of the fictional island nation of Yara, opposite his 13-year-old son Diego, played by Anthony Gonzalez, in Far Cry 6, scheduled for release February 18, 2021.
• His casting was officially confirmed after months of leaks and teasers culminated in Ubisoft’s July 12, 2020 Ubisoft Forward presentation.
• Esposito discussed reprising Moff Gideon in Season 2 of The Mandalorian, including his pursuit of the Child and use of the Darksaber, and voiced interest in eventually working with Marvel Studios after voicing Lex Luthor in Harley Quinn.

A Dictator Who Doesn’t See Himself as the Villain

Esposito told Crossan that what drew him to Castillo wasn’t the chance to play another antagonist after Breaking Bad’s Gustavo Fring — it was the chance to play one who doesn’t think of himself that way. In Far Cry 6, Castillo rules Yara, a fictional Caribbean island caught in the middle of a revolution, and in Esposito’s framing, the character genuinely believes he’s the one holding the country together. Rather than a cartoonish tyrant, Esposito described Castillo as a leader convinced he’s restoring his country to paradise and empowering his people through the uprising, even as his 13-year-old son Diego watches him do it.

Castillo doesn’t think he’s the villain of Yara’s story — he thinks he’s the only thing standing between the island and chaos.

The Reveal at Ubisoft Forward

Esposito’s casting wasn’t a surprise announced out of nowhere. Leaks and teasers built anticipation for weeks before Ubisoft used its July 12, 2020 Ubisoft Forward presentation to officially confirm him as the face of Far Cry 6’s antagonist. That showcase, part of the same summer of digital events that also produced reveals covered in Top 10 NEW UBISOFT Games of 2020 & 2021, gave Ubisoft a marquee moment to pair a recognizable actor with a franchise entering its sixth mainline installment.

Moff Gideon, the Darksaber and Baby Yoda

Crossan pivoted the conversation to Esposito’s other high-profile villain role: Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian. Esposito teased his return for Season 2 on Disney+, where Gideon continues hunting “The Child” — Baby Yoda — while wielding the Darksaber, the legendary weapon introduced in the Season 1 finale. He spoke about the weight of carrying that blade on screen and what it means for Gideon’s pursuit going forward, without giving away plot specifics.

Looking Toward Marvel

Having just wrapped voicing Lex Luthor in DC’s animated series Harley Quinn, Esposito made clear his ambitions extend beyond the DC and Star Wars properties he’s currently juggling. He told Crossan he’d love to find his way into a Marvel Studios project, adding another comic-book credit to a resume that already spans Breaking Bad, The Mandalorian and now Far Cry 6.

Far Cry 6 still had its February 18, 2021 release date locked in when Esposito sat down with ET, giving Ubisoft roughly seven months to build out Castillo and Yara’s revolution before players actually get their hands on the game.