A Journey through Voices
In 1997, Final Fantasy VII was launched on the PlayStation, captivating players with its legendary storyline and unforgettable characters. This groundbreaking video game forever changed the history of the gaming industry. The game’s remarkable challenges, gameplay, and groundbreaking visuals enthralled countless players. Today, Final Fantasy VII is making a comeback with a trilogy of remakes, and the second episode is set to be released on February 29, 2024.
However, in 1997, the characters in Final Fantasy VII were not yet voiced by actors. All the dialogues were only available in written form, except for a few animated cutscenes. Eventually, Cloud, one of the game’s iconic characters, found his voice in the video game Kingdom Hearts. The American actor Steve Burton provided the English voice for Cloud in all of his appearances until the remake of the original game, where he handed the role over to Cody Christian. In the Japanese and French versions, Cloud was voiced by Takahiro Sakurai and Tanguy Goasdoué respectively, from Kingdom Hearts to Final Fantasy VII Remake. However, did you know that the choice for the English voice actor could have been very different?
The Possibility of Cloud Smash!
At the SacAnime Winter 2023 convention, actor Steve Burton shed light on the casting process for Cloud Strife in the English version. He revealed an intriguing revelation that could have drastically altered Cloud’s voice:
You will be surprised to know that Disney seriously considered casting Mark Ruffalo, the renowned actor famous for portraying Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as the voice of Final Fantasy VII’s protagonist, Cloud. Imagine how different it would have been to hear Bruce Banner utter some iconic lines from the game!
