Mega Man voice actor exits Dual Override as Capcom refuses union contract over AI protections

Mega Man 11 actor won't return for the next game in the series because Capcom refuses to work under a union contract

The SAG-AFTRA union has issued a "do not work" order against the upcoming Mega Man: Dual Override. Veteran voice actor Ben Diskin, who provided the voice of Mega Man in the 2018 release Mega Man 11, says he won't be returning to the series because Capcom refuses to use unionized voice actors. Diskin isn't the original or only voice of Mega Man, but Mega Man 11 is both the most recent and best selling entry in the game series. That naturally made him the presumptive choice for the character in the upcoming Mega Man: Dual Override, which is expected out in 2027, and so his withdrawal comes as a surprise. "With a broken Blue Bomber heart, I am no longer the voice of Mega Man," Diskin wrote today on Bluesky. "I was asked to return for Mega Man: Dual Override, but only on the condition I work without the protections of a union contract. "I was told there are 'full AI protections in place that guarantee in writing that [my] voice will never be used for AI development' but was also told 'with certainty, from [Capcom], that the project will not go union'." Diskin's statement comes the day after the SAG-AFTRA union issued a "Do Not Work" order (via Rockman Corner) for Mega Man: Dual Override, saying Capcom "has failed to initiate the signatory process" that must be completed before the union will authorize its members to begin working on a project. The union warned that any members who do work on the game while the order is in place may face disciplinary action. The bigger issue for Diskin, though, is that while Capcom has promised that "AI protections" will be in place, there's no way for him, as an individual, to hold it to those terms. "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," Diskin wrote. "In my heart, I want to believe Capcom would never use AI... 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." The rise of generative AI, and its embrace by some game makers, is a real problem for voice actors, which is why it was such a huge sticking point in the nearly year-long voice actors strike that only fully concluded in July 2025. The union said after its members ratified the agreement that the new contract offers "important guardrails and gains around AI, including the requirement of informed consent across various AI uses and the ability for performers to suspend informed consent for digital replica use during a strike." Diskin referenced that strike in his announcement, writing, "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." He also said he offered to work on a lower-budget contract if Capcom would agree to doing the game under the union, but it refused. "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," Diskin concluded. "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."

Mega Man voice actor announces he won't be back for Dual Override due to lack of "protections of a union contract"

Following too many years of silence, Mega Man made a return back in December with the first look at Mega Man: Dual Override, a new 2.5D adventure that follows in the footsteps of 2018's Mega Man 11. Fans are optimistic following Capcom's recent streak of (mostly) wins, but bad news has just hit the project. Voice actor Ben Diskin, who voiced the blue hero in Mega Man 11, has announced via social media (hat tip to Game Informer) he won't be returning to the role after being told he'd have to do it "without the protections of a union contract." "With a broken Blue Bomber heart, I am no longer the voice of Mega Man," he revealed on 10th March before elaborating on the details he could share. While Capcom promised him his voice would "never be used for AI development," he was told "with certainty" the project would not go union. "Working without a contract I can realistically enforce isn't something I can risk," he added. In the hypothetical event of Capcom using AI on his voice, he'd be at an instant disadvantage: "I don't have the mental, emotional, or monetary strength to survive a protracted legal fight." While he's willing to believe Capcom's current stance, he's "aware that basically every major corporation is looking to incorporate generative AI to save money," which is why unions are more important than ever before in the games industry. The actor even offered to work for less in exchange for a SAG-AFTRA contract, but Capcom ultimately declined. "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," Diskin said before wishing he "could have been there" with the Blue Bomber. Mega Man: Dual Override is set to launch at some point in 2027 on PS4/5, Xbox One & Series X/S, Switch 1/2, and PC.

Mega Man changes his voice after Capcom's controversial demand

Capcom wanted Ben Diskin to play Mega Man in the upcoming Dual Override as well, but only on the condition that he didn't involve the union. It seems that we will have to get used to a new voice for Capcom's beloved Blue Bomber when Mega Man: Dual Override is released in 2027. Apparently, however, the reason for this is not dissatisfaction on the part of Capcom (or the fans), but rather a demand that voice actor Ben Diskin is unwilling to meet. Via Bluesky, he reveals that Capcom has indeed asked him to return to the role, but with the requirement that he work without any union protection. He says that Capcom has stated that they do not intend to use his voice for future AI projects, but that they simply refuse to involve the union, which makes everything legally uncertain and could ultimately result in him not owning his own voice: "While I certainly appreciate the acknowledgement of the concern around AI, working without a contract I can realistically enforce isn't something I can risk. "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. "In my heart, I want to believe Capcom would never use AI... But in my HEAD, I'm aware that basically every major corporation is looking to incorporate generative AI to save money." Now he is saying goodbye, seemingly without bitterness, and concludes by writing: "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. "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." Considering that the Mega Man games are not huge projects and Diskin is hardly getting paid a fortune for Mega Man's few lines, one might wonder whether Capcom should really be fighting this battle and risking a potential blow to its reputation over this game. What do you think about Capcom's demand to keep the union out and Ben Diskin's decision to leave?

Mega Man Voice Actor Won't Return for Dual Override as Capcom Reportedly Won't Hire Him With 'The Protections of a Union Contract' - IGN

Ben Diskin, the lead voice actor in Mega Man 11, has said he will not reprise his role for Mega Man: Dual Override, as the game's publisher Capcom would only permit him to return "without the protections of a union contract." In response, actors union SAG-AFTRA has now issued a "Do Not Work Order" against the upcoming Mega Man: Dual Override, claiming the Japanese company had failed to "initiate the signatory process" necessary to hire unionized actors. "Please be advised that the producer of the video game production entitled Mega Man: Dual Override has failed to initiate the signatory process," the union wrote. "As such, SAG-AFTRA members are hereby instructed to withhold any acting services or performance of any covered work for this production until further notice from the union." Accepting employment or rendering services on Mega Man: Dual Override could now result in disciplinary action from the union. Consequently, Diskin has declared he is "no longer the voice of Mega Man." In a statement posted to BlueSky, Diskin said: "With a broken Blue Bomber heart, I am no longer the voice of Mega Man. I was asked to return for Mega Man: Dual Override, but only on the condition I work without the protections of a union contract. "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' but was also told 'with certainty, from [Capcom], that the project will not go union.' While I certainly appreciate the acknowledgement of the concern around AI, working without a contract I can realistically enforce isn't something I can risk. "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," he added. "In my heart, I want to believe Capcom would never use AI... 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 said that he didn't think it made "sense" to have taken strike action for almost a year to secure rights against AI abuse to "then turn right around and go back to work without them," and shared his sadness that Capcom was unwilling to speak to SAG-AFTRA about the issue. "I expressed that I'd even be willing to work on a LOWER-budget union contract if it meant this flipped," he added. "It genuinely wasn't about the money for me. 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." SAG-AFTRA reached a "tentative agreement" on the interactive media contract last summer, bringing to an end almost a year of industrial action across the video game industry. The long-running SAG-AFTRA video game strike was instigated back in July 2024 after the union and the major game companies -- including Activision, Disney Character Voices, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Insomniac Games, Take 2 Productions, WB Games and more -- failed to agree on AI provisions. Over 98% of members subsequently voted to strike. While at first it was difficult to tell exactly how the strike would affect game production, there were visible impacts across the industry; players reported that a number of ongoing games such as Destiny 2 and World of Warcraft appeared to leave some NPCs unvoiced in otherwise voiced scenes, likely due to the strike. Then, in late 2024, SAG-AFTRA struck League of Legends after Riot allegedly tried to subvert the strike by canceling a game in response, and Activision confirmed Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 characters were recast after players expressed concern about new voices.