Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-86.46.22.35-20130403153709/@comment-216.71.234.45-20130507050845

I don't think it would be difficult at all for Kojima to shoehorn Fox into MGS5, especially as this "Ishmael" character. Consider the possibilities given what we know about his background -- he remained active in war even after his rescue in Portable Ops, most notably in southern Africa (the same region of the world where Outer Heaven was established). Gray Fox can serve as a vital connection to this area that he already has great familiarity with.

As for the "9 year retcon" -- who says any of his given history has to be retconned at all? If "Ishmael" is to watch over Big Boss during his coma, I doubt it would be possible for him to get away with remaining at his side in the same hospital for the entirety of those 9 years. An easier possiblity would be to simply infiltrate the hospital in which Big Boss resides every so often to keep track of him. One possible means of infiltration would be as an injured soldier in need of treatment, which Gray Fox could easily get away with given how active he is on the battlefield.

Going by the footage we've seen so far, his physique and disposition is definitely that of a seasoned soldier. His bandaged face implies a recently sustatined injury (at the very least, he wouldn't need to wear it for 9 years, no matter what happened to his face). I think these are strong indicators of an active life outside of watching over Big Boss.

And lastly, let's not forget Kojima's penchant for referencing Neitchze's "eternal recurrence" concept throughout the series. After jokingly referring to Big Boss as "Ahab" (MSF were referred to as "a ragtag band of pirates" in Peace Walker), he conceals his identity by introducing himself as "Ishmael, referencing their relationship dynamic to Moby Dick. This could easily be a recurrence in which Gray Fox concealed his identity to Solid Snake during Shadow Moses by introducing himself as "Deepthroat", referencing their relationship dynamic to the Watergate scandal.