Say what you will about his being ousted from the franchise as the voice of Solid Snake but voice actor, director and screenplay writer David Hayter is a one-of-a-kind talent. From writing the screenplay for X-Men and X2: X-Men United to voicing one of the most famous video game characters in history for the majority of the series, Hayter has cemented his legacy in the gaming industry and beyond. But what’s he been up to in the meantime? As it turns out, Hayter will be returning to the role of a gruff soldier but one that is arguably more famous than Solid Snake: the Winter Soldier in Marvel Heroes 2015.
GamingBolt spoke to Hayter about the same along with how he received the role, his preparation and other projects (including a long-running online title you probably didn’t know he was a part of).
"First thing was to cut off my arm. You just can't do the Winter Soldier with two arms. After that, my preparation gets a little hazy."
Rashid K. Sayed: Hello David. How are you doing today?
David Hayter: I am extremely well, thank you.
Rashid K. Sayed: Moving ahead with the interview, we recently found out that you are voicing Winter Soldier in Marvel Heroes 2015. How did you land up with that role?
David Hayter: Well, while I don’t do it too often anymore, I sometimes read for roles in animation/video games if I think they might be cool. When I saw this audition come through from Marvel, I couldn’t resist. I recorded an audition and they called me in.
Rashid K. Sayed: After hearing you voice Winter Soldier, I am happy that you can still deliver the 1998 Solid Snake young voice, contrary to what many people believe these days. So how do you prepare yourself for voicing Winter Solider compared to say Solid Snake or Big Boss?
David Hayter: First thing was to cut off my arm. You just can’t do the Winter Soldier with two arms. After that, my preparation gets a little hazy.
Rashid K. Sayed: I know that you weren’t allowed to give much dialogue feedback when you were voicing Snake. Has that changed with Winter Soldier? Are you allowed to give feedback if you think something is inappropriate?
David Hayter: The process is usually similar from game to game. The exceptions are that, sometimes, you get to read with other actors, and sometimes your lines are recorded out of order, so you have to sort of feel your way through to the meaning of the dialogue.
"Right now, I've got my Disney film (top secret), and I'm attached to direct a fairly horrifying thriller at the end of this year. I also have various film/TV projects in development."
Rashid K. Sayed: How deep does the character of Winter Solider go? What can you tell us about the relationship he shares with other super heroes?
David Hayter: The Winter Soldier is pretty deep. He was once the young best friend/sidekick of Captain America, until he was tortured, and turned into a mindless assassin. So there’s a lot of pain and resentment that goes into his history. I tend to think that he stays pretty isolated from the other heroes, with the possible exception of Captain America, who saved him from being just a soulless killing machine.
Rashid K. Sayed: You recently wrapped up work on Wolves and I know that you are working with Disney on a new project. What else is coming? Any chance of you writing more superhero movies in the future?
David Hayter: I’d love to, if the opportunity arises. Right now, I’ve got my Disney film (top secret), and I’m attached to direct a fairly horrifying thriller at the end of this year. I also have various film/TV projects in development.
Rashid K. Sayed: Are you working on any gaming projects at the moment?
David Hayter: As a voice actor I am, yes. I continue my two and a half year role as the playable Male Jedi character in STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC, I am recording a few more episodes of REPUBLIQUE as Zager, and I am supposed to record a role for THE LONG DARK sometime soon.
Rashid K. Sayed: Thanks a ton for your time. It was great speaking to you.
David Hayter: No problem, it was great talking to you!