Is Commander Shepard returning in Mass Effect 5, the tentative name for the new Mass Effect game that was revealed last December at The Game Awards? This is the million-dollar question on the mind of every fan of the sci-fi RPG series after the one and only teaser trailer seemingly hinted at the return of the protagonist of the first three Mass Effect games. As you would expect, BioWare and EA have nothing to say about this speculation, and with the game likely at least a few years away, this probably won’t change anytime soon, especially with Dragon Age 4 the current focus of the aforementioned pair.
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For Commander Shepard to return, BioWare and EA would need to get Jennifer Hale and Mark Meer — the voices behind the female and male version of the character, respectively — on board. Those hoping to see the character return will be excited to hear both actors are on board.
“I’d jump to come back and do anything in the universe, especially, obviously more Shepard,” said Hale, in response to whether she would be interested in returning to Mass Effect, before passing the metaphorical mic to Meer to respond. Jumping in, Meer says,ย “We talked about this with the previous interviewer, the Mass Effect universe is so fully realized, and so well thought out, and it feels like a living place. I just want to see more stories in that universe. And I’m speaking strictly as a fan, not as a voice actor who’s hoping to get work, but as a fan of the franchise, a fan of the universe. I want to see more stories from all corners, from various points in the established history, stuff that’s only been referenced.”
Meer continued:
“I’m going to throw a random example out, I have no inside knowledge, but I’d love to see stuff set during the First Contact War, I’d love to go even further into the future. I could almost see a game that’s set where you’re playing the Protheans and they’re reaping, like the historical setting. There are so many possibilities, it’s almost infinite. And then also given all the multiverse that’s flying around in pop culture these days, I want to see Mass Effect What If?”
For now, it remains to be seen if Commander Shepard will be back, but at the very least, the option is on the table with both of the character’s voice actors on board to return.
