Earlier, it was reported that actress Jennifer Hale would take up Taylor’s role as the game’s protagonist. Although Platinum initially blamed Taylor’s busy schedule, Taylor now says it wasn’t the case. Hellena responded by posting on social media, detailing reasons for declining her role in the third game.
— Hellena Taylor (@hellenataylor) October 15, 2022 Taylor revealed to her Twitter followers that Platinum Games only offered her $4,000 to voice Bayonetta throughout the game. She claims that the Bayonetta franchise has earned as much as $450 million without counting item sales. In addition, Taylor claims that she has never requested more money than a “living wage” for her work. The voice actor has asked fans to express solidarity by donating the money they would have spent on Bayonetta 3 to charity. Taylor voiced the character of Bayonetta for the first two games in the franchise, the anime film titled Bayonetta: Bloody Fate, and both the Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate video game series. Additionally, because of the character’s strong association with her voice, the new voice that was cast was difficult to accept for a lot of fans. When asked about a possible comeback to her role last year, Taylor had made comments that she might not be coming back. When responding to a fan on Twitter who said they couldn’t image Bayonetta without Taylor’s voice, the actor answered, “Well, you might have to.” Taylor concluded her video by wishing the new voice actress Jennifer Hale “all the joy in the world” and “all the jobs,” but asserted that Hale has no right to assume the role of Bayonetta. She warned fans against buying the game and that Platinum will definitely try to make a spin-off. On October 28, Bayonetta 3 will launch exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
