Is SpongeBob's voice irreplaceable?

[Steel Sponge]

This is going to be a serious type of discussion so I'm going to try my best to elaborate on it. This thought has been on my mind for a while since after Hillenburg's death. At the same time as I don't want to jinx this, I feel this is a topic that should be put into question. At one point in time, we will lose Tom Kenny, but when [will we lose him?] is a question that can only be answered by time, and that's not the most important question. The important questions are, "What will happen to SpongeBob and his voice after we lose THE voice to the character?," "Could SpongeBob's voice ever be replaced and could it be replicated well?," and "Is Tom Kenny's role as SpongeBob irreplaceable?"

As I said before, Tom Kenny is not just SpongeBob's voice, he is THE voice of the character. Outside of foreign material, of course,  I could not recount a moment in my life where Tom didn't voice SpongeBob for any official piece of SB material (and if I'm wrong, let me know). He's very much always been the voice of the character, so I would easily imagine the thought of whether or not to find a replacement voice for SB after Tom to be crucial. I don't know if any you have ever came across impressions of the character that felt so authentic, I could also say that there wasn't a moment in time where I saw like a video of someone doing an impression of SB's voice and someone said it was completely on-point, which is why I can't help but wonder if SB's voice could ever be replaced.

In the topic of iconic voices whereas people virtually agree that the original voice actor is the one and only voice for character, take a look at Lorenzo Music and Garfield as an example. Even since his death two decades ago, fans of the strips and franchise still hail Music as the one true voice for Garfield. While the franchise continued to thrive, we've seen a new voice being attached to the character and even though the character's new voice actor himself is an already well-established voice actor (Frank Welker), the general opinion I've seen of his role is that his voice for Garfield doesn't match the character all that well, which makes you think how the typical SB fan would feel to hear SB with a different voice actor.

There's also the hypothetical thought that there is no new voice for SpongeBob, and it's a decision made fully out of respect, exactly why Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy no longer have speaking roles in the main series after Ernest's death. Could that ever happen, or will Nickelodeon live up to their promise that they "will make SpongeBob forever" even after SB's original voice actor is gone?

It's quite a risky subject to talk about, I know, but I'd like to know what anyone else here thinks. When the times comes that SB needs a new voice actor, could it be done, or do you believe it can't/shouldn't be replaced?

[sbl]

Unless someone is amazingly good at imitating Tom Kenny as SpongeBob, yes his voice is irreplaceable.

Nickelodeon is obviously going to milk the SpongeBob franchise and world for as long as they can before people get tired of it, and they will make it forever. They will replace his voice if Tom Kenny is gone. And it probably won't be a good voice. I can absolutely see Nickelodeon making a SpongeBob episode where he like, wakes up with a new voice.

[Aquatic Konquest]

3 hours ago, Steel Sponge said:

As I said before, Tom Kenny is not just SpongeBob's voice, he is THE voice of the character. Outside of foreign material, of course,  I could not recount a moment in my life where Tom didn't voice SpongeBob for any official piece of SB material (and if I'm wrong, let me know). 

Guess I get to remind y'all that this atrocity exists.

 

And this is official merchandise from the early 2010's! OFFICIAL MERCHANISE!
But I totally bought it when I was 11 and totally still have it and listen to it haha

But in all seriousness, I don't think it's completely out of the question. But of course, even if they did find a great replacement, the character isn't theirs, you know? Tom Kenny is definitely what makes SpongeBob SpongeBob. He is his character.
Like I would think that god forbid something happens to Tom Kenny, a replacement should most definitely be considered. SpongeBob could never be a silent character; his iconic laugh could be archive stuff but that'd be kinda cheap, idk.

Otherwise, Nick will just probably come up with a spin-off with a concept that could feasibly allow SpongeBob to have an entirely different voice just for the sake of milking the franchise of all its worth for years to come.

[MY CHOCOLATE LEG!]

12 hours ago, Aquatic Konquest said:

Guess I get to remind y'all that this atrocity exists.

 

 

I really wish I hadn't seen that.

Anyway, Tom Kenny is irreplaceable. Even if someone did do a great impression of him, there's still Patchy, Gary, and the French Narrator, not to mention that he also brings a certain energy to SpongeBob that goes beyond just sound.

[HawkbitAlpha]

That would be like putting me back to work without Wilson. Would you dare?

[Steel Sponge]

On 5/8/2020 at 7:44 PM, Aquatic Konquest said:

Guess I get to remind y'all that this atrocity exists.

 

And this is official merchandise from the early 2010's! OFFICIAL MERCHANISE!

Wow, eight jokes! What a steal!

With all seriousness, seeing the responses, it's definitely safe to say that the same argument and expected answers would apply for about every other main role for the series. Considering if SB is going to continue past the lives of the original voice actors, judging by the state that Nickelodeon is currently in, I wouldn't be surprised if its future is mostly filled with disappointment like it is for the company now.

If the day comes that there is need of a replacement voice actor for an important character in the series, I am of course going to be accepting of anyone who carries the torch, but the point stands that SpongeBob's voice is irreplaceable, and the same can be said for the voices of the other main characters of the show.