https://www.ign.com/articles/snake-star-...ts-amazingQuote:
David Hayter — who for many years gave Snake his signature gruff voice — has finally "forgiven" series creator Hideo Kojima for not casting him in 2015's Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain after playing the "amazing" game.
At the time he was jettisoned for Hollywood movie star Kiefer Sutherland, Hayter admitted that playing the game at the time would've felt like "60 hours of humiliation," adding: "I've got no particular love for Kojima. I don't feel any need to go back and work with him again."
Now, with more distance, Hayer told PC Gamer, "Well, there was reluctance. I didn't want to play the game because I figured it would hurt my feelings. Then, you know, 10 years went by and I was like, 'Ah, to hell with my feelings. What do I care?' [...] I'm a screenwriter, so I get fired for a living, like I literally, eventually, get fired from every single gig that I've got, and I'm not a child.
"I was like, 'Stop being a baby and play the game.' So I played it. It's amazing."
Hayter has also "forgiven" Sutherland, too. After bumping into him at a bar in Dallas, Hayer and Sutherland "had a bunch of drinks." "He's a great guy, you know? No, no ill will. All is forgiven," Hayter said.
As for why Hayter rates Phantom Pain as highly as he does?
"The fact that you can go into the same scenario each time, and the [enemy's] gonna be doing the same thing, but you can take on different routes or different strategies of attack, makes it feel like time travel… So, yes, that was badass. So far as I'm concerned, all is forgiven."
I'm glad Hayter is in a better place with it now. Still wish they'd kept DH as Big Boss and have Keifer Sutherland for Venom Snake to actually give a reason for the voice change; because the opportunity was there to do it and have it be really cool. C'est la vie
(16-08-2025, 03:12 PM)BigBrother Wrote: [ -> ]I'm glad Hayter is in a better place with it now. Still wish they'd kept DH as Big Boss and have Keifer Sutherland for Venom Snake to actually give a reason for the voice change; because the opportunity was there to do it and have it be really cool. C'est la vie
I always thought the same but I guess that brings up an issue with having the main voice actor change between GZ and TPP. Would have definitely raised some eyebrows and I do think it would have given away the Venom reveal.
But yeah it’s good that Hayter is at peace with it. Cool that he mentions his screenwriting job as being akin to being fired constantly because that really is what work in the creative sectors is like and a lot of people don’t consider that. And just to discuss that angle of his work for a second, are we all aware that he wrote
X-Men (2000)? Mad to think about.
(16-08-2025, 03:24 PM)Dirty Duck Wrote: [ -> ] (16-08-2025, 03:12 PM)BigBrother Wrote: [ -> ]I'm glad Hayter is in a better place with it now. Still wish they'd kept DH as Big Boss and have Keifer Sutherland for Venom Snake to actually give a reason for the voice change; because the opportunity was there to do it and have it be really cool. C'est la vie
I always thought the same but I guess that brings up an issue with having the main voice actor change between GZ and TPP. Would have definitely raised some eyebrows and I do think it would have given away the Venom reveal.
But yeah it’s good that Hayter is at peace with it. Cool that he mentions his screenwriting job as being akin to being fired constantly because that really is what work in the creative sectors is like and a lot of people don’t consider that. And just to discuss that angle of his work for a second, are we all aware that he wrote X-Men (2000)? Mad to think about.
He posts about it every now and again, pretty cool.
X-men with the cameo! But the screenwriting on Watchmen was superb, he is the noughties hero movies screenwriter and video game VA of all time.
(16-08-2025, 03:24 PM)Dirty Duck Wrote: [ -> ] (16-08-2025, 03:12 PM)BigBrother Wrote: [ -> ]I'm glad Hayter is in a better place with it now. Still wish they'd kept DH as Big Boss and have Keifer Sutherland for Venom Snake to actually give a reason for the voice change; because the opportunity was there to do it and have it be really cool. C'est la vie
I always thought the same but I guess that brings up an issue with having the main voice actor change between GZ and TPP. Would have definitely raised some eyebrows and I do think it would have given away the Venom reveal.
After
MGS2 and
MGS3, many players were aware of the possibility of a "You're not playing as Snake!" twist.
Ground Zeroes tagline
"From Fox, Two Phantoms were born" also pointed people in the right direction. The voice actor change for Venom Snake could have been explained by damage sustained to his vocal chords.
Western audiences initially thought the VA replacement was tied to the twist. But* it's well known nowadays that Kojima didn't care for Hayter and tried to replace him since
MGS3. He got to opportunity to cast a Hollywood celebrity in
MGSV so he ran with it.
*Akio Otsuka wasn't replaced in the Japanese dub of
MGSV.
Is there any documented evidence Kojima was ever dissatisfied with Hayter's performance? Some of the Japanese re-releases (Integral, Twin Snakes, possibly Substance?) used the English cast in lieu of the original Japanese. The only time I'm aware of any friction was Hayter - writer that he is - pushed back on the idea of Snake flinching when attempting suicide at the end of MGS4. Of course, Kojima had already changed the ending once due to his whole team rebelling, I can't imagine him giving a crap what one voice actor thought at that point.
(21-08-2026, 11:10 PM)starschwar Wrote: [ -> ]Is there any documented evidence Kojima was ever dissatisfied with Hayter's performance?
David Hayter explained he had to re-audition for every game. Kojima tried to get Kurt Russell for
MGS3, but the latter declined.
Kris Zimmerman also said Kojima only went to the US recording sessions when a minor celebrity was there. As for Hayter (who voiced the protagonists of his games in the Western world), he only met Kojima like 3 times tops.
According to
Muni Shinobu, Kojima said he was dispappointed with the US dub for
MGS2 in Japanese interviews.
This doesn't lead to think Kojima was enamored of Hayter's performance.
(22-08-2026, 06:35 PM)MGWSpike Wrote: [ -> ] (21-08-2026, 11:10 PM)starschwar Wrote: [ -> ]Is there any documented evidence Kojima was ever dissatisfied with Hayter's performance?
David Hayter explained he had to re-audition for every game. Kojima tried to get Kurt Russell for MGS3, but the latter declined.
Kris Zimmerman also said Kojima only went to the US recording sessions when a minor celebrity was there. As for Hayter (who voiced the protagonists of his games in the Western world), he only met Kojima like 3 times tops.
According to Muni Shinobu, Kojima said he was dispappointed with the US dub for MGS2 in Japanese interviews.
This doesn't lead to think Kojima was enamored of Hayter's performance.
It's mad he wasn't happy with the US dub for MGS2 and MGSV had everyone sounding exactly the fucking same. I think Yahtzee said it in the Zero Punctuation that the entire cast became serious men pontificating grimly via audio logs. Wasn't wrong.
I wonder - whose decision was it for David to appear in the live action interview on one of MGS4's opening channels? Surely Kojima had to have some input on that...