Sephiroth's New Voice Hid in Plain Sight for Two Years

Back in 2024, a cosplayer dressed as Sephiroth posed for a photo with the Critical Role cast. Travis Willingham, standing right there in frame, held a finger to his lips. Nobody thought twice about it. Now, after Square Enix confirmed Willingham as the new voice of Sephiroth in Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, that picture looks like the most delightful Easter egg hiding in plain sight for two years.

The recast was confirmed by director Naoki Hamaguchi in an interview with YouTuber Maximilian Dood following the Summer Game Fest livestream on June 5. According to Hamaguchi, Tyler Hoechlin, who voiced Sephiroth in both Remake and Rebirth, was "unable to return" due to a scheduling conflict. Willingham confirmed the news himself in a post on X on June 6, writing: "I'm absolutely honored to join the incredible cast of @finalfantasyvii & taking up the mantle of Sephiroth in this third installment. I know how important he is to so many, and I come at this with absolute respect & heart."

The photo, originally shared by cosplayer @cosplayvalkyrie on Instagram, has since resurfaced across social media with fans connecting the dots. Whether Willingham already knew he had the role at the time or was simply having fun, the timing is almost too perfect. I love that this is how the community pieced it together; not from a leak or a datamine, but from a cheeky gesture in a convention photo that nobody had any reason to scrutinize.

Willingham joins his Critical Role colleague Matthew Mercer, who plays Vincent Valentine, on the project. His voice acting resume is stacked: Thor, Superman, Roy Mustang from Fullmetal Alchemist, and on the villain side, Lex Luthor, Cell, and Sebastian Shaw from X-Men '97. Recasting one of gaming's most iconic antagonists in the final act of a trilogy is always going to raise eyebrows, but Square Enix could have done far worse than someone with that range. The Revelation trailer already showcased a noticeably deeper timbre for Sephiroth, and given that this final entry will feature him far more prominently as the story reaches its climax, Willingham will have plenty of room to make the role his own.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is set to launch in Spring 2027 on PS5, Xbox, Switch 2, and PC.