Can players control story mode characters in gta online?

Grand Theft Auto Online operates as a standalone multiplayer component separate from Grand Theft Auto V's single-player story mode. The Wikipedia excerpt explicitly states that players 'control a customisable silent protagonist' in Online, indicating that the game does not allow direct control of the story mode characters like Michael, Franklin, and Trevor from GTA V's main campaign. Instead, Online features its own character creation system where players design and customize their own avatar, who exists independently of the story mode's narrative. While GTA Online includes missions and activities that may reference or involve story mode characters, players cannot directly assume control of these pre-existing characters within the Online environment.