In a recent Game Informer podcast, voice actor David Hayter opened up about what he calls the Metal Gear Solid V “debacle” and the events that transpired between him and Konami, revealing that this wasn’t the first time the developer wanted to replace him. Apparently, he had to re-audition for his role in Metal Gear Solid 3 as well, in which he succeeded because the studio couldn’t find any other suitable candidates.
I had to re-audition for Metal Gear 3 to play Naked Snake. They made me re-audition to play Old Snake, and the whole time, they were trying to find somebody else to do it. I heard that Kojima asked one of the producers on Metal Gear 3 to ask Kurt Russell if he would take over for that game. He didn’t want to do it.
As for how Hayter found out that he will not be returning for a role in Metal Gear Solid V, it was literally over a drink or two. He said that he ran into one of the game’s producers, the two shared a drink, he asked about the game, and he was told he wasn’t needed. Hayter further explained:
That was basically it, and then I talked to Kris Zimmerman (Metal Gear English casting and voice director). She said, ‘We’re going forward, but it looks like they are going to try and replace you.’ They tried to do that before, and it never worked. They tried to get voice matches, and it never happened.
It was annoying to me, because I thought that I had given a lot to the series and really helped promote it. At the same time, I genuinely feel that the run I had as Snake was remarkable. If you get that once in your career, that’s amazing. I don’t have any ill will toward Kiefer Sutherland or anything like that. The whole thing could have been handled better and a little more respectfully, but I’m not going to cry about it.
Elsewhere in the podcast, Hayter said that he has no plans to play Metal Gear Solid V because it’s akin to 60 hours of humiliation.
I was so annoyed by the Metal Gear V debacle, and people said, ‘Are you gonna play the game?’ Yeah. That’ll be 60 hours of humiliation that I can’t get to. I haven’t played the latest two iterations, because it’s just too painful.
Now that Hideo Kojima and Konami have split, Hayter was asked if he has any plans to team up with Kojima again and going by his response, it doesn’t seem likely. He said that he has “no particular love” for Kojima and doesn’t feel the need to work with him again.
Do our readers think Hayter should have returned in Metal Gear Solid V? Let us know your thoughts.
[Source: Game Informer]
