Edward Kenway’s Accent And Back Story Changed Because Of His Voice Actor Matt Ryan, And More We Learned From Him

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is sailing into port soon, launching on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on July 9. I recently attended a preview event for the game – and I’ll have more to share about that soon, including my impressions after playing the game and interviewing key devs behind the remake – and there, I got the chance to speak to Edward Kenway voice actor Matt Ryan. And surprise: he’s a joy to talk to, and someone who genuinely loves this character as much as the Assassin’s Creed community (and it was also great to finally tell him that his Constantine kicks ass). 

To keep things simple, I’ll list my questions below, along with Ryan’s answers – enjoy!

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced: Matt Ryan Q/A

Game Informer’s Wesley LeBlanc and Edward Kenway voice actor Matt Ryan

Game Informer’s Wesley LeBlanc: How did you originally get involved with Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag? 

Edward Kenway voice actor Matt Ryan: Well, originally, it was pitched as a pirate TV show because it was all top secret, so I did the first audition and I thought that the scenes – they didn’t give me a script – but the scenes that were given were great, and the description of the character was great. And when they invited me back, they said it was an Assassin’s Creed game, and I’d already played the first ones, so I was like, “Great, yeah!” But yeah, it was all in the writing.

Why do you think Edward is so beloved? 

For me, personally, I think it’s about his arc, the journey he goes on. He starts off as just a normal kind of guy who’s trying to get a better life for himself and his wife, but he’s also ruthless and he’ll do whatever he can to take it. And he thinks he can get to that place where, you know, he can provide for his family and have a better life. He thinks it’s fame and glory and riches, and it’s not; he really goes on this journey to get those things, but even though he doesn’t get what he needs and what he wants, through the way that he’s going about it, it does eventually lead him to something worthwhile.

What was the original direction they gave you for Edward?
What’s funny is that when I did the audition, Edward was based in the north of England with a completely different accent. So my audition was in a different accent, and it wasn’t until I went over to Montreal to start filming that they went, “Oh, you sound different.” And I was like, “Yeah, well, this is my real voice.” And they said, “Where are you from?” And I said, “I’m from a place called Swansea in Wales.” They asked me if it was on the sea, and it is, so then they were like, “Maybe we can use that.” So they made the character where I’m from, which I thought was great, because nobody knows where Swansea is in Wales, and it adds to the character – this guy coming from a small town, with no money growing up, and then wanting to change that. The other similarity, which is funny, is that I left Wales at 19; I left Swansea at 19 to go to Bristol, to the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, to become an actor, and Edward actually left Swansea to go to Bristol too. It’s a really cool parallel.  

What was it like coming back to Edward? 

It was a strange and wonderful and nostalgic and beautiful experience, man. It’s like an old friend. The funny thing is, when I did the original game, you didn’t quite know what it would be. You want to do the best job you can; you do your research, you do your preparation, and you give it your all. Coming back to something that you know has been very successful and that [Assassin’s Creed fans] like, and you’re like, “Oh shit, where is he? How do I realign to him?” But he was there, man, and it was kind of easy to slip into. My voice has changed slightly; it is slightly lower now, but I trained as an actor for this. But yeah, what a joy to come back and after all this, all this time, doing new scenes. [These] new scenes just jumped off the page, and they really add to the character – they add depth to the character and the story. They’re not just there for the sake of filling it out. 

What are you most excited about? 

I’m excited for the fans, old and new, to discover this great character in this astoundingly beautiful, ruthless, cruel, wonderful world and go on a journey with [Edward Kenway]. And I think that all the people who’ve been on that journey with him before, I’m excited for them to go on it again, and for them to feel the depth that has been brought to the character through the new stuff that we’ve done and the physics engine that they’re using in the game, and how the game looks and feels. 

We’ll have plenty more about Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced from the recent preview event I attended, so keep an eye on Game Informer so you don’t miss it. In the meantime, read about all of the changes and updates made to Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced as a remake, and then check out the Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced PC specs and requirements. After that, read about how Ubisoft has launched a real-life $500,000 treasure hunt to celebrate the remake.