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

The latest trailer for *Death Stranding 2: On the Beach* has sent fans into a frenzy with the reveal of a new character, Neil, played by Italian actor Luca Marinelli. The character's striking resemblance to Solid Snake from the *Metal Gear* series has sparked significant buzz. Director Hideo Kojima, in a detailed post on X/Twitter, shared insights into the casting process, emphasizing the importance of finding an actor who could outshine Mads Mikkelsen's iconic performance as Cliff in the original *Death Stranding*.

Kojima discovered Marinelli through his role in the Italian film *They Call Me Jeeg* and their connection deepened during discussions around the Japanese distribution of *Martin Eden*. In a heartfelt email, Marinelli expressed his admiration for Kojima, citing his childhood love for the *Metal Gear* series. "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," Marinelli wrote.

Death Stranding 2 - Release Date Trailer Screenshots

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Impressed by Marinelli's performance in *The Old Guard*, Kojima extended an offer to the actor. After wrapping up *The Eight Mountains*, Marinelli met with Kojima and even introduced him to his wife, Alissa Jung, who was cast as Lucy. Despite the challenges posed by the height of the pandemic, both actors underwent performance capture, delivering exceptional performances that are evident even in the brief glimpses shown in the trailer. "We did their scan and pcap [performance capture] during the height of the pandemic, but their on-set performance was excellent," Kojima noted. "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 introduction in the trailer, complete with a bandanna reminiscent of Solid Snake and a commanding presence akin to Cliff, has made him a standout character. At the trailer's end, Neil is seen directing a squad of soldiers, echoing the intensity of Cliff's scenes in the first game.

Death Stranding 2 Cast

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Kojima's vision for Neil, including the iconic bandanna, has been a long time coming. As early as 2020, he mentioned Marinelli's potential to embody a character reminiscent of Solid Snake. "I think if he donned a bandanna, he'd be a spitting image of Solid Snake!" Kojima remarked. While Neil isn't a direct homage to Snake, the visual cues certainly nod to Kojima's storied history with the *Metal Gear* franchise. Fans are eager to see if Marinelli can live up to the high expectations set by this casting choice.

For a deeper dive into Neil's character and the connections to *Metal Gear Solid*, 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 slated for release on June 26, 2025, exclusively on PlayStation 5.