Metal Gear Solid 5: Kiefer Sutherland Is The New Snake

During Konami's pre-E3 press conference, the publisher revealed who will be playing Big Boss (aka Naked Snake) in Metal Gear Solid 5. The voice actor is none other than 24 star Kiefer Sutherland.

In the past, Big Boss was voiced by David Hayter. MGS5 designer Hideo Kojima said in March that they decided to choose a new voice actor because they want to take the series in a new direction. Today he added that Sutherland would be a better choice for the voice and motion-capturing of the now-middle-aged Big Boss.

"I wanted Snake to have a more subdued performance expressed through subtle facial movements and tone of voice rather than words," Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima said. "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 forties. It's different from anything we've done before."

MGS5 and its prologue Ground Zeroes are set after the events of MGS: Peace Walker. Big Boss and his mercenary army Militaires Sans Frontieres is attacked by a shadowy organization known as XOF. In the aftermath of this attack, Boss winds up in a hospital bed.

"It's an honor to be able to play this character," Sutherland said today. "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."

Metal Gear Solid 5 is being prepared for an unknown release date.