The Faces Behind the Voices
You’ve probably spent hundreds of hours bonding with a digital hero, only to start up a sequel and realize they sound like a completely different person. Recasting a lead character is a massive decision for any game studio, and it’s usually one they don’t take lightly. With that in mind, here are 20 times companies had no choice but to recast their voice actors.
Claudio Marinangeli on Wikimedia
1. Snake: Metal Gear Solid V
David Hayter’s gravelly voice had been synonymous with Snake for over a decade before fans were shocked to hear Kiefer Sutherland’s take for The Phantom Pain. Hideo Kojima reportedly wanted someone who could perform their own facial capture in addition to voice acting, requiring “a real actor.”
2. Ghost: Destiny
Destiny’s original Ghost voice actor, Peter Dinklage, quickly became the butt of jokes for his slightly monotone delivery. Fans created the now-infamous “that wizard came from the moon” meme, and Bungie ended up completely re-recording all of his lines. They eventually settled on Nolan North, a video game industry veteran with over 900 voice acting credits.
Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America on Wikimedia
3. Kratos: God of War (2018)
Terrence C. Carson voiced Kratos for years, but the 2018 soft reboot demanded a visual overhaul he could not provide. Because the game recorded all motions with full performance capture, they needed a bigger actor to match Kratos’s beefy physique. Enter Christopher Judge.
4. Bayonetta: Bayonetta 3
Things got messy during the buildup to Bayonetta 3 when Hellena Taylor claimed she was only offered $4,000 to reprise her role. Jennifer Hale, a veteran voice actor, was contracted to replace her, though she admittedly got caught in the boycott crossfire. Taylor later clarified the details behind her dispute with Platinum.
Dick Thomas Johnson from Tokyo, Japan on Wikimedia
5. Claptrap: Borderlands 3
Claptrap had been voiced by David Eddings since the inception, until Borderlands 3. Oddly enough, Eddings was also an executive at Gearbox who refused to work cheaply for his own series. When he departed the company and asked to be paid a freelancer rate, they couldn’t come to terms and hired someone else.
6. Sam Fisher: Splinter Cell: Blacklist
Few people know that Michael Ironside isn’t technically the canonical voice of Sam Fisher. Ubisoft fired him and replaced him with Eric Johnson for Splinter Cell: Blacklist in 2013. Officially, they stated Ironside was too old for the game’s rigorous motion capture, but it was later revealed he was undergoing cancer treatment during production.
7. Frank West: Dead Rising 4
Terence J. Rotolo was the original voice of the photojournalist who "covered wars, you know," but Capcom opted for a new direction in the fourth installment. They hired Ty Olsson to give Frank a more mature and weary sound, which didn’t sit particularly well with long-time fans.
8. Isaac Clarke: Dead Space Remake
The newest Dead Space remake allowed players to experience what Isaac Clarke sounded like in his early years. Since the 2008 game, he had been represented solely through gruesome grunts and heavy breathing. Gunner Wright returned for the remake to bring life to Isaac’s newfound voice.
9. Spider-Man: Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered
The PS5 version of Marvel’s Spider-Man replaced the voice model of Peter Parker, even though Yuri Lowenthal is still the voice behind the wall-crawler. Lead animator Rob Kostich stated they were trying to match Lowenthal’s bone structure better with a new look. Ben Jordan took over the role previously helmed by John Bubniak.
10. Master Chief: Halo (Original Combat Evolved)
Steve Downes is beloved as the original voice of Master Chief, but another actor was initially cast. The developers had someone who sounded “too much like a radio DJ.” Downes provided a more commanding military presence that helped establish the green armor as legendary.
Caroline Eymond Laritaz on Unsplash
11. Leon S. Kennedy: Resident Evil Series
Leon has had a revolving door of voice actors, including Paul Haddad, Paul Mercier, and Matthew Mercer. When the Resident Evil 2 remake was produced, Capcom chose Nick Apostolides to bring a more youthful and inexperienced vibe to the rookie cop. Constant shifting is common for the series.
12. Chris Redfield: Resident Evil 7
When Chris Redfield returned in Resident Evil 7, few fans realized he had a new voice. Roger Craig Smith, who had been voicing him for years, was replaced by David Vaughn. Players were so confused that they even wondered if it could be an imposter.
13. Tifa Lockhart: Final Fantasy VII Remake
Rachael Leigh Cook voiced Tifa for over a decade in spin-off games and Advent Children, but Square Enix wanted something new for the Remake. Britt Baron took over the role and exceeded expectations, portraying Tifa as strong without losing her empathetic qualities.
14. Sephiroth: Final Fantasy VII Remake
Lance Bass of NSYNC fame actually voiced the legendary villain in the first Kingdom Hearts, a trivia fact that still surprises people today. He was eventually replaced by George Newbern, who became the long-standing voice for the silver-haired antagonist across multiple titles.
15. James Sunderland: Silent Hill 2 HD Collection
Konami re-recorded Silent Hill 2 with new actors for its HD collection. Guy Cihi, the original actor who played James Sunderland, was vocal about their decision and even entered a public feud with the company. Many fans still prefer his understated performance to Troy Baker’s newer take.
16. Ada Wong: Resident Evil 4 Remake
Jolene Anderson portrayed Ada in Resident Evil 2’s remake, but Lily Gao was cast for Resident Evil 4. Many fans assumed she would stay consistent with other games, but the company wanted someone who came across as “less actress.” Gao received horrendous online harassment for simply doing her job.
17. Mario: Super Mario Wonder
After 30 years of saying “It’s-a me!” Charles Martinet officially retired from voice acting as Mario. Nintendo honoured him with the title of Mario Ambassador, effectively giving the new voice actor his blessing. Kevin Afghani was cast as Mario’s new voice and does an incredible job.
18. Princess Peach: Recent Mario Titles
For as long as anyone can remember, Samantha Kelly has been the voice of Princess Peach. Recently, Nintendo swapped her out with Samantha Béart for Princess Peach: Showtime! They likely switched to multiple voices to give characters more personality and distinct traits.
19. Scorpion: Mortal Kombat 11
Patrick Seitz voiced Scorpion for nearly two decades, earning his “Get over here!” as one of gaming’s most popular catchphrases. NetherRealm Studios wanted a new approach for Mortal Kombat 11, hiring Ron Yuan to provide Scorpion with a more aged warrior quality that players instantly loved, even if Seitz didn’t.
20. Ike: Fire Emblem Heroes
Jason Adkins voiced Ike in the GBA games, but his performance was so unnatural that it became meme-worthy. Nintendo recast him with Greg Chun for Fire Emblem Heroes, and he has voiced Ike ever since. Chun even performed as Ike in Super Smash Bros. as the official fighter model.
