Lance Reddick had many great and iconic roles during his career. However, for gaming fans, few topped his performance as Commander Zavala in the Destiny franchise. The stoic sentinel was a fan favorite and his spot on The Citadel became a gathering point for mourners following Reddick's death earlier this year. Players were seen saluting, hugging, or merely standing beside Zavala in the hours after Reddick's death was announced.
However, fans quickly began to wonder what was going to happen to the character, and Reddick's legacy, as more content was released. There were rumors that the character would be retired so that new content would forgo utilizing him. Others worried that Bungie would seek a replacement for new content and Reddick's iconic delivery would be lost. While Bungie has confirmed that a new voice actor has been cast, it is far from a disappointment for fans.
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Keith David To Take Over As Commander Zavala
Legendary actor Keith David has been announced as the new voice actor for Commander Zavala. Of course, David has a stellar acting career but his video game career is just as prolific. Keith's voice acting roles include the Saints Row, Halo, Call of Duty, and Mass Effect franchises. To many, he is the perfect replacement for Reddick. This sentiment was expressed over and over on Reddit after Bungie announced the change. “I am honored to continue the great work of Lance Reddick as Zavala,” David said in a statement provided by Bungie. “Lance captured the character’s sense of integrity so wonderfully. It is my intention to continue that work.”
Furthermore, the developer revealed that Reddick would remain present in the game. David would only take over the role from The Final Shape, the game's next major expansion, onwards. All previous voice work done by Reddick would remain in the game to preserve the actor's contribution and legacy to the community of gamers that loved him dearly. Reddick had been the voice of Zavala ever since the original launch of Destiny in 2014. Not only are there likely hundreds of hours of Reddick content that would have to be replaced, it would also be a disservice to remove the work of such a legendary and well-regarded actor.
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