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 up excitement, particularly due to a new character that echoes the iconic Solid Snake from the *Metal Gear* series. Director Hideo Kojima took to X/Twitter to share the intricate process of casting Italian actor Luca Marinelli as Neil, a pivotal character meant to succeed the impactful role of Cliff from the original *Death Stranding*. Kojima emphasized the high expectations from fans, stating, "Neil would be an important role that replaces Cliff from DS1. The fans would not be satisfied unless the casting would surpass Mads."

Kojima discovered Marinelli through his performance in the Italian film *They Call Me Jeeg*. Their connection grew stronger around the Japanese distribution of *Martin Eden*, leading to a direct email from Marinelli to Kojima, 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 work in *The Old Guard*, Kojima extended an offer via email and engaged with him after his 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. "We did their scan and pcap [performance capture] during the height of the pandemic, but their on-set performance was excellent," Kojima remarked. "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 standout from the recent *Death Stranding 2* trailer. At its climax, Neil dons a bandanna reminiscent of Solid Snake and commands a squad of soldiers in a style similar to Cliff from the first game.

Death Stranding 2 Cast

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Kojima has been contemplating this casting for quite some time, even mentioning back in 2020 how Marinelli's potential to wear a bandanna made him a perfect fit for the Solid Snake imagery. While Neil isn't a multiversal version of Snake, the visual cues undeniably link back to Kojima's storied history with the *Metal Gear* franchise. Fans are hopeful that Marinelli is the right choice for this role. For deeper 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 slated for release on June 26, 2025, exclusively for the PlayStation 5.