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

The latest trailer for *Death Stranding 2: On the Beach* has sparked excitement and intrigue, particularly with the introduction of a character that echoes the iconic Solid Snake. The casting of this role was no small feat, as director Hideo Kojima aimed to surpass the memorable performance of Mads Mikkelsen, who played Cliff in the first *Death Stranding*.

In a detailed post on X/Twitter, Kojima shared insights into the casting process for Italian actor Luca Marinelli, who takes on the role of Neil in *Death Stranding 2*. "During the pandemic, I was casting for DS2," Kojima 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's journey to cast Marinelli began with his appreciation for Marinelli's role in the Italian film *They Call Me Jeeg*. Their connection deepened through the Japanese distribution of *Martin Eden*, leading to a direct correspondence. Marinelli expressed his admiration for Kojima's work, stating in an email, "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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Kojima was further impressed by Marinelli's performance in *The Old Guard*, prompting him to send an offer via email. Following Marinelli's completion of filming for *The Eight Mountains*, they discussed the role. Marinelli, understanding Kojima's vision, also introduced his wife, Alissa Jung, for the role of 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 quickly become a highlight of the *Death Stranding 2* trailer. The trailer concludes with Neil donning a bandanna reminiscent of Solid Snake from *Metal Gear Solid*, and commanding a squad of soldiers in a style similar to Cliff from the first game.

Death Stranding 2 Cast

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Kojima's vision for Neil, especially with the bandanna, has been on his mind since 2020. He commented, "I think if he donned a bandanna, he'd be a spitting image of Solid Snake!" While Neil isn't a multiversal version of Snake, the imagery certainly evokes Kojima's storied history with the *Metal Gear* franchise. Hopefully, Marinelli will live up to the high expectations set for this pivotal role.

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."

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