Did James Earl Jones give permission to use his voice for AI Darth Vader? What we know amid SAG-AFTRA lawsuit against Epic games

When James Earl Jones gave his blessing to preserve Darth Vader’s voice using past recordings, he set in motion a plan to extend the legacy of one of cinema’s most iconic villains. After his passing in 2024 at age 93, both Disney and Epic confirmed his family supported the use of his voice in Fortnite, pointing to his stated wish to engage fans across generations.

Recently, The Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists have filed a labor practice charge against Epic Games, Llama Productions. According to SAG-AFTRA, they filed the unfair labor complaint, because Epic games used AI to recreate James Earl Jones voice as Darth Vader for their game, Fortnite, without the union's consent.

According to a report shared by the Tribune, Epic games didn’t notify or negotiate with SAG-AFTRA, when they preferred using AI tech instead of human performers during a Star wars themed mini season.

“They chose to replace the work of human performers with AI technology,” shared the union.

SAG-AFTRA isn’t standing down. The union argues that the usage wasn’t formally cleared through its channels.

“We welcome new technologies, but we must protect our members’ right to bargain terms around AI-generated performances.” shared the union.

James Earl Jones’s iconic voice returned in Fortnite's AI-powered Darth Vader:

According to a report shared by Business of Apps, in 2023, Fortnite had generated a whopping $3.5 billion in revenue for Epic Games, which was about eighty percent of their total revenue.

In a move that blended gaming with artificial intelligence, Fortnite introduced Darth Vader as a character capable of responding to players using conversational AI. Business Insider highlighted the update, which arrived this month. Epic Games stated in a blog post that players can activate a special feature after recruiting Vader, giving teammates the ability to ask him questions. Vader would then reply to these questions using James Earl Jones' voice.

"Ask him all your pressing questions about the Force, the Galactic Empire... or you know, a good strat for the last Storm circle, the Sith Lord has opinions," the post shared.

However, not all player queries directed at Darth Vader in Fortnite were about the game. In a Twitch clip that went viral, streamer Loserfruit asks the AI-powered villain,

“What is your freaking f**king favorite food?”

Vader’s AI voice replied in Character, both in a scolding and theatrical manner,

“Freaking, f**king, such vulgarity does not become you Padme. You inquire about sustenance, and yet speak like a common thug,” he responded.

James Earl Jones, gifted audiences with multiple unforgettable performances, most notably his performances as the voice of Mufasa in The Lion King and the iconic Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise. In 2022, Disney collaborated with the Ukrainian tech firm Respeecher to create an AI-generated version of Jones’s voice, ensuring the continuity of Darth Vader’s presence in future projects.

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Following his death, James Earl Jones's family confirmed the actor had also approved the use of his voice in Fortnite, stating that he felt the character’s voice was “inseparable from the story of Star Wars.”

"He always wanted fans of all ages to continue to experience it. We hope that this collaboration with Fortnite will allow fans of Darth Vader and newer generations to share in the enjoyment of this iconic character." they shared in the statement.

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