Final Fantasy 7 Revelation recasts Sephiroth with Critical Role CEO

A Critical Role founder will play the legendary villain

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation made quite a splash during the Summer Game Fest (SGF), but particularly observant fans may have noticed one unexpected change: Tyler Hoechlin will no longer be voicing Sephiroth. In his place, Critical Role’s Travis Willingham will play the iconic big bad with a noticeably deeper timbre.

Director Naoki Hamaguchi confirmed the news in an interview with YouTuber Maximilian Dood after the SGF livestream. Hamaguchi said the role was recast because Hoechlin was “unable to return,” seemingly due to a scheduling conflict. Instead, Willingham will join his Critical Role companion Matthew Mercer on the project, who is playing Vincent Valentine.

Beyond the baseline surprise of one of gaming's most memorable villains being recast in the final game of a trilogy, the change is particularly notable because this last entry will likely feature a fair bit more Sephiroth than the previous two. While the first half of the original game constantly alludes to the One-Winged Angel, it isn’t until the final stretch that he becomes a more frequent presence while attempting to bring about an apocalypse (hence why this latest game is called Revelation, the section of the Bible about the end of the world).

As for Willingham, he’s no stranger to big voice acting roles. Besides being the voice of Grog in The Legend of Vox Machina (the character he played in the Dungeons & Dragons actual play show) he’s played an impressive lineup of superheroes, including Thor and Superman, alongside other fan-favorites like Roy Mustang from Fullmetal Alchemist. And fitting with his latest bad guy role, he’s also embodied plenty of heels, like Lex Luthor, Cell, and Sebastian Shaw from X-Men ’97.

In a fun twist, a fan posted on X a picture taken by a cosplayer's friend in 2024 with the Critical Role cast. The cosplayer, @cosplayvalkyrie on Instagram, was dressed as Sephirot. In the picture, Willingham is making a shush gesture, which fans are now taking as a big tease of his role as Sephirot.

While some will likely be disappointed by the late-stage voice acting change, Revelation otherwise made quite an entrance. Its first trailer showcased climactic battles against the Weapons, gave a first look at Vincent and Cid’s moves, and offered a peek at character costumes that will tie into a new class system. It’s a testament to the Remake trilogy that just a two-minute tease can evoke such strong emotions: “I’ll make you proud,” Tifa says while referring to her bestie Aerith as she unexpectedly takes on the role of a Black Mage.

While it could definitely be argued that this trilogy is too bloated for its own good — especially when it comes to Rebirth's open-world indulgences — these games have excelled at bringing their central characters to life. Let’s hope this new version of Sephiroth lives up to his weighty legacy when Final Fantasy 7 Revelation comes out in early 2027.