Ben Diskin, the voice actor behind Mega Man in Capcom’s Mega Man 11 (2019), has revealed that he will no longer voice the Blue Bomber moving forward. The actor shared the news on Bluesky, explaining that while he was asked to return for the upcoming Mega Man: Dual Override, he declined the opportunity due to concerns over working without a union contract.
In his statement, Diskin explained that the offer to reprise the role in Mega Man: Dual Override, came with a condition that the project would not be produced under a SAG-AFTRA union agreement.
“With a broken Blue Bomber heart, I am no longer the voice of Mega Man,” Diskin wrote. “I was asked to return for Mega Man: Dual Override, but only on the condition I work without the protections of a union contract.”
According to Diskin, Capcom assured him that the project included written protections stating that his voice would not be used for AI development. However, he ultimately decided that those assurances were not enough without a legally enforceable union agreement.
“I was told there are ‘full A.I. protections in place that guarantee in writing that my voice will never be used for A.I. development,’” Diskin said. “But I was also told with certainty that the project will not go union.”
Diskin went on to explain that without union protections, enforcing those promises would fall entirely on him if something went wrong. That could mean personally taking a large company to court in order to prove that his voice had been used improperly.
“Working without a contract I can realistically enforce isn’t something I can risk,” he explained. “The only way to enforce non-union contracts like this involves personally taking giant companies like Capcom to court and suing if I thought they’d used AI. I don’t have the mental, emotional, or monetary strength to survive a protracted legal fight.”
The voice actor acknowledged that he wants to believe Capcom would honor its commitments but also pointed to broader industry concerns around generative AI and job security.
“In my heart, I want to believe Capcom would never use AI,” Diskin said. “But in my head, I’m aware that basically every major corporation is looking to incorporate generative AI to save money. The video game industry is facing record layoffs and huge amounts of uncertainty. I need a union contract to feel safe.”
Diskin also referenced the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike over AI protections in video game voice acting, noting that it would feel contradictory to push for stronger protections while simultaneously accepting non-union work.
“I don’t think it makes sense to strike for over 11 months to get enforceable AI abuse protections and then turn right around and go back to work without them.”
Despite stepping away from the role, Diskin expressed pride in his time voicing the character and wished the development team success with the upcoming title.
“It’s been an honor voicing Mega Man in Mega Man 11, the best-selling game in the series’ history, and watching Mega Man reclaim his rightful place as a gaming icon,” he said. “I hope Mega Man: Dual Override is even more successful than 11 and that everyone enjoys all the hard work the devs are putting into it. Good luck out there, Mega. I just wish I could have been there with you.”
As of now, Capcom has not publicly commented on Diskin’s statement or confirmed who will voice Mega Man in Mega Man: Dual Override. It’s hurtful that we’re once again looking at how A.I. has forced its way into our lives and throws a wretch at us, and when a respected company such as Capcom is refusing to work with actors who want the safety net that a union can provide, it really makes you wonder just what else can we expect.
What’s confusing is if Capcom has stated that there are protections in place to protect Diskin’s voice from being used by any sort of A.I., then why not just allow the union contract and call it a day?
I really hope Capcom rethinks this, because this is something we’re going to see more of going forward.
Source: Ben Diskin
