United Kingdom, June 18 -- Long-running rumours that Tom Cruise nearly voiced Master Chief in Halo 2 have finally been addressed by one of the people closest to the franchise's development.

Former Bungie composer and voice director Marty O'Donnell has confirmed that discussions involving Cruise and actress Julia Roberts did take place during the production of the 2004 Xbox sequel, although he stressed the idea never progressed beyond an initial conversation.

Speaking to Game Informer, O'Donnell revealed that representatives for the Hollywood stars approached Bungie with the proposal.

He said: "Tom Cruise was already a Bungie fan, believe it or not.

"He had played Myth, so this wasn't the first time we'd heard about Tom Cruise."

O'Don...