Critical Role cast was thrilled to rewrite history with Legend of Vox Machina

Since the inception of the web series in 2012, real-play events vital role With each subsequent campaign taking place later in the world’s history, the world of Xendria has expanded. But with Prime Video’s animated fantasy series, the legend of vox machinaThe voice actors return to where it all began, with the first group of misfit mercenaries from their first campaign. This time, however, he had a chance to rewrite history and make some changes to the way it first unfolded.

,[We’d] playing as a group for two and a half years before we decided to take it on stream,” says Marisha Ray, the voice of the half-elf druid Keyleth. “So there was a lot of character building and backstory moments Which the audience never saw. So through flashbacks, and really a lot of cold opens, we can kind of glimpse behind that curtain.

[Ed. note: This post contains spoilers for the first three episodes of The Legend of Vox Machina season 2]

“The scenes I love are the moments I didn’t get in the actual campaign,” says Ashley Johnson.

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Image: Prime Video

Due to real-life scheduling conflicts, Johnson was absent for some key moments. Thanks to the animated series, the actors were able to rewrite history and bring Pike into the fold for those scenes. For example, this season’s third episode, “The Sunken Tomb”, follows plot points from a web series episode that Johnson could not attend; Now when the eerie underwater temple triggers a trap and kills the half-elf ranger Wexahlia (Laura Bailey), Pike races to her side to try and revive her – exclusively from the original run Absent a moment

Not only does the animated series give the actors a chance to dive into their characters’ backstories and explore dynamics that weren’t on the table, but it also takes the show outside of the storytellers’ POV, allowing viewers to see the villains. gets permission. and plotting their own plans. Dungeon Master Matt Mercer was especially excited to see that aspect of the show because, as Dungeon Master, he played all the dragons of Chroma Conclave. In the show, however, while he reprises the role of the ancient dragon Ambrasil, the other dragons are voiced by Cree Summers, Lance Reddick, and Liam O’Brien (who is also the player and mastermind behind the half-elf rogue Vax’ilden). is the voice of. Now we get to see the behind-the-scenes machinations of the dragons, making the epic battle all the more exciting. This isn’t the only tweak that comes with Showdown.

“We get to make some of the elements of combat that sometimes don’t get to chill the dice on the table, which are more cinematic and dynamic and exciting for this series,” Mercer says.

Image: Prime Video

When it comes to the actual web series, the cast now plays a new set of characters dealing with a new set of threats (though their OGs make the occasional cameo appearance). Still, he has a special place in his heart for the characters who started it all, even if aside from improvising on a recording table with a script in a booth.

“It’s like going home on vacation to visit your family,” Mercer explains. “There’s this aspect of these characters that we love so much and lived many, many years ago. And now we’re back in those old comfortable clothes. We hug again where it started for so many friendships.” What happened have now become inseparable bonds and breathe new life into them, and pay tribute and represent in so many ways rightly and then surprise, even ourselves and others and hope That’s the audience. It’s kind of like taking the old and making it new again.”

while the first session for vox machine Recorded in person, most of season one’s recording had to be done remotely due to the pandemic. Performers recorded in pairs or trios, when possible, to be able to feed off each other’s energy and try to replicate the experience of being at the table and doing it the first time. Going forward, recording together seems like it’s going to be a regular thing, but the actors say there will always be something really special about a recording session together.

“It was a very pinched moment,” says Sam Regal, the voice of the rakish gnome Bard Scanlan. “We were all in a booth recording a show that we created and helped write and did the voices for and helped produce. And we were being voiced by one of my oldest friends, Mary McGlynn. It’s a real “is it real?” One of a kind moment, her first time in the booth. But every time we get together to perform, whether it’s across the table, or behind some microphone, or on the stage at a conference, it’s great. It’s great to be with these people. Even after being around him for years and years, we manage to make each other laugh. It is a rare friendship that we have. And I hope we keep doing this forever.

new episodes of the legend of vox machina Drop by on Prime Video on Fridays.