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Keith David is the new voice of Destiny 2's Zavala

David returns to Bungie after previously voicing the Arbiter in the Halo sequels.

Justin Carter, Contributing Editor

August 10, 2023

1 Min Read
Commander Zavala in Bungie's Destiny 2.

Months after the passing of original actor Lance Reddick, Bungie has revealed that Keith David will step in as the new voice of Commander Zavala for Destiny 2

Beginning with 2024's The Final Shape expansion, David will play the character going forward in the Destiny franchise. In-game lines that were previously recorded by Reddick before his passing will be untouched, according to the developer. 

Notably, The Final Shape also has Nathan Fillion reprising his role of Cayde-6, another long-running character of the franchise. At this point, all three of the original Vanguard characters have been recast; Ikora Rey, previously voiced by Gina Torres, has been played by Mara Junot since 2021's "Season of the Splicer."

Keith David as Zavala

“I am honored to continue the great work of Lance Reddick as Zavala," wrote David. "Lance captured the character's sense of integrity so wonderfully. It is my intention to continue that work.”

David has been a prolific voice actor in his own right for years. His relationship with Bungie first started in 2004 as Halo 2's deuteragonist The Arbiter, a role he's maintained throughout that franchise's various sequels. 

Bungie further added that the character of Zavala "has been central to the story we have been telling since the original Destiny, and we have plans to continue his journey. [...]  We will always remain respectful to the role Zavala has played thus far, and look forward to the journey ahead."

About the Author(s)

Justin Carter

Contributing Editor, GameDeveloper.com

A Kansas City, MO native, Justin Carter has written for numerous sites including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his writing can be found at io9 over on Gizmodo. Don't ask him about how much gum he's had, because the answer will be more than he's willing to admit.

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