Movie stars have become some of the most recognizable faces on the planet. With their charm, previous acting experience, and sense of familiarity, it hasn’t been a surprise that they have often been tapped to star invideo games. Much like movies, actors have provided their likenesses and voice talents to bring characters to life. In recent years, the line separating film from games has become somewhat thin.
Modern games have used a combination of cinematic trailers, in-game cutscenes, and voice logs to tell their stories. The obvious advantage they have had with storytelling is that they have more time to work with than your standard two-hour movie. In addition, they have gotten you right into the action rather than watching events that are out of your control play out. As games continue to grow in popularity, here’s a look at some of the biggest movie stars that recently appeared in video games.
7Keanu Reeves — Cyberpunk 2077
CD Projekt Red’sCyberpunk 2077has retained its spot as one of the most-anticipated games in recent memory. The hype leading up to the game’s eventual release in 2020 was unlike anything seen before. Marketing prominently featuredKeanu Reeves' character Johnny Silverhand, a rebellious musician seeking revenge against a mega-corporation known as Arasaka. Reeves helped promote the game, a game for which he recorded around 15 days of dialogue (viaIGN). WhileCyberpunk 2077was heavily criticized at launch for its myriad of problems, public reception has begun turning around. Reeves will return for an expansion titledPhantom Liberty, which is scheduled for a 2023 release.
6Brie Larson — Fortnite
Captain MarvelstarBrie Larsonisn’t just a hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She has also become the Paradigm inFortnite, taking the lead role inChapter 3 - Season 4: Paradise. In the mid-September to early-December 2022 season, a mysterious substance called “Chrome” began consuming everything on the island. This has included the island’s inhabitants, who have fallen victim to a new evil. It’s up to the Paradigm to rally the survivors and save the world. This marked Larson’s first video game role, although she hasbeen playing Fortnitefor quite some time now.
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5Giancarlo Esposito — Far Cry 6
Giancarlo Espositohas been dominating the geek culture landscape. He has been part of many beloved franchises includingThe Boys,Breaking Bad,Star Wars, andThe Maze Runner. If Esposito was not already in a franchise, it seemed like everyone was always trying to fan-cast him. Somehow finding time in his busy career, Esposito also made appearances in popular video games. Gamers have recognized him as “the Dentist” in the 2013 video game,Payday 2. In 2021, Esposito was Antón Castillo, the ruler of Yara and main antagonist in Ubisoft’sFar Cry 6.
4Dwayne Johnson — Fortnite
The story ofFortnitehas largely revolved around “The Seven,” a team led by a member called “The Foundation” and played byDwayne Johnson. FromRampagetoJumanji, Johnson’s filmography has built a rep for Johnson as an action hero. That has been the very obvious character archetype for The Foundation. In 2021, DC Comics and Epic Games collaborated on theBatman/Fortnite: Foundationcomics. Johnson’s Fortnite character ended up meeting Batman before Johnson had appeared inBlack AdamorDC’s League of Super-Pets. Moving forward, the Foundation is expected to continue having a large role inFortnite’s storyline.
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3John Boyega — Star Wars: Battlefront II
Coinciding with the release ofStar Wars: The Last Jedi,John Boyegareprised his role as Finn inStar Wars: Battlefront II. By having Finn look and sound like Boyega, the video game was able to better immerse players in the world ofStar Wars. Boyega worked with Electronic Arts to help promote the game, beingfeatured in a videotitled “This is Star Wars Battlefront II.” Even after the game’s release, Boyega occasionally shared clips of himself playing the game on Instagram. Boyega did not need to be on a movie set to play Finn.
2Kit Harington — Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
Game of Thrones’Kit Haringtonrecently appeared inThe Death & Life of John F. Donovanand Marvel Studios’Eternals. However, beforeGame of Thronesreached its eighth season, Harington became a villain in one of the most popular game franchises of all time;Call of Duty. For 2016’sCall of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Harington was cast as the villainous Rear Admiral Salen Kotch. This was the first villain Harington got to play in his career, a character he described as “psychotic and unpredictable” (viaTIME).
1Rosario Dawson — Dying Light 2 Stay Human
Rosario Dawsonhas appeared in many great films and television series throughout her career. With herStar Warscharacter Ahsoka Tano,receiving so much recognition, she will likely appear in aStar Warsvideo game at some point in the future. Dawson has already done voice work for more than eight games, includingLego Dimensions,Ratchet & Clank, and theDishonoredfranchise. Most recently, Dawson provided the motion capture and voice for Lawan in 2022’sDying Light 2 Stay Human.
