SAG-AFTRA has filed an unfair labor practice charge against Epic Games after the release of an artificial intelligence version of Darth Vader in Fortnite, programmed to mimic the voice of James Earl Jones.
The union, which represents voice and screen performers, says it wasn’t consulted before Epic’s production partner, Llama Productions, deployed the AI-powered voice. The digital Vader can respond to players’ actions and interact with them in real time, reportedly using a voice model trained to replicate the iconic cadence Jones made famous.
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“We celebrate the right of our members and their estates to control the use of their digital replicas and welcome the use of new technologies to allow new generations to share in the enjoyment of those legacies and renowned roles,” SAG-AFTRA said in a statement. “However, we must protect our right to bargain terms and conditions around uses of voice that replace the work of our members, including those who previously did the work of matching Darth Vader's iconic rhythm and tone in video games.” The union says that Llama Productions "chose to replace the work of human performers with AI technology [...] without providing any notice of their intent to do this and without bargaining with us over appropriate terms."
SAG-AFTRA has developed its own framework for AI collaborations in entertainment, working with various tech firms to create usage rules. The group says it’s not objecting to the use of AI itself, but to the process: Epic’s team, it argues, moved forward without bargaining or even notifying the union.
Epic Games, which owns Fortnite, has not yet responded to requests for comment.
The complaint comes as the video game voice actor strike stretches into its ninth month. Talks between SAG-AFTRA and the companies under its interactive media agreement stalled in 2024, primarily over the issue of AI. The union is pushing for stronger guardrails around the use of AI in performance work, especially when it recreates or replaces human voices.
The strike has now outlasted both the Hollywood writers' and actors' strikes of 2023, becoming one of the longest work stoppages in recent entertainment labor history.
Whether this complaint will bring Epic Games to the table remains to be seen. For now, Darth Vader’s voice may be doing more than speaking to players — it’s triggering a broader conversation about consent, compensation, and the role of performers in a digital future.
