Matt Ryan voiced Edward Kenway in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. Ryan is a Welsh actor whose performance gives Edward a distinctive Welsh identity and a roguish, forceful personality. Edward is a pirate who becomes entangled with the conflict between the Assassins and Templars during the Golden Age of Piracy.
Black Flag was released in 2013 and takes place mainly in the Caribbean during the early eighteenth century. Edward’s story moves through locations including Havana, Nassau, and Kingston, while the player also commands the ship Jackdaw. The game combines stealth missions with naval exploration and combat.
Matt Ryan later became strongly associated with another video-game character: John Constantine in several DC adaptations and games. That separate role can cause confusion when identifying Black Flag’s cast. Troy Baker, another prominent voice actor, appears in many major games but does not voice Edward Kenway. Edward is also the father of Haytham Kenway and grandfather of Ratonhnhaké:ton, linking Black Flag to Assassin’s Creed III.