Keith David will play Commander Zavala in Destiny 2 following Lance Reddick’s passing

Reddick’s recorded lines will remain intact, but Keith David will assume the role of Commander Zavala moving forward.

Earlier this year, Lance Reddick passed away at 60 years old. His prolific career spanned multiple entertainment mediums, including film, television, and video games. Destiny 2 fans knew and loved him as the authoritative voice of Commander Zavala, and developer Bungie has provided an update on the state of the character moving forward. Keith David will pick up the mantle of Commander Zavala, but all of Reddick’s previously recorded voice work for the character will remain untouched.

Bungie published a blog today to share the announcement with the Destiny community. Fans will hear Keith David in the role for the first time in The Final Shape, the next expansion for Destiny 2. He’s also expected to play the character in whatever capacity he appears beyond that. That said, Reddick’s work as the character isn’t being washed away. All of his existing voice lines in the game will remain in perpetuity.

“I am honored to continue the great work of Lance Reddick as Zavala. Lance captured the character’s sense of integrity so wonderfully. It is my intention to continue that work,” said David in a statement. Keith David is no stranger to video game voice acting, appearing in franchises such as Mass Effect and Saints Row. He even worked with Bungie many years ago as Arbiter Thel ‘Vadam in the Halo series.

Destiny players came together to mourn the death of Lance Reddick earlier this year, gathering around Zavala in-game and leaving messages on social media about his performance’s impact on them. Reddick also appeared in last year’s Horizon Forbidden West, and Guerrilla Games added an in-game memorial to the late actor back in June.

Donovan is a young journalist from Maryland, who likes to game. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom’s desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge Scream nerd and film fanatic that will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_