A former Fox McCloud actor has confirmed that it's not his voice you're hearing in the new Switch 2 Star Fox game.
Joe Zieja – perhaps best known for being the voice of Claude in Fire Emblem: Three Houses, or for providing the whistling for David Corenswet's Superman – previously took on the role as Fox McCloud for the animated short Star Fox Zero – The Battle Begins, while long-time actor Mike West – who voiced Fox in the original Star Fox 64 and its 3DS remake – provided Fox's voice in the actual Star Fox Zero game. And, with the reveal of the brand new Star Fox game (that's a remake of an old game, but still), many heard some similarities within his performance and that of this new rendition, and questioned the actor about it.
Zieja has taken to Twitter to shut down the line of inquiry, saying: "I truly appreciate all the love, but that is not my voice." He adds: "I was as surprised as you that the game was even being made."
He explains, "As voice actors, we don't own our roles. Those characters belong to the world, and I'm so honored to have been part of Star Fox history at all."
As fans, we should all be very excited that after over a ten year break, we have Star Fox back in our lives. When the game comes out in June, it is going to bring joy and nostalgia to old fans, and bring new ones into a wonderful community. That makes me happy.May 7, 2026
The one-time Fox actor also seemed to comment on the part of the fanbase who were let down by the idea of yet another Star Fox 64 remake, saying: "As fans, we should all be very excited that after over a ten year break, we have Star Fox back in our lives. When the game comes out in June, it is going to bring joy and nostalgia to old fans, and bring new ones into a wonderful community. That makes me happy."
Zieja also gives his "most heartfelt congratulations" to the "Nintendo team that likely worked tirelessly to bring Star Fox back to life and the new cast that will bring fresh, vivid perspectives to characters that we all know, love, and cherish."
It's not that Star Fox has had the prominence of Mario, but it seems like the Switch 2 era has prompted Nintendo to do a full refresh on some of its iconic voices, with Mario actor Charles Martinet stepping down from the role ahead of time with 2023's Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and the Switch 2 launch then replacing the voices Princess Peach, Donkey Kong, and more. We'll just have to wait and see who's voicing Fox.
