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 buzz, particularly due to the casting of Italian actor Luca Marinelli as the character Neil, whose appearance and mannerisms evoke the iconic Solid Snake from the Metal Gear series. Hideo Kojima, the game's director, shared an in-depth account on X/Twitter about the casting process for this crucial role, which aims to fill the shoes left by Mads Mikkelsen's character, Cliff, from the first game.

Kojima's journey to casting Marinelli began during the pandemic when he was searching for someone to take on the pivotal role of Neil. He first noticed Marinelli's talent in the Italian film *They Call Me Jeeg* and later during the Japanese distribution of *Martin Eden*. This led to a personal correspondence when Marinelli reached out via email, expressing his admiration for Kojima's work, particularly the *Metal Gear* series, saying, "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 further discussed the role after Marinelli finished filming *The Eight Mountains*. Marinelli not only accepted the role but also introduced his wife, Alissa Jung, to Kojima for the role of Lucy. Despite the challenges of the ongoing pandemic, both actors underwent performance capture, and Kojima praised their dedication, noting, "We did their scan and pcap [performance capture] during the height of the pandemic, but their on-set performance was excellent. 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 reveal in the trailer has been a highlight, with his bandanna and leadership style reminiscent of both Solid Snake and Cliff from the original *Death Stranding*. This casting choice has been on Kojima's mind for a while; he mentioned in 2020 that Marinelli's potential with a bandanna would make him a "spitting image of Solid Snake." While Neil isn't a direct homage to Snake, the imagery undoubtedly nods to Kojima's storied history with the Metal Gear franchise.

Death Stranding 2 Cast

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Kojima's dedication to finding the perfect cast for *Death Stranding 2* reflects his commitment to delivering a compelling narrative and immersive experience. As fans eagerly await the game's release, the casting of Luca Marinelli as Neil promises to add a new layer of depth and excitement to the sequel.

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