Mega Man Star Exits Sequel in Union Contract Dispute
▼ Summary
– SAG-AFTRA has issued a “Do Not Work Order” against Capcom’s *Mega Man: Dual Override* for failing to start the union signatory process.
– Union members, including voice actor Ben Diskin, are barred from working on the game to avoid violating union rules and facing penalties.
– Ben Diskin announced he will not reprise his role as Mega Man because Capcom’s offer required him to work without a union contract’s protections.
– Diskin speculates Capcom may be avoiding a union contract to sidestep its required AI protections, despite company assurances against AI voice misuse.
– There is no official explanation from Capcom, and the actor expresses distrust of corporate intentions regarding AI, despite personal hope.
The voice of Mega Man has changed for the upcoming game Mega Man: Dual Override, as actor Ben Diskin has exited the project following a union contract dispute. The Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has issued a formal “Do Not Work Order” against the Capcom title, barring its members from participating. This action stems from the company’s failure to begin the official process required to hire union talent, leaving Diskin, who voiced the hero in Mega Man 11, unable to return under a union agreement.
SAG-AFTRA issued the order on March 9, instructing all members to withhold any acting services for the production. The notice explicitly states that the producer “has failed to initiate the signatory process.” Working on the game would violate the union’s Global Rule One, potentially leading to significant fines or even expulsion for any member who defies the directive.
In a social media post, Ben Diskin confirmed the situation with a heavy heart. He revealed that Capcom extended an offer for him to return, but only on the condition that he work without a union contract and its associated protections. “With a broken Blue Bomber heart, I am no longer the voice of Mega Man,” Diskin announced. He felt compelled to refuse the offer, as accepting it would mean forfeiting the safeguards negotiated by SAG-AFTRA.
While Capcom has not provided an official explanation, Diskin shared his own theory about the company’s reluctance to sign a union deal. He mentioned being assured by the project that there were “full A.I. protections in place” guaranteeing his voice would not be used for AI development. However, he was also told with certainty that the project would not operate under a union agreement. This contradiction led him to speculate. “In my heart, I want to believe Capcom would never use AI… But in my HEAD, I’m aware that basically every major corporation is looking to incorporate generative AI to save money,” Diskin wrote in a follow-up comment. The implication is that the robust AI usage restrictions mandated by a SAG-AFTRA contract may be a point of contention for the publisher.
The standoff leaves the future of the game’s voice cast uncertain. With the union order in effect, Capcom must either negotiate with SAG-AFTRA or seek non-union talent to complete the project. For now, a key member of the Mega Man family has stepped away, highlighting the ongoing industry tensions between creative talent and corporate interests regarding fair compensation and digital rights.
(Source: Kotaku)
