Hideo Kojima Casts Solid Snake Lookalike for Death Stranding 2, Aiming to Outdo Mads Mikkelsen

The latest trailer for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach has set the gaming world abuzz, particularly with the casting of Italian actor Luca Marinelli as Neil, a character whose appearance strikingly echoes the iconic Solid Snake from the Metal Gear series. Hideo Kojima, the visionary director behind the game, shared insights into the casting process via a detailed post on X/Twitter, highlighting his quest to find an actor who could surpass the impact of Mads Mikkelsen's Cliff from the first Death Stranding.

Kojima's journey to cast Marinelli began during the global pandemic, a time when he was actively scouting for talent to fill the crucial role of Neil. He first noticed Marinelli's talent in the Italian film They Call Me Jeeg and their connection deepened through the Japanese distribution of Martin Eden. In a heartfelt email, Marinelli expressed his admiration for Kojima's work, 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."

Death Stranding 2 - Release Date Trailer Screenshots

42 ImagesImpressed by Marinelli's performance in The Old Guard, Kojima extended an offer via email and later met with him after the completion of The Eight Mountains. Marinelli not only accepted the role but also introduced Kojima to his wife, Alissa Jung, who was cast as Lucy. Despite the challenges posed by the ongoing pandemic, both actors underwent performance capture, delivering exceptional performances that are evident even in the brief glimpses shown in the trailer.

Kojima expressed his gratitude, saying, "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 character has quickly become a focal point of the trailer, culminating in a scene where he dons a bandanna reminiscent of Solid Snake and commands a squad of soldiers in a manner similar to Cliff from the original game. This visual nod to Kojima's past work with the Metal Gear series has sparked excitement and speculation among fans.

Death Stranding 2 Cast

14 ImagesKojima's vision for Neil, including the iconic bandanna, has been a long time coming. As early as 2020, he remarked, "I think if he donned a bandanna, he'd be a spitting image of Solid Snake!" While Neil isn't a direct reincarnation of Solid Snake, the imagery undeniably evokes Kojima's storied history with the Metal Gear franchise.

For a deeper dive into the significance of this casting and its connection to Kojima's legacy, 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, and will be available exclusively on PlayStation 5.