Screenshot: Sandfall Interactive / Kotaku
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has an incredibly stacked voice cast. Final Fantasy XVI lead Ben Starr and Baldur’s Gate 3 star Jennifer English head the pack of expeditioners as Verso and Maelle, but perhaps the most recognizable voice among them all is Daredevil actor Charlie Cox. He plays Gustave, the swordsman and gunslinger, the first playable character you inhabit in the RPG. Notably, Cox hasn’t been that present in promoting the game, with Starr, English, and others in the cast making more appearances in trailers and panels. This isn’t too surprising, as Cox has been a bit preoccupied with his role in Daredevil: Born Again, but as Clair Obscur has risen in popularity, it seems Cox has been caught off guard by all the hype.
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This weekend, Cox was a guest at the Washington State Summer Con in Puyallup, where he took part in a Daredevil panel alongside co-stars Elden Henson, Vincent D’Onofrio, and Wilson Bethel. While the group primarily talked about their time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Cox was asked about his work on Clair Obscur.t The actor admitted he hasn’t actually played the game himself, and seemed a bit frazzled talking about the game, given his knowledge of it is limited to the four hours he spent in the booth recording Gustave’s dialogue.
“I don’t mean to minimize it in any way, and it’s so cool [that] apparently the game’s awesome,” Cox said to the audience. “I’m not a gamer. I have no idea. I haven’t played it. My agent asked me if I wanted to go and do a voiceover. I was in the studio for four hours, maybe? People keep saying how amazing it is and ‘congratulations,’ and I feel like a total fraud. But I’m so thrilled for the company, and I’m so thrilled it did really well. That was it. Just FYI. Ask someone else a question, I feel uncomfortable.”
It was an endearing moment. Sometimes, a voice acting role is just something you hop into a booth for one day, and it doesn’t become a months-long gig. Given how quickly Cox was in and out, it’s amazing his performance is as good as it is. Gustave is one of the most endearing characters in Clair Obscur, with a ton of emotional range. Cox may be surprised that Sandfall Interactive’s RPG has blown up the way it has, but I hope he also realizes how much his character played a part in its success.