Well, talk about “kept you waiting, huh?” The iconic line so famously uttered by longtime Solid Snake actor David Hayter has become rather apropos given the surprise return of the performer to a series many thought he would never return to. Well, a return to provide a voiceover for a promo for the newly released Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1. In it, Hayter goes over the various milestones throughout the series’ history. You can see it right here:
This…
Is only the beginning. #MGSVol1 https://t.co/atJdsSIo78
— David Hayter (@DavidBHayter) October 30, 2023
The teaser is part of something being called the Legacy Series. What that is isn’t totally clear, but one thing that is catching many eyes is the caption Hayter added to his repost of Konami’s original upload: “This… Is only the beginning.” The beginning of what, exactly? A renewed collaboration between Hayter and Konami is certainly something many, if not most, Metal Gear Solid fans would love to see after the beloved actor was infamously replaced by Kiefer Sutherland for the development of Metal Gear Solid V.
There is the sticking point that if Konami were to do something entirely new with the Metal Gear Solid franchise that it would be rather tricky without Hideo Kojima involved. Kojima has been the guiding visionary for the series since its inception, but after the tumultuous development of MGSV, he and Konami parted ways and haven’t worked together since. That said, Konami isn’t opposed to carrying on without Kojima, as evidenced by the development of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater (a remake of Metal Gear Solid 3) underway and the release of (abortive) Metal Gear Solid Survive following MGSV.
Whether or not Konami, which has been largely absent from AAA game development for years now, is up to the task of restoring Metal Gear Solid to its former glory remains to be seen, if it even wants to at all. Fans, though, would love nothing more than to see Solid Snake back in action and voiced by Hayter. What will the future hold? Is Hayter teasing a proper reprisal? Only time will tell, but you tell us your theories down below.
Source: David Hayter & Konami X Accounts