Kiefer Sutherland confirmed as Snake in Metal Gear Solid V

Konami has confirmed that Kiefer Sutherland will be taking on the role of Snake in the upcoming Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.

Sutherland will take over the role from David Hayter, who has been portraying the character since the original Metal Gear Solid in 1998. On top of providing the voice, Sutherland will be performing the facial capture for Snake's face in Metal Gear Solid V.

Hideo Kojima confirmed Sutherland's role as part of Konami's pre-E3 2013 show. "This time with Metal Gear Solid V," said Kojima, "the themes are a little different from previous games in the series. We're taking on some very heavy subjects, such as race and revenge. This makes the tone much darker. As a result, I wanted Snake to have a more subdued performance expressed through subtle facial movements and tone of voice, rather than words.

"The game takes place in 1984, when Snake is 49 years old. Therefore, we needed someone who could genuinely convey the facial and vocal qualities of a man in his late 40s. It's different from anything we've done before, so I asked a producer friend of mine in Hollywood, Avi Arad, for advice.

"He's the one who introduced me to Mr. Kiefer Sutherland. And I was like, 'Why didn't I think of that?'"

Speaking about his new role, Sutherland said, "There's a real personal quality to the character that I've connected to."

"I felt [Sutherland] was the perfect fit in terms of age and performance," concluded Kojima.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is currently in development for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.