Splinter Cell: Deathwatch showrunner says they replaced Sam Fisher's iconic voice actor because if they are "going to be doing this for a while" then they need a "new sound"

Splinter Cell: Deathwatch showrunner Derek Kolstad has revealed why Sam Fisher has been recast for the Netflix show, which is based on the Tom Clancy Ubisoft franchise.

In the games, Michael Ironside voices Sam Fisher, but in the show, Liev Schreiber has taken over.

"I loved him, but ultimately it was like, 'If we're going to be doing this for a while, they just wanted a new sound,'" Kolstad told IGN. "And when they were going through the various voices, any number of people were up for the role."

In the show, Sam is older than he is in the games, so a new voice would make sense (though, enough time has passed since the first game released that Ironside would sound older anyway). But, as Kolstad went on to explain, Schreiber is an ideal choice for the role thanks to his previous part in The Sum of All Fears, which is based on Tom Clancy's novel of the same name.

"Say what you will about that movie, but Liev Schreiber as John Clark was perfect," Kolstad added. "And so when his name came up, it was looking through that lens of John Clark. It's again, they’re both Clancy characters, they're attached to the hip, same creator, same universe, and it just seemed perfect."

The official synopsis for the Netflix show reads: "In this first-ever adaptation of the acclaimed stealth video game Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, legendary agent Sam Fisher is drawn back into the field when a wounded young operative seeks out his help. Produced by Ubisoft, in partnership with Derek Kolstad (John Wick), Sun Creature and Fost."

The first trailer for the show dropped in August at the NYC Anime Convention.

The show arrives on October 14. You can fill out your watchlist in the meantime with our guide to the best Netflix shows.