Actors’ union files charge against Fortnite maker over AI Darth Vader voice

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has filed an unfair labour practice charge against Llama Productions, a subsidiary of Epic Games, alleging the company replaced actors’ work with artificial intelligence to generate Darth Vader’s voice in Fortnite without proper notice.

Filed on Monday with the US National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the complaint accuses Llama Productions of failing “to bargain in good faith with the union” over the past six months and making unilateral changes to employment terms without providing notice or bargaining opportunity.

“Fortnite’s signatory company, Llama Productions, chose to replace the work of human performers with A.I. technology. Unfortunately, they did so without providing any notice of their intent to do this and without bargaining with us over appropriate terms,” SAG-AFTRA said in a statement.

The controversy centres on Fortnite’s recent addition of an interactive Darth Vader character that players can recruit to their team and converse with using voice chat. The AI recreation of the iconic villain’s voice was developed with the cooperation of the estate of James Earl Jones, the late actor who originally voiced the character in the Star Wars films.

Jones’ family stated he “felt that the voice of Darth Vader was inseparable from the story of Star Wars” and “always wanted fans of all ages to continue to experience it.”

While SAG-AFTRA acknowledges members’ rights to control their digital replicas, the union emphasises the need to protect broader labour interests: “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 complaint comes against the backdrop of ongoing strikes by video game actors that began in July 2024, after negotiations around the union’s interactive media agreement broke down over concerns about unregulated AI. Voice actors affiliated with SAG-AFTRA have been refusing to work with major companies including Activision, Disney, Warner Bros and EA.

Critics note that actors besides Jones have voiced Darth Vader for decades, particularly in video games. Most recently, actor Scott Lawrence performed the role in the 2023 game Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.

The AI-powered Darth Vader has already reportedly generated controversy, with some players finding ways to manipulate the character into saying inappropriate content during voice interactions.