Why The Cast Of Marvel's Midnight Suns Sounds So Familiar

"Marvel's Midnight Suns" is the latest game from "Civilization" and "XCOM" developer Firaxis Games. Taking inspiration from those titles, this 2022 release is more tactical than many other Marvel video games. The plot sees players take on the role of the Hunter, a customizable superhero and child of Lilith. Brought back to fight against their mother following Lilith's resurrection by HYDRA, they must work with a number of other Marvel heroes to put a stop to these plans and stop Lilith from unleashing an army of demons upon the world. 

With dozens of Marvel characters featured in the narrative – ranging from famous faces such as Iron Man, Captain America, and Wolverine to more obscure figures like Magik and Nico Minoru — "Marvel's Midnight Suns" features an ensemble cast. These voice actors help bring life to the heroes, and many might be recognizable to players for other reasons. Many of the voice actors in "Marvel's Midnight Suns" have worked within the industry for a long time and may have previously voiced other fan-favorite characters in other franchises. Here's why the cast of "Marvel's Midnight Suns" sounds so familiar.

As one of the few original characters in "Marvel's Midnight Suns," the Hunter is the playable protagonist that users take control of. Fully customizable, actor Elizabeth Grullon takes on the role of the female version of the Hunter, giving the character a voice when interacting with other individuals in the game.

Grullon may be a name that isn't as familiar to players as some of the other cast members, but there's still a good chance you'll have heard here somewhere before. Active since 2014, Grullon graduated from Guthrie Theater in Minnesota and found a passion for acting after auditioning for a school production (via Geek Girl Authority). Perhaps her most famous role came when she played Trilla Suduri, the Force-sensitive Galactic Empire agent known as Second Sister, in "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order."

Outside of "Star Wars," Grullon has also recently provided the voice of the main character in "Need for Speed Unbound" and also portrayed Camila in Disney animated series "The Owl House." As a live-action actor, Grullon has made guest appearances in everything from "The Rookie" to "Grey's Anatomy" and had a recurring role on the Fox drama "Party of Five."

Like Elizabeth Grullon, Matthew Mercer also portrays the Hunter in "Marvel's Midnight Suns." However, in this case, the actor provides the voice of the male version of the character in the game. Mercer is perhaps more well-known than his co-star, and fans will likely recognize his voice, as he has more than 400 credits to his name across a wide range of projects and is an award-winning voiceover artist. His role in the game makes sense given his knowledge of Marvel comics and the actor has previously discussed Sony's "Spider-Man" in an interview with Jacksepticeye, explaining how he believes the hero speaks out of nervousness rather than assertiveness. 

Many anime viewers will recognize Mercer from his English dubs of characters in anime like "Attack on Titan," "Dragon Ball Super," and "Hunter x Hunter." However, Mercer is also a successful figure in the video games industry. He has had roles in a vast array of titles, including games like "League of Legends," "Fire Emblem," "Fallout 4," and "Fortnite." He also voiced Tygra in "Thundercats" (2011) and Jotaro Kujo in "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure." The actor also portrayed Stryker from "Mortal Kombat" several times, saying that he enjoyed the challenge of trying to make the character relatable despite being unpopular (via Comics Beat).

Mercer is also a "Critical Role" team member, acting as the Dungeon Master for the "Dungeons & Dragons" web series. He also acted as executive producer for the Amazon Prime Video adaptation of the campaign, "The Legend of Vox Machina," and voiced several characters in the series, including Lord Sylas Briarwood. In other words, if love animation and games, chances are you've heard Mercer at work.

Brian Bloom voices the iconic hero known as Captain America in "Marvel's Midnight Suns," but this is far from the first time that he has voiced Steve Rogers. He first portrayed the character in the 2010 television series "The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes" and has since reprised the role in many video games, including "Captain America" and "Marvel Heroes."

Outside of the world of Marvel, Bloom has voiced characters in a wide array of video games, most notably William "B.J." Blazkowicz in the "Wolfenstein" series and Varric Tethras in several "Dragon Age" games. The actor has also had roles in "Love, Death & Robots" on Netflix" and "Gravity Falls."

Unlike many of his fellow cast members in "Marvel's Midnight Suns," Bloom is not restricted to acting. He has also made a career for himself as a screenwriter. He was part of the team that wrote the screenplay for the 2010 film "The A-Team" and more recently has contributed to a number of "Call of Duty" games, including the recently released "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2." 

According to ComingSoon.net, he was the man responsible for creating the robotic character E3N in "Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare" and he has also discussed his philosophy for creating new characters, saying "some of the things I like to follow in our process is that characters are not necessarily what they say, although that dialogue is very interesting and important, they're what they do."

Carol Danvers, known as Captain Marvel, is another comic book hero appearing in "Marvel's Midnight Sun." The person responsible for providing her voice in the new game is Erica Lindbeck, a voice actor who has worked on a variety of video games and animated series over the years (via Apple).

This video game is not her only comic book role, though. She played Black Cat in Sony's "Spider-Man" in 2018 and portrayed Mera in the animated series "DC Super Hero Girls." She has provided the voice of Loona since 2019 in "Helluva Boss" and has had roles in video games such as "Overwatch 2," "God of War: Ragnarok," and "Saints Row."

A different audience of youngsters may also recognize her voice if they have ever owned a Barbie doll. That's because she replaced Kelly Sheridan as the official voice of the toy in 2015, portraying the character in everything from official merchandise to television series (via Seventeen). The process involved recording more than 8,000 lines of dialogue across several months for the doll itself.

Steve Blum is an experienced voice actor who takes on the role of Wolverine in "Marvel's Midnight Suns." This is appropriate given the history that Blum has with the character, who he has voiced on many occasions. Just some examples of Marvel projects where he has portrayed Agent 10 include "Marvel Anime: X-Men," "Wolverine and the X-Men," "The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes," and the video game "Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order."

Having been involved in voice acting since the early 1990s, Blum is well aware that his voice is one that many people have grown up with, telling Anime Herald "the stories that I hear at conventions have changed my life on a cellular level." He is probably best known for his work on the Japanese anime "Cowboy Bebop," where he voiced main character Spike Spiegel in the English dub. The actor also played Garazeb Orrelios in "Star Wars Rebels."

Recognized by Guinness World Records as the most prolific voice actor in video games, Blum has appeared in a huge selection of titles over the last two decades. He notably voices Sub-Zero in the "Mortal Kombat" series and has provided voiceover work in the likes of "Psychonauts 2," "Red Dead Redemption 2, and "Middle-earth: Shadow of War."

English actor Emily O'Brien voices Scarlet Witch in "Marvel's Midnight Suns." Despite being born in the UK, she moved to California at a young age and rose to prominence playing Jana on the soap opera "The Young and the Restless," a role that saw her nominated for several Daytime Emmy Awards (via She Knows).

"Marvel's Midnight Suns" is not the first time that O'Brien has played a character in a comic book adaptation. She lent her voice to Gamora in "Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series" in 2017, and the same year played a significant character in Telltale Games' "Batman: The Enemy Within." In other video game work, she has portrayed individuals in "League of Legends" and "Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn." The actor also provided one of the customizable voices for the player character in "Saints Row," describing her character as a "refined British version of the Boss" and explained how she loved the fast-pace and explosive nature of the open-world franchise (via YouTube). 

Players may also recognize her voice from live-action work, as she is a regular on "Days of Our Lives" in a role that she told The TV Water Cooler "is fun because it's not just playing bad." She also shared that she's well aware of how her character is received by long-time viewers saying, "I'm sure people hate my guts!"  Additionally, O'Brien has voiced characters in Netflix's "Love, Death & Robots" and "God of War Ragnarök."

Darin De Paul is the person tasked with giving a voice to the powerful character known as Ghost Rider in "Marvel's Midnight Suns," as well as Venom and Chthon. A veteran stage actor, he has performed on Broadway in productions of "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas," "Rags," and "The Phantom of the Opera" in addition to portraying Mr. Mushnik in the national tour of "Little Shop of Horrors" (via Broadway World). Over the years, De Paul has also had credits in films like "Shazam!" and "Ice Age," as well as animated television series including "The Legend of Vox Machina" and "The Adventures of Puss in Boots."

Most gamers, though, will almost certainly recognize him from the vast amount of video games he has had roles in. He has voiced Dr. Samuel Hayden in both "Doom" and "Doom Eternal," played the Grand Edict in "Halo Infinite," and portrayed J. Jonah Jameson in "Spider-Man: Miles Morales." His other roles include "Call of Duty: Vanguard," "Apex Legends," "Overwatch," and "Death Stranding."

He is also known for portraying Ardyn Izunia in the "Final Fantasy" series and has spoken about his joy at being part of the Square Enix team, as it allows him to add something extra to his performance. The actor also explained how he approaches the challenge of portraying an antagonist saying, "When you are a villain in a story you play him as if he's the hero, so every time I have gone in to play Ardyn, he is the hero of his own story."

"Marvel's Midnight Suns" is not the first time that Michael Jai White, who portrays the vampire hunter Blade in the game, has played a superhero. In fact, the actor made history in 1997 when he became the first African American to play the main hero in a Hollywood film, appearing as the titular character in "Spawn" (via Jet Magazine). This Firaxis Games release marks one of his only appearances in a video game. He had previously played Green Lantern in "Justice League Heroes" in 2006 and voiced Jackson Briggs in the web series "Mortal Kombat: Legacy."

Players who recognize his voice will almost certainly be able to picture his face, as most of his roles have come in live-action projects. Having rose to prominence by playing boxer Mike Tyson in HBO's biographical film "Tyson," he has since appeared in Tyler Perry's "Why Did I Get Married?" and its sequel, along with roles in "Rogue Hostage," "Black Friday," and "S.W.A.T.: Under Siege." In terms of television, White has credits in "Black-ish," "Arrow," and "The Family Business."

Frequently playing action heroes or characters with an athletic background makes sense for White, who has an extensive background in martial arts. According to Black Belt Mag, the actor continue to teacher at a karate dojo and has achieved seven black belts over his lifetime. Speaking to the magazine, White said that martial arts helped save him growing up. "I had a lot of angst growing up, and martial arts just felt natural to me," he said. "I enjoyed fighting when I was a kid. I used every excuse I could to fight."

The man who portrays Peter Parker in "Marvel's Midnight Suns" is actor Yuri Lowenthal, who has a long association with the character (via USA Today). In fact, among his more than 700 credits, he has voiced Spider-Man around a dozen times, with his first performance coming in the 2008 video game "ZEN Pinball." Since then, he has played the character in Insomniac Games' PlayStation exclusive title "Spider-Man" and "Marvel Future Revolution." So, any Marvel fan will likely have heard his incarnation of Peter Parker before. 

His relationship to the Web-Slinger has even extended to the real world and proven just what a positive force he is in the world of voice acting. In response to a story about Disney refusing a father permission to include an image of "Spider-Man" on his son's headstone, he responded by saying: "This is unconscionable. Spider-Man is tied inextricably to Uncle Ben's death. And most Disney animated films BEGIN with the death of a parent. An act like this could literally help kids deal with death better."

Before landing the role of Spider-Man, Lowenthal was the voice of The Prince in the acclaimed "Prince of Persia" series and has also had roles in "Naruto," "Afro Samurai," and "Saints Row." He played the teenage version of Ben Tennyson in "Ben 10" and portrayed characters in both "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" and "Bayonetta 3." The actor has also regularly voiced Robin in various DC projects, including "Batman Ninja" and "Batman Unlimited."

Lyrica Okano portrays the character Nico Minoru in "Marvel's Midnight Suns," a lesser known hero who has magical powers and is part of the superhero team known as the Runaways. This is not the first time that Okano has been involved in a Marvel production, as the actor also played Nico in the live-action Hulu series "Runaways." Okano told The Hollywood Reporter that she believed the series would appeal to more people thanks to its diverse cast — and it did for three seasons before its cancelation. 

Compared to many of the other cast members of the game, Okano is not quite as experienced. However, fans will still know her from some of the other work that she has done in recent times. She has had roles in films such as "Pimp," "Press Play" and "Story Game" in addition to making guest appearances in television shows like "Chicago P.D.," "Blue Bloods," and "The Enemy Within." Okano has also appeared in a wide array of shorts, including "Jelly" and "Koreatown Ghost Story."

Rick Pasqualone has actually voiced Dr. Strange numerous times in the past, including in the video game "Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3." With more than a hundred credits to his name, he is a voice actor that any gamer will undoubtedly have heard before, as he has had roles in "Saints Row," "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2," and "Mafia: Definitive Edition."

A versatile actor, he has done pretty much everything there is to do in the world of entertainment. In addition to being a prominent voice actor, Pasqualone has had roles on stage in Broadway productions, has appeared in a number of films, and had roles in daytime soap operas (via She Knows). Soap fans may know him from his appearances in "All My Children," "The Young and the Restless," and "Desperate Housewives." Yet, he has also voiced characters in "The Death of Superman," "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run," and "Family Guy."

Laura Bailey is a name that will be familiar to many people, and she has a voice that is even more well-known. In the 2022 game, she lends her voice to a mutant sorceress, Magik – or Illyana Rasputin — a powerful female hero commonly associated with the X-Men. While this marks the first time Bailey has played the character, she is no stranger to Marvel projects. She has portrayed both Black Widow and Gwen Stacy in dozens of releases, from video games to animated television series. An interview with SVG revealed that she especially enjoys playing Black Widow because she has so many sides to her, saying, "I think one of the things that makes her so wonderful to play is that she's experienced both sides."

Outside of the comic book realm, Bailey is probably best known for her work in the "Dungeons & Dragons" web series "Critical Role." Like her fellow co-star Matthew Mercer, she also appears in the Amazon Prime Video adaptation "The Legend of Vox Machina." With so many credits, it's impossible to go through every role she has had in her career, although some of her highlights include playing Abby in "The Last of Us Part 2" and Mary Jane Watson in the PlayStation exclusive "Spider-Man." 

The actor has also voiced characters in the English dubs of anime such as "Dragon Ball Z" and "Fullmetal Alchemist" and looks set to continue voice acting well into the future. After all, she told The Verge that "now I can't imagine doing anything else. It's just such a cool industry to be a part of."

It would almost be impossible to have played any games over the last decade or so and not recognize Nolan North's voice. The actor is a prolific voiceover artist who has appeared in hundreds of video games and television shows. In this game, he voices the character of Wade Wilson — better known as Deadpool — a role that he has previously had in the likes of "Lego Marvel Super Heroes," "Marvel Heroes," and "Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions" and won praise from Ryan Reynolds for his performance (via Game Grin).

Fans of Marvel games may also be familiar with his voice from "Marvel's Avengers" and "Fortnite," where he portrayed Iron Man. Two of his biggest video game roles have been in "Uncharted" and "Assassin's Creed" where he played Nathan Drake and Desmond Miles respectively. Yet, he has also had parts in other franchises, such as "Batman: Arkham Asylum" and "Call of Duty." His career is not just limited to voice acting either, as North had a regular role in the soap opera "Port Charles" and has made guest appearances in "NCIS: Los Angeles" and "Advice from Uncle Noly."

Jason Isaacs brings Mephisto to life in "Marvel's Midnight Suns," in addition to voicing several other characters in the game. For those unfamiliar, this Marvel character is essentially a devil-like creature who is an incredibly powerful master manipulator who often makes one-sided deals with desperate souls (via Marvel.com).

The actor himself is a veteran of the screen and will likely be identifiable thanks to his portrayal of Lucius Malfoy in the "Harry Potter" franchise. He has also played Captain Gabriel Lorca in "Stark Trek: Discovery" and had starring roles in "Black Hawk Down," "Hotel Mumbai," and "The Death of Stalin."

As a voice actor, Isaacs lent his vocal talent to the Grand Inquisitor in "Star Wars Rebels" and played Admiral Zhao in "Avatar: The Last Airbender" and its sequel series "The Legend of Korra. More recently, he has voiced characters in "Robot Chicken," "American Dad," and "Monster Family 2" in addition to his work in live-action projects such as "Mass" and "Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris."

In "Marvel's Midnight Suns," William Salyers voices the character of Bruce Banner, the human form of the hero known as Hulk. Like many members of the cast, he has had prior experience portraying Marvel characters, although in his case, he had formerly played the villain Otto Octavius — or Doctor Octopus — in games such as "Spider-Man," "Spider-Man: Miles Morales," and "Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order."

Outside of Marvel, the actor is probably most well-known for his portrayal of Rigby on "Regular Show" and his work on a number of video games. These have included the "Call of Duty" franchise, "Dead Space 2," "Mass Effect 2" and its sequel, and "Back 4 Blood." Salyers has also appeared in episodes of "iCarly" and the film "Bedazzled." In an interview in 2012, Salyers explained how he had been doing little bits of voice acting while working in the theater but got his big break when his friend Scott Adsit asked him to audition for a role in "Moral Orel." 

Voice actor Fred Tatasciore takes over the role while Bruce is in his alternate form, providing the vocalization for the Hulk. He has portrayed the character in a number of productions and is also known for his voicework for characters such as Yosemite Sam and the Tasmanian Devil.