Ever since Grand Theft Auto 6 was announced, a lot of fans have speculated about whether Grand Theft Auto 5‘s protagonists will make an appearance in the game. While this may seem silly at first, given that each GTA game’s story is largely self-contained, there is some precedent to the idea. Johnny Klebitz, the protagonist of the GTA 4 DLC, The Lost and the Damned, was briefly featured in GTA 5 near the start of the game. Meanwhile, Patrick McCreary, another central character in GTA 4, also showed up in GTA 5 as an optional heist accomplice.
Aside from a few rare exceptions, such as the infamous radio host Lazlow Jones, none of the characters from the older GTA games have appeared in the series’ recent installments. This, of course, is because the PS2-era GTA titles are set in an entirely different universe compared to the newer entries. A character from a game like GTA: San Andreas cannot show up in GTA 6 because of this, at least not without being changed significantly. Since they both take place in the HD universe, it is technically still possible for GTA 5‘s characters to appear in GTA 6, but a recent interview with one of the voice actors behind GTA 5‘s protagonists has poured some cold water on the idea.
Steven Ogg's Statements Have Poured Cold Water on the Idea that GTA 5's Protags Will Return in GTA 6
Steven Ogg, the Canadian actor who portrayed GTA 5‘s lovable lunatic, Trevor Phillips, was asked in a recent interview about how excited he was for GTA 6. Surprisingly, Ogg replied simply by saying he felt “nothing inside” regarding the game. He then noted that he was not a gamer, in any sense of the term, and that he preferred to read books like Crime and Punishment instead. Ogg even went so far as to reveal that he had never played GTA 5, despite portraying one of the most iconic characters in the game.
Judging by Steven Ogg’s statements, the chances of Trevor appearing in GTA 6 seem rather slim. If Trevor, after all, were to actually have a cameo in the game, one would think that Ogg would be a little more enthusiastic about its release. To further reinforce this point, Ogg stated a few months ago that he thinks it would be a great idea for Trevor to be killed off at the beginning of GTA 6. Unless he is deliberately trying to hide his involvement in the game, this doesn’t sound like something that an actor who has a role in GTA 6 would say.
Franklin's Voice Actor is Unsure About Whether His Character Will Appear in GTA 6
When it comes to GTA 5‘s two other protagonists, Michael De Santa and Franklin Clinton, their presence in GTA 6 (or lack thereof) is more of a mystery compared to Trevor. A few weeks prior to the release of GTA 6‘s first trailer, Franklin’s voice actor, Shawn Fonteno, made a post on Twitter where he said the words “If I told y’all, I’d get in trouble.” Although he deleted this tweet shortly afterward, many fans who caught a glimpse of it believed that Fonteno was cryptically teasing Franklin’s return in GTA 6. In response to this speculation, Fonteno didn’t outright deny the possibility of his character making an appearance in the game, but he did insist that he wasn’t aware of such a situation.
Some fans spotted a DVD for Michael’s movie, Meltdown, in one of the newly-released promotional images for GTA 6.
Michael's Voice Actor Has Similarly Been Kept in the Dark About GTA 6
Just like Shawn Fonteneno, Michael’s actor, Ned Luke, has made some similarly vague statements regarding the subject. In a video on the Fall Damage YouTube channel, Luke explained that he was not sure if Michael would make a return in GTA 6. He said that, although “Michael hasn’t been back for GTA Online,” he may or may not be coming back for a final DLC or for GTA 6 Online in the future.Since Rockstar Games seems to be keeping Ned Luke, as well as Shawn Fonteno and Steven Ogg, in the dark about whether their characters will appear in Grand Theft Auto 6, it seems likely that they won’t show up in the game at all, at least not at launch.