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

The latest trailer for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach has stirred excitement among fans, not least because of the casting of Italian actor Luca Marinelli as Neil, a character whose appearance and demeanor echo the iconic Solid Snake from the Metal Gear series. Director Hideo Kojima has been open about the casting process, revealing the lengths he went to find someone who could outshine Mads Mikkelsen's portrayal of Cliff in the original Death Stranding.

On X/Twitter, Kojima shared insights into his decision to cast Marinelli. "During the pandemic, I was casting for DS2," he explained. "Neil would be an important role that replaces Cliff from DS1. The fans would not be satisfied unless the casting would surpass Mads." Kojima first noticed Marinelli in the Italian film They Call Me Jeeg, and their connection grew through the Japanese distribution of Martin Eden. Marinelli reached out to Kojima with a heartfelt email, expressing his admiration: "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."

Death Stranding 2 - Release Date Trailer Screenshots

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Impressed by Marinelli's performance in The Old Guard, Kojima extended an offer via email and later met with the actor after he finished filming The Eight Mountains. Marinelli not only accepted the role but also introduced Kojima to his wife, Alissa Jung, who was cast as Lucy. "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, portrayed by Marinelli, has become a highlight of the new trailer, culminating in a striking scene where he dons a bandanna reminiscent of Solid Snake, before leading a squad of soldiers in a manner similar to Cliff from the first game. This imagery has been on Kojima's mind for some time, as he remarked in 2020, "I think if he donned a bandanna, he'd be a spitting image of Solid Snake!" While Neil isn't a direct reincarnation of Snake, the visual parallels are a nod to Kojima's storied history with the Metal Gear franchise.

Death Stranding 2 Cast

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Kojima's choice of Marinelli for this pivotal role reflects his ongoing quest to blend new talent with the rich legacy of his previous works. For a deeper dive into this casting decision and its implications, 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 the PlayStation 5.