The rapid rise of streaming services as an alternative to movie theaters and traditional TV has ushered in a new era for animated shows. Once upon a time, voice casts peppered with A-list stars would be reserved for the latest Pixar or DreamWorks effort, but animated shows on streaming are now able to assemble deeply impressive vocal ensembles all of their own.
Invincible and The Boys Presents: Diabolical are two such shows on Prime Video’s roster (a platform where the trend has been especially prevalent), luring the likes of J.K. Simmons, Lee Pace, and Don Cheadle. Nevertheless, it’s hard to look beyond The Legend of Vox Machina as one of the greatest casts of any Prime Video series, animated or otherwise.
In our exclusive cover story, Critical Role’s Sam Riegel & Travis Willingham dive into The Legend of Vox Machina season 4 and the final campaign arc.
The core group of actors playing Vox Machina is, of course, a collection of well-known names from the world of voice acting. That’s the crux of the show: a band of voice actor pals playing Dungeons and Dragons together under the name Critical Role, and expanding their fledgling franchise into a full TV series. When casting the campaign’s NPCs, however, The Legend of Vox Machina flexed its muscles and drafted some of the biggest names in town.
Across the show’s first three seasons, recurring voices included Stephanie Beatriz, Indira Varma, Kelly Hu, Rory McCann, Dominic Monaghan, and Gina Torres. The villainous Chroma Conclave, meanwhile, contained the likes of Lance Reddick and Ralph Ineson. Notable guest spots went to David Tennant, Billy Boyd (joining his fellow Hobbit), Tony Hale, Sendhil Ramamurthy, and the Fonz himself, Henry Winkler. It’s a deeply impressive collection of actors that serves to bring Critical Role’s vast world to life, while also instilling the realm of animated fantasy with a more cinematic quality. That’s a cast list that could sustain a blockbuster live-action movie franchise.
Somehow, The Legend Of Vox Machina’s Cast Is Getting Better And Better
The Legend of Vox Machina switches gears in season 4, as it moves from the end of the Chroma Conclave arc to the beginning of the final battle against the Whispered One. While some old favorites return, such as Stephanie Beatriz’s Lady Kima and Indira Varma’s Lady Allura, this fresh arc represents the perfect opportunity for an influx of equally fresh vocal talent. It’s an opportunity The Legend of Vox Machina does not waste.
Indeed, the show makes its very first new main cast addition in the form of Wayne Brady voicing incoming Vox Machina member Taryon Darrington. The five-time Emmy winner is perhaps best known for his gig on Whose Line is it Anyway? and the Critical Role gang have described putting Brady’s name at the very top of their Taryon wishlist without seriously expecting to get him on board. Brady mixing it up among Vox Machina’s usual suspects is a sure sign of how vast their legend has grown.
There are exciting new guest stars too, of course. The Legend of Vox Machina season 4 has introduced Andy Serkis as the enigmatic cultist “Gideon.” Given Serkis’ history (and future) with the fantasy genre in Middle-earth, and the aura of mystery surrounding his participation in The Legend of Vox Machina, it feels like his role could be a very significant one. Last, but certainly not least, no one should ignore The Legend of Vox Machina season 4’s most impressive new star, Doty as Himself. No doubt the biggest diva in the recording booth.
Despite its abundance of star power, it’s telling that The Legend of Vox Machina‘s A-list cast hasn’t once distracted from the substance of the show. There’s a small subplot in terms of Critical Role becoming an increasing high-profile franchise, to the point where Andy Serkis is visiting Exandria in between trips to The Shire, but all the discussion and buzz around The Legend of Vox Machina centers around its main group of heroes and whatever calamities will befall them next.
- Release Date
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January 27, 2022
- Network
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Prime Video
- Showrunner
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Brandon Auman
- Directors
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Young Heller, Eugene Lee, Alicia Chan
- Writers
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Eugene Son, Travis Willingham, Chris Wyatt, Kevin Burke, Suzanne Keilly, Mae Catt, Todd Casey, Ashly Burch, May Chan, Marc Bernardin
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Laura Bailey
Vex’ahlia (voice)
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Taliesin Jaffe
Percy (voice)