Takes place in a dystopian America, nearly a century from now. I have an idea for a scene where after the MC escapes jail, he is met by a guy like Morpheus from The Matrix. Who helps set the building blocks for that would eventually lead to the MC becoming an action anti-hero. I'm not planning on having him play a big role. Kinda like a Stan Lee cameo in the Marvel movies (rest easy man). In a way, it's almost poetic. If I were a character in the story, I wouldn't be the MC, but rather I'd give a hint here or there, before watching from the shadows. But I'm afraid it might be cringe, thoughts?
Depends how you write the character, because like you said this could be very cringey, almost to the point of a video game icon nudging the character towards the next objective. But if it's done well this character could prove to be the most intriguing, mysterious and ultimately captivating part of your story. When it comes to characters like this, you should explore how they talk, not just pattern of speech but also resonance. Set the tone, find their unique language and you're onto a winner. Hope this helps, happy writing friend!
I was given this book as a present. The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers, by Christopher Vogler. It's a really good book to read, even if you don't consciously structure your stories this way. But many people do. The character you refer to is probably what Vogler would call "The Mentor." The stages, according to Vogler, leading up to the appearance of The Mentor are: Ordinary World, Call to Adventure, Refusal of the Call, Meeting with The Mentor. These are followed by Crossing the First Threshold, Tests, Allies, Enemies, and etc. Your Mentor is not only a non cringeworthy addition to your story (unless you write a cringeworthy Mentor) but is probably expected. This is an ancient storytelling format, and is probably something we're all used to, even if we're not conscious of it.
