Kojima Casts Snake-Like Actor for Death Stranding 2, Aims to Outdo Mikkelsen

The latest trailer for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach has sparked significant interest, particularly due to the casting of Italian actor Luca Marinelli as Neil, a character whose appearance and demeanor evoke the iconic Solid Snake from the Metal Gear series. Director Hideo Kojima took to X/Twitter to detail the casting process, emphasizing the importance of finding someone to fill the shoes left by Mads Mikkelsen's character, Cliff, from the first game. Kojima shared that Neil's role was crucial, and the fans' expectations were high.

Kojima first noticed Marinelli in the Italian film They Call Me Jeeg and later during the Japanese distribution of Martin Eden. It was through these films that a connection was formed. Marinelli reached out to Kojima, expressing his admiration and stating, "I grew up with Metal Gear. I am a big fan of yours. I am very honored that you saw the film I starred in. I wanted to tell you this directly." This personal connection paved the way for Marinelli's casting.

Death Stranding 2 - Release Date Trailer Screenshots

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After witnessing Marinelli's performance in The Old Guard, Kojima extended an offer via email and met with him after Marinelli finished shooting The Eight Mountains. The actor quickly agreed to the role and introduced Kojima to his wife, Alissa Jung, who was cast as Lucy. Despite the challenges of the ongoing pandemic, their performance capture sessions were successful, and Kojima praised their dedication, noting, "You can see that in the digitized results from even the small bits of the trailer. I can only thank Luca and Alissa for agreeing to perform when we didn't even have a script yet."

Neil's character has been a standout in the latest trailer, where he is seen donning a bandanna reminiscent of Solid Snake and directing a squad of soldiers in a manner similar to Cliff from the original game. This imagery has been on Kojima's mind since 2020, when he remarked about Marinelli, "I think if he donned a bandanna, he'd be a spitting image of Solid Snake!"

Death Stranding 2 Cast

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While Neil is not a multiversal version of Solid Snake, the visual cues are undeniable, reflecting Kojima's storied history with the Metal Gear franchise. Fans are eager to see if Marinelli can meet the high expectations set by this casting choice. For more insights, check out IGN's feature, "Who Is Kojima’s New ‘Solid Snake’ and Why Death Stranding 2 Looks Like the Closest We’ll Ever Get to Another Metal Gear Solid."

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is scheduled to launch on June 26, 2025, exclusively for PlayStation 5.