Okay yeah it didn't measure up to Marathon. But!
It emphasized human grit and ingenuity in the face of overwhelming numbers of high-tech aliens. It had capital-A Ancient technology behind everything that happened. And in Halo 3 we learned of a kind L and pragmatic D.
(fuuuuuuuuck halo 4 I never played it and I want to unremember everything I learned of its story)
So I feel like Halo 1-3 did carry on Marathon's legacy, and I really don't say that lightly.
Master Chief is low on emotion because he's a player avatar... AND!
Because, as my brother recently pointed out, he's the ultimate enlisted soldier. He's incredibly skilled and tactically aware, able to complete the mission at any cost.
... But, he can't plan a mission. He NEEDS officers. Leela Cortana needs to guide him everywhere.
And when she's captured, in what some may call a "damsel in distress" situation, she suffers yes... But he suffers too. Because suddenly he's without direction. And he's watching EARTH be overrun, despite everything he's done. They both suffer, until they are reunited... And together, they finish the fight.
Marathon, and specifically the ending of 00, suggests a reincarnating hero. See my signature. And arguably they're both supposed to escape the eventual collapse of the universe.
Master Chief and Cortana, like the "security officer" and Durandal, play their role in the eternal conflict. And they win, because the Hero always wins. Along with his or her officer.