Mass Effect 5: The Return of Commander Shepard?

As development on Mass Effect 5 seems to be rolling forward, especially with all the buzz around EA’s current buyout, fans are left wondering: will we see Commander Shepard make a comeback? If there’s a chance, the voices behind the iconic character are more than eager to step back into their roles. In a recent chat with fans on the podcast Fall Damage, both Jennifer Hale and Mark Meer, who brought female and male Shepard to life, were quick to share their thoughts about potentially reprising their roles.

Meer mused, “I like to think Shepard is alive in all of our hearts,” which was immediately followed by Hale’s encouragement that “Shepard is alive if you make it so.” She went on to suggest that fans should reach out to EA and BioWare, the entities that hold the keys to the Normandy, to express their desire for more adventures with Captain Shepard. “We will be there, because we should not go,” she declared, adding, “I would be there with bells on if they offered for me to play Shepard again.”

Meer chimed in with his characteristic humor, saying he would love to return as well, “but only under any circumstances.” This poses an interesting narrative dilemma for the developers, considering the numerous decisions players made throughout the original trilogy. Depending on player choices, Shepard may or may not be around, and if the character does make a return, it would mean making at least one of those endings canon—at least in theory.

However, there are ways around these narrative challenges, from cloning to cryogenics, or situating the story at a point where Commander Shepard could feasibly return. The potential for stretching the timeline is vast, and with the gaming industry ever-evolving, the possibility of more Mass Effect content is promising. If that means bringing the fateful protagonist back into the fold, all the better for fans everywhere.

There’s no shortage of excitement for what’s next. Just recently, some keen-eyed gamers spotted artwork hinting at a Krogan civil war hidden in one of BioWare’s N7 Day posts, and studio leads have teased a lot more is yet to come. “I want you to see stuff. But it’s not the time…yet,” they remarked, leaving fans eagerly anticipating what the future holds for the beloved series.