I can be sympathetic to a point, but being told "Oh you now have to change the entire appearance of your long-established character because this guy died" struck me the wrong way. I guess I could understand it more if it was an "unknown" small time person, or if movies were canceled or delayed, but we're doing the same thing the movies are. Using a face to play a role. Maybe we're blurring things a little more on the legality end of it all, but to me it's the same difference.
Maybe the death of someone makes a fan want to play the face more, out of tribute? Why should they be punished, especially if it's a game that's already open to/dealing with/welcoming darker topics.