Netflix’s upcoming premiere of the 1990s anime classic Neon Genesis Evangelion, but this time around, the series will be different. The series will feature an all-new English dub, with completely different voice actors.
The change is angering fans of the series. Many grew up on ADV’s original English dub and its cast including Spike Spencer (as Shinji Ikari), Tiffany Grant (as Asuka Langley Sohryu), Allison Keith (as Misato Katsuragi) and Amanda Winn Lee (as Rei Ayanami).
Amanda Win Lee released a statement via a tweet clarifying the situation:
“FYI Not only were our roles recast in Evangelion, but they never had any intention of even auditioning us in the first place. So stop wondering. No, Spike, Tiffany, Allison, and I are not in it…
They let us audition – AFTER we found out auditions were being held and raised a fuss. But I wouldn’t be surprised if they threw out the files as soon as we left the studio. They never had any intention of involving us.”
Grant took to Facebook to reveal what she went through to audition:
“The truth is that I have known for months that we were all being replaced. I flew myself out to LA in early December to audition – for the first time – for the role of Asuka. It was the most surreal moment of my life.”
There is a good chance this means that the original dub will not hit Netflix and that the ADV dub won’t ever see the light of day again. Grant, Keith, and Spencer all remain cast in the Rebuild of Evangelion films. The fourth chapter drops in Japan in 2020.
