Mass Effect 4 has been confirmed by BioWare, and a social media post from series voice actor Mark Meer has reignited hope that Commander Shepard will be making a return. Fans have speculated that Shepard will be coming back in this next entry ever since the reveal trailer back in 2020 starring Liara T’Soni. The flames of this theory were further stoked by a recent description for a piece of Mass Effect merchandise on BioWare’s store.
The original Mass Effect trilogy’s ending, while disappointing for many fans, was highly variable. Depending on various choices made throughout all three games, along with one final decision at the very end, the existential, synthetic Reaper threat could be combined with sentient life, destroyed, or taken under control of sentient life, effectively becoming slaves. There has been plenty of discussion surrounding these three ending archetypes, and some players have even come around to the controversial conclusion, taking to the internet to defend it. However, less has been said about the fate of Commander Shepard, who can only survive the finale under very specific circumstances. The Mass Effect 4 reveal trailer showed Liara uncovering a piece of N7 armor, which many theorized belonged to Shepard. This was bolstered by the aforementioned merch listing that referenced Shepard, although the director of Mass Effect 4 stated this was a mistake.
Despite this, many are still hopeful that Shepard will come back in Mass Effect 4. These hopes have been growing following an Instagram post from male Shepard voice actor Mark Meer (via ComicBook). The description of the post simply celebrates the one-year anniversary of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, but the picture itself is more substantive; the image accompanying the description is an art piece featuring both the male and female versions of Shepard, with a text bubble reading: “We’re not really the ‘retiring’ kind.”
Of course, this is far from anything definitive on its own. However, the timing of Meer’s post is certainly curious, as it closely follows BioWare’s much-discussed product listing and subsequent removal. The use of the word “retiring” is also suggestive. On a related note, Jennifer Hale, the voice of the female Shepard, has expressed interest in returning for Mass Effect 4. If both Hale and Meer are still passionate about their shared role, BioWare could potentially bring them onboard once again.
BioWare might be able to bring Shepard back for Mass Effect 4, but whether the studio should is another question entirely. Fans might want Shepard to return, but their inclusion could come at the sacrifice of creative freedom, as it would mean that the Destroy ending of Mass Effect 3 would have to be canon. It would also likely mean restricting the setting of the game, as Shepard (presumably) has a normal human lifespan. BioWare hasn’t outright denied Shepard’s reprisal in Mass Effect 4, so series fans will just have to wait and see.
