AEW star Kenny Omega has revealed his latest crossover between the wrestling and gaming worlds—a voice acting role in producer Adi Shankar’s upcoming Devil May Cry animated series for Netflix. The revelation came during a wide-ranging conversation between the wrestling superstar and the visionary producer, confirming Omega’s continued expansion beyond the wrestling ring.
From Wrestler to Voice Actor
Omega, long known for his passionate gaming fandom alongside his wrestling career, confirmed his participation in the highly anticipated adaptation of Capcom’s popular action game series. While discussing Shankar’s approach to the project, Omega casually revealed his involvement.
“You play Solid Snake. That’s right. Yeah, pretty much. Yeah, Solid Snake,” Shankar confirmed, with Omega adding: “So, you guys can look forward to that… I did indeed lend my voice and my talent and or lack thereof to the show, but I tried my best.”
This marks the second collaboration between Omega and Shankar, following the wrestler’s appearance in “Captain Laser Hawk.” However, unlike his previous role where he played himself, Omega’s Devil May Cry character will be an original performance.
“It’s the second show we’ve done together, man,” Shankar noted during their conversation. “Yeah, this time you didn’t play yourself. I didn’t play myself this time,” Omega confirmed, contrasting it with his earlier work on “Captain Laser Hawk as well.”
For Omega, the opportunity represents a meaningful connection between his career and his lifelong passion for gaming. As he explained:
“Being able to do stuff with some of the things that I’ve loved throughout the years and things that have inspired me… I wouldn’t have been able to do it without wrestling.”
A Wrestling Star’s Gaming Connection
The Devil May Cry role is a natural extension of Omega’s well-established gaming credentials. During their conversation, he revealed his deep connection to the franchise, recalling his history with the original games.
“I still remember those days, you know, playing the original Devil May Cry. And I think that’s the only Devil May Cry that I’ve played three times now. I’ve played it three times like start to finish,” Omega shared. “I think I played the original twice and then I remember when the HD remaster collection came out like the first three… I played them all over again as well.”
This gaming expertise makes Omega an ideal collaborator for Shankar, who emphasized his commitment to authentic video game adaptations throughout their conversation. Unlike many Hollywood figures who approach gaming properties without familiarity with the source material, both Omega and Shankar speak the language of gaming fans.
“It’s crazy that they would be like—to me that it always blows my mind when I will hear of a project getting green lit that would be something that’s an adaptation of video game and they’ll go the writer, producer, director, actors, actresses none of them have played the game and it’s like ‘but we think it’s going to be great,'” Shankar lamented, with Omega agreeing that this approach has done a disservice to many gaming adaptations.
Bringing Devil May Cry to Life
While specific details about Omega’s character remain limited, Shankar shared extensive insights about his approach to the Devil May Cry adaptation, promising a series that honors the games’ legacy while adding psychological depth.
“I didn’t want to modernize it. No. That was like my first, you know, it was like I will not modernize this because I wanted to recreate the memory of playing it on PS2,” Shankar explained, highlighting his commitment to capturing the nostalgic feeling that made the original games so impactful.
The series will focus on an earlier period in protagonist Dante’s life, before he fully understood his demonic heritage. “This is sort of like the Dante before Dante even knew how just how powerful he was,” Shankar revealed. “He’s like figuring it out. This was very like Batman Begins in that way… He doesn’t even know that he’s a demon. And he’s like, ‘I just hunt these things cuz what do you mean I’m a demon?’ And he hasn’t really even put thought into why he has these special abilities.”
For fans of both wrestling and gaming, the collaboration represents a perfect intersection of Omega’s dual passions. As someone who has successfully connected the worlds of professional wrestling and gaming throughout his career, his involvement adds another layer of authenticity to Shankar’s vision.
“It’s just awesome like being able to do stuff with some of the things that I’ve loved throughout the years and things that have inspired me,” Omega reflected. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it without wrestling.”
While no release date has been announced for the Devil May Cry series, the involvement of both a gaming-fluent producer like Shankar and authentic gaming enthusiasts like Omega suggests the adaptation is in knowledgeable hands—potentially breaking the curse of disappointing video game adaptations that has plagued Hollywood for decades.