The next installment of the Metal Gear Solid franchise just added a huge helping of star power to the voice cast. Series director Hideo Kojima has announced that 24 star Kiefer Sutherland will voice the iconic Snake in Metal Gear Solid 5. Sutherland, who is perhaps most well known for portraying agent Jack Bauer, is the perfect choice to play the aging Snake, according to the creator.
"I wanted Snake to have a more subdued performance expressed through subtle facial movements and tone of voice rather than words," says Kojima. "Furthermore, the game takes place in 1984 when Snake is 49 years old. Therefore, we needed someone who could genuinely convey both the facial and vocal qualities of a man in his late 40s. It's different from anything we've done before."
Sutherland is excited to play the role, which had been voiced by David Hayter since 1998. As Sutherland says in his own words:
"It's an honor to be able to play this character...This character has an unbelievable legacy. There's a real personal quality to the character that I've connected to. I'm not a gamer, and I even knew about this game. I was certainly keenly aware of the legacy of these games, the unbelievable success of these games."
This is not the first time that Sutherland has done voice work for video games. He lent his voice to 24: The Game, as well as to Call of Duty: World at War. While many fans were upset when Konami announced that David Hayter was not asked back for Metal Gear Solid 5, it is hard to deny that Sutherland is a fantastic fit for the role. Plus, Hayter has hinted that he may be in another game to be shown at E3. While some have taken this as Hayter hinting at his return to the series in a different role, perhaps he has found a new character to lend his voice to.