Splinter Cell: Deathwatch showrunner says they replaced Sam Fisher’s iconic voice actor because if they are “going to be doing this for a while” then they need a “new sound”
By Molly Edwards
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Splinter Cell: Deathwatch
Splinter Cell: Deathwatch showrunner says they replaced Sam Fisher’s iconic voice actor because if they are “going to be doing this for a while” then they need a “new sound”
Molly Edwards
17 September 2025
Liev Schreiber has taken over the role
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(Image credit: Netflix)
Splinter Cell: Deathwatch showrunner Derek Kolstad has revealed why Sam Fisher has been recast for the Netflix show, which is based on the Tom Clancy Ubisoft franchise.
In the games, Michael Ironside voices Sam Fisher, but in the show, Liev Schreiber has taken over.
“I loved him, but ultimately it was like, ‘If we’re going to be doing this for a while, they just wanted a new sound,'” Kolstad told IGN. “And when they were going through the various voices, any number of people were up for the role.”
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In the show, Sam is older than he is in the games, so a new voice would make sense (though, enough time has passed since the first game released that Ironside would sound older anyway). But, as Kolstad went on to explain, Schreiber is an ideal choice for the role thanks to his previous part in The Sum of All Fears, which is based on Tom Clancy’s novel of the same name.
“Say what you will about that movie, but Liev Schreiber as John Clark was perfect,” Kolstad added. “And so when his name came up, it was looking through that lens of John Clark. It’s again, they’re both Clancy characters, they’re attached to the hip, same creator, same universe, and it just seemed perfect.”
The official synopsis for the Netflix show reads: “In this first-ever adaptation of the acclaimed stealth video game Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, legendary agent Sam Fisher is drawn back into the field when a wounded young operative seeks out his help. Produced by Ubisoft, in partnership with Derek Kolstad (John Wick), Sun Creature and Fost.”
The first trailer for the show dropped in August at the NYC Anime Convention.
The show arrives on October 14. You can fill out your watchlist in the meantime with our guide to the best Netflix shows.
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Molly Edwards
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Deputy Entertainment Editor
I’m the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site’s Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.
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Splinter Cell’s Netflix series creator appears to character assassinate Sam Fisher by saying the stealth icon is “not the best” at what he does
Splinter Cell: Deathwatch Netflix adaptation from John Wick writer gets first look trailer that’s so full of moody anime spies, you might forget there hasn’t been a new game in 12 years
After 4 quiet years, Ubisoft keeps some hope alive for its Splinter Cell revival as it asks for some parts of the Netflix show to be cut because of “other plans” for the dormant stealth series
Assassin’s Creed Mirage’s Basim wants to be in Netflix’s show, and fans think this could be “part of a calculated audience warm-up”
Metal Gear Solid’s OG Snake voice actor finally told himself to “stop being a baby” and play The Phantom Pain after he was recast, and now thinks it has “my favorite gameplay of the series”
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