Is The Cast Of Grand Theft Auto 5 In GTA 6?

At long last, "Grand Theft Auto 6" is finally on the way, bringing gamers to an updated version of Vice City with two new lead characters. Although most fans of the series are excited for the next installment, poring over every second of footage in the game's lone teaser trailer, others are more interested in how "GTA 6" will honor the franchise's legacy. These questions extend beyond whether or not the return of Vice City means the return of that game's protagonist, Tommy Vercetti. Many gamers are curious to see if the next game in the series will find time to check in on the protagonists of "Grand Theft Auto 5."

It's not unheard-of for "Grand Theft Auto" to revisit older characters. "Grand Theft Auto 5" unceremoniously kills off the protagonist of "GTA 4: The Lost and the Damned," while the aforementioned "Vice City" featured supporting characters from "GTA 3." To date, none of the stars of "Grand Theft Auto 5" have specifically confirmed whether or not they've been cast in "GTA 6." However, there are a few reasons to suspect a couple of these stars of being involved in the next game.

Shawn Fonteno is the only one of the three "GTA 5" leads to reprise their role in a significant way, returning to "GTA Online" for a storyline built around Franklin's Vinewood successes. The actor also almost spoiled his surprise return a year before the new chapter launched. Because of this incident, in which he told fans to "wait and see" what Rockstar had in store, "GTA" fans have been keeping a close eye on Fonteno's social media accounts for future hints.

It seems Fonteno is more than happy to leave occasional teases for fans. In September 2023, he guested in an Instagram video with actor Bryan Zampella, whom many believe to be the performer behind the male protagonist in "GTA 6." In the short film, Zampella and Fonteno discuss a conspicuous briefcase, but do not reveal its contents. Fellow "GTA 5" actor Ned Luke has since joked during a livestream that he thinks the briefcase contains "a copy of 'GTA 6.'"

As speculation surrounding the "GTA 6" trailer release heated up in November, Shawn Fonteno cryptically posted, "If I told y'all I might get in trouble." This was followed by a playful response from Ned Luke telling him to stop tweeting and play some "Call of Duty." Not long after this, Fonteno's original post was suddenly deleted. Fans have theorized that Luke and Fonteno got a chance to see the trailer early, but this has not yet been confirmed. Others think that Fonteno and his co-stars might have recorded something special for the upcoming game.

Came back home and poof its gone 😅 guess he can't for GTA VI like us pic.twitter.com/gi2jbs2vJ3

— Liam (@billsyliamgta) November 14, 2023

Ned Luke has continued championing Rockstar Games ever since he played Michael De Santa in "GTA 5." Like Shawn Fonteno, he seems to get a genuine kick out of interacting with fans — but sometimes he has to step in and remind people to be patient. In 2020, shortly after some alleged "GTA 6" leaks made their way onto the internet, Luke told fans, "They said that GTA 6's gonna be made [to take place] in Vice City ... Do not believe anything that you see on the internet ... if you hear it from Rockstar, then you know." Now that we know for sure that "GTA 6" takes place in Vice City, some fans think Luke may have been trying to throw people off the scent.

For his own part, Luke has continued to avoid directly answering questions about "GTA 6" with a simple yes or no. In November 2023, when a fan on Twitter asked if he'd be in the sequel, Luke cheekily replied, "It's a mystery," along with five stars. Then, during an interview with Larry Lawton in December 2023, Lawton introduced Ned Luke as the star of both "GTA 5" and "GTA 6." After making a comically scared expression, Luke said, "Who knows if even I'm in it. I mean historically you would say 'no' because they never reuse the protagonist. But I still have the NDA that I'm under so even if I knew anything I couldn't say anything." The phrasing here has some fans more convinced than ever that Ned Luke does know something about "GTA 6," but he's just not allowed to reveal it.

Although Ned Luke and Shawn Fonteno appear to be playing coy about "Grand Theft Auto 6," Steven Ogg has seemingly given fans a straightforward answer about his involvement in the next game. In fact, it seems that Ogg, who played the highly volatile and unstable Trevor Phillips in "GTA 5," is totally out of the loop regarding "GTA 6." When a fan asked the actor directly about whether or not he'd be in the sequel, Ogg simply replied, "No idea. Actors are the last to know anything." However, the actor added, "We'll see," which has provided some hope for gamers who are hoping for a return from Trevor. 

Other fans aren't so sure about his return, noting that "GTA Online" has included references to Trevor leaving town, seemingly for good. Then again, who's to say that Trevor didn't move to Vice City after having his fun in Vinewood? It's worth noting that Ogg, like the other two leads discussed here, would most likely have to sign an NDA for any work performed for the upcoming game. These kinds of safeguards are the reasons why we still don't know for certain who is starring in "GTA 6," but hopefully the stars of "GTA 5" will be able to give fans more hints in the lead-up to the new game's 2025 launch.