If Mass Effect 4's protagonist is locked in as a race other than human, they may end up replicating Shepard in a certain way regardless. Considering how iconic Commander Shepard turned out to be, it's hard to imagine future Mass Effect protagonists not taking anything from their portrayal in the original trilogy. At the same time, Mass Effect 4 will still need to do something to make itself distinct from past games. Whether it features a return of Shepard or a new protagonist, that much is true. Even so, Mass Effect 4's protagonist might inevitably repeat one thing.