The ruggedly mellifluous Sean Bean drew many a manly tear as the narrator of the Civilization 6 launch trailer. Even though it was a multi-generational affair, spanning eons of human history, it looked as though, for once, he wouldn't die at the end—until he ate a hail of 7.92mm machine gun fire in the skies over England. Unfortunately, it seems like nobody thought to mention that fact to Sean. And he really, really thought he made it through this time.

Actually, he took the news pretty well, all things considered. I suppose he's used to it by now.

"I was in the dark, which was quite good for me because I didn't know what was going on. I just learned as I was going, and therefore it was quite a surprise to me. It was very fresh and very spontaneous," Bean says in the trailer, comparing the experience of voice acting with his more regular work in film. "You just try to be as truthful as you are in filming, but you have the luxury of having all the lines in front of you, so that's great!"

Civilization 6 isn't actually Bean's first foray into the realm of videogames: He's previously appeared as Martin Septim in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and last year narrated the bizarre adventure Kholat.

He died at the end of at least one of those, too.