Hideo Kojima Says He Cast His Solid Snake-alike for Death Stranding 2 To Try and Surpass Mads Mikkelsen

The latest trailer for *Death Stranding 2: On the Beach* has stirred significant buzz among fans, particularly due to the casting of Italian actor Luca Marinelli as Neil, a character whose appearance and actions echo those of the iconic Solid Snake from the *Metal Gear* series. Director Hideo Kojima shared insights into the casting process on X/Twitter, revealing the meticulous effort to find someone who could outshine Mads Mikkelsen's portrayal of Cliff in the first *Death Stranding*.

Kojima first noticed Marinelli in the Italian film *They Call Me Jeeg* and later during the distribution of *Martin Eden* in Japan. A personal connection was forged when Marinelli reached out to Kojima via email, expressing his admiration as a longtime fan of 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 *The Eight Mountains*, Marinelli not only accepted 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 sessions. "We did their scan and pcap [performance capture] during the height of the pandemic, but their on-set performance was excellent," Kojima noted, praising the quality visible even in the trailer snippets.

Neil's character, as revealed in the trailer, culminates with him donning a bandanna reminiscent of Solid Snake, further directing soldiers in a manner akin to Cliff from the original game. This casting choice has been a focal point for Kojima, who in 2020 commented, "I think if he donned a bandanna, he'd be a spitting image of Solid Snake!" While Neil isn't a direct multiversal incarnation of Snake, the visual cues undoubtedly evoke Kojima's storied history with the *Metal Gear* franchise.

Death Stranding 2 Cast

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Kojima's deliberate casting and the evocative imagery of Luca Marinelli as Neil underscore the director's commitment to excellence and his nod to his past work. For a deeper dive into this casting choice 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 slated for release on June 26, 2025, exclusively on PlayStation 5.