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

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach's latest trailer unveiled a wealth of new information, sparking significant buzz around the casting of Luca Marinelli as Neil—a character whose striking resemblance to Solid Snake has captivated fans. Director Hideo Kojima's casting process was particularly meticulous, aiming to surpass the impact of Mads Mikkelsen's Cliff from the first Death Stranding.

Kojima discovered Marinelli through his role in They Call Me Jeeg. Their connection deepened after Marinelli emailed Kojima expressing his admiration for the director and his work on Metal Gear, following the Japanese distribution of Martin Eden. This initial contact laid the groundwork for their collaboration.

After seeing Marinelli's performance in The Old Guard, Kojima extended an offer. Following the completion of The Eight Mountains, Marinelli accepted, and subsequently introduced Kojima to his wife, Alissa Jung, for the role of Lucy. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, their performance capture sessions were remarkably successful, as evidenced in the trailer. Kojima expressed gratitude for their commitment, especially considering they performed without a complete script.

Death Stranding 2 - Release Date Trailer Screenshots

42 Images

Neil's portrayal in the trailer is a standout moment, culminating in him donning a bandanna reminiscent of Solid Snake from Metal Gear Solid, then commanding soldiers in a style echoing Cliff from the first Death Stranding.

Death Stranding 2 Cast

14 Images

Kojima's vision for Neil, particularly the bandanna imagery, has been a long-held idea. As early as 2020, he noted Marinelli's resemblance to Solid Snake when wearing one. While Neil is unlikely to be a multiversal Snake, the visual parallels undeniably evoke Kojima's Metal Gear legacy. For a deeper dive, see IGN's article, "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 launches exclusively on PlayStation 5 on June 26, 2025.