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

The latest trailer for *Death Stranding 2: On the Beach* has sent ripples of excitement through the gaming community, especially with the casting of Italian actor Luca Marinelli as Neil—a character that distinctly echoes the iconic Solid Snake. Director Hideo Kojima has been open about the meticulous process behind this casting, aiming to find someone who could outshine the memorable performance of Mads Mikkelsen as Cliff in the first *Death Stranding*.

On X/Twitter, Kojima detailed his journey to cast Marinelli, mentioning how the actor caught his eye through his role in the Italian film *They Call Me Jeeg*. Their connection deepened over the Japanese distribution of *Martin Eden*, leading to a heartfelt email from Marinelli to Kojima, expressing his admiration as a long-time 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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Kojima's decision was further solidified after seeing Marinelli's performance in *The Old Guard*. He reached out with an offer, and after Marinelli wrapped filming *The Eight Mountains*, the two connected. Marinelli not only accepted the role but also introduced Kojima to his wife, Alissa Jung, who was subsequently 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's reveal in the trailer has been a standout moment, particularly the scene where he dons a bandanna reminiscent of Solid Snake from *Metal Gear Solid* and commands a squad in a manner akin to Cliff from the first *Death Stranding*. This imagery has not been lost on fans, as Kojima himself noted back in 2020, "I think if he donned a bandanna, he'd be a spitting image of Solid Snake!"

Death Stranding 2 Cast

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While Neil isn't a multiversal version of Snake, the visual cues certainly nod to Kojima's storied history with the *Metal Gear* franchise. With such deliberate casting and attention to detail, it's clear Kojima has selected the perfect actor for the role. For a deeper dive into this casting choice and its implications, be sure to 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 to launch on June 26, 2025, exclusively on PlayStation 5, promising a blend of new and familiar elements that fans are eagerly anticipating.