Jennifer Hale expresses enthusiasm for a potential return to Mass Effect, whether as Shepard or a lesser-known alien character.

Even though Commander Shepard meets their end in all three endings of Mass Effect 3, fans are buzzing with theories about a potential return in the next installment of the series, which remains shrouded in mystery. A particular moment from the Destroy ending suggests that Shepard might not be as dead as we think. In a recent chat, voice actor Jennifer Hale expressed her excitement at the possibility of reprising her role as the iconic captain of the Normandy.

During an extensive interview, Hale shared her thoughts on bringing Shepard to life. When asked if she had been approached for the upcoming game, she replied, “I sure would love to.”

However, she added a thoughtful twist to her enthusiasm. “I would love to continue Shepard’s story if it was what served the universe the best,” she noted. “If not, maybe a distant relative of Shepard, or some entirely different species.”

The Mass Effect universe is rich with diverse alien species, from the avian turians to the jellyfish-like hanar. Hale even suggested a more unconventional choice for her next character: “Vorcha […] Yeah, something weird.”

Vorcha are the wiry, somewhat unsettling aliens often seen as mercenaries, known for their blood-red eyes and an unsettling number of needle-like teeth. Their screeching voices were originally conceptualized by Mark Meer, the voice behind BroShep. In fact, Meer was responsible for creating the unique sounds of every alien species in the game.

“When [BioWare] was first making Mass Effect, they asked Mark to come up with the sound of every single species in that game, every single one, every single alien race,” Hale explained. “Mark was like, ‘Okay,’ and he just came up with ideas for them. And so they’re all based in Mark Meer’s brain. It’s just the coolest thing ever. He’s brilliant.”

While Meer voiced all the vorcha in the original games, there’s a chance we could hear Hale lending her voice to a vorcha in the next Mass Effect. The ball is in BioWare’s court now.