Supergiant Games Clarifies Casting Decisions Amid SAG-AFTRA Contract Developments

Image courtesy of Supergiant Games.

Game developer Supergiant Games is under scrutiny today regarding a possible disagreement with voice actor Marin M. Miller, who voices Athena in Hades and Hades II. Earlier today, Miller posted on Bluesky that they might be “recast” by the studio after its alleged choice not to accept the SAG-AFTRA voice actor’s interim agreement. The post did not directly name Supergiant Games, but in a follow-up post, they mentioned it would be “SUPER helpful” if their supporters wrote a “GIANT email” urging the studio to “stand up” for their actors.

In response, Supergiant Games has replied, stating that it has not recast any characters in Hades II and that it hopes to continue collaborating with its “wonderful cast.”

This disagreement mirrors our December 2024 coverage of a similar conflict involving Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 developer Activision and the cast of the game’s Zombies campaign. In both instances, it has been alleged that the studio refused to revise their contracts with actors under the SAG-AFTRA interim agreement, resulting in the original actors not reprising their roles.

However, there are significant differences between the two casting conflicts. Activision is part of the interactive media bargaining group, a coalition of studios that collectively negotiates with the union to cast SAG-AFTRA members in their video games. In its statement, Supergiant Games asserts that none of its games were produced under SAG-AFTRA contracts.

Related:Activision quietly recast Black Ops 6 Zombies actors during SAG-AFTRA strike

If Miller was initially cast under a non-union contract and is now requesting the studio to re-sign them under an interim SAG-AFTRA agreement, that would present a different situation compared to the one Black Ops 6 actors faced last year.

Who safeguards voice actors from AI and contract infringements?

In follow-up posts on Bluesky, Miller shared additional insights on why they might decline a contract from a non-union client, even if that client promises strong protections against the use of their voice for generative AI. They explained that as a union member, they receive legal protection from SAG-AFTRA that can pursue any company that breaches contract terms. “I can’t afford a lawyer without the union,” they expressed.

If Miller were to sign a non-union agreement with a studio that pledged not to use their voice for generative AI, but the studio later proceeded to do so anyway, they would need to cover the expenses for a lawyer out of their own pocket to contest the situation.

To clarify, Miller does not accuse Supergiant of attempting to use generative AI, and Supergiant has vehemently denied the notion that it would utilize AI technology. “Our games are intentionally crafted by humans; no generative AI is applied in the creation of the voiceover, artwork, or any other content within them,” the studio indicated. “We provide the strongest AI protections in the industry for our talent, as we believe their contributions are irreplaceable.”

Currently, Miller and the studio seem to be at an impasse. The actor asserted that they will only participate in projects that are signed under a SAG-AFTRA interim agreement, while Supergiant stated that it “[respects] and will continue to respect any actor who needs to pause work during the ongoing SAG-AFTRA video game strike.”

“While none of our games have ever been subjected to SAG-AFTRA contracts for various reasons, we wish SAG-AFTRA the best in their negotiations to compel larger signatory studios to provide the protections we believe actors deserve,” it concluded.

It remains unclear at this time if any other Hades II cast members have made similar requests of the studio. When approached for comment, Supergiant directed Game Developer to its statement released on social media.

We have reached out to Miller for their response and will update this story upon their reply.

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