On the 17th of March 2023, Lance Reddick unfortunately passed away at the age of 60 due to a heart disease. The actor has featured in many iconic video game roles including as Sylens in Horizon Zero Dawn / Forbidden West and Commander Zavala in Destiny. With the prominence of Zavala’s role in the story of Destiny, many were unsure how Bungie would proceed. Now, the team have announced that Zavala’s iconic voice will be helmed by the equally iconic Keith David.
Making the announcement on their blog, the Destiny 2 team said “Earlier this year, we lost Lance Reddick, the English language voice actor of Commander Zavala. The passion and professionalism Lance brought to the role over the last decade was unmistakable and loved by all. Lance’s iconic voice led us through the most intense moments in Destiny’s history and his impact on our Guardians, our community, and Bungie as a whole will never be forgotten.”
They continued, “Commander Zavala has been central to the story we have been telling since the original Destiny, and we have plans to continue his journey. Keith David, a prolific actor on the stage and in television, film, and games, will assume the English language voice of Zavala in The Final Shape and beyond. Separately, Lance’s existing lines in-game will remain untouched for the upcoming release.”
Speaking on this new role, David said “I am honored to continue the great work of Lance Reddick as Zavala. Lance captured the character's sense of integrity so wonderfully. It is my intention to continue that work.”
Lance Reddick’s voice was iconic and unmistakable and so it will take some adjusting to Zavala’s new VA – especially since Reddick played the character for almost a decade. That said, Keith David is an excellent choice for the commander. Hopefully the transition is done in a tasteful manner.
KitGuru says: What do you think of Bungie’s decision? Is Keith David the right choice? Or should they have retired the character? Let us know down below.