The latest trailer for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach has sparked significant buzz, particularly due to the casting of Italian actor Luca Marinelli as Neil, a character that evokes the iconic Solid Snake from the Metal Gear series. Director Hideo Kojima shared insights into the casting process on X/Twitter, emphasizing the challenge of finding someone to surpass the impact of Mads Mikkelsen's Cliff from the first Death Stranding.

Kojima first noticed Marinelli in the Italian film They Call Me Jeeg and later corresponded with him during the Japanese distribution of Martin Eden. Marinelli, a self-proclaimed fan of Kojima's work, expressed his admiration in an email, stating, "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

42 ImagesImpressed by Marinelli's performance in The Old Guard, Kojima extended an offer to the actor, who had just wrapped filming The Eight Mountains. Marinelli not only accepted but also introduced Kojima to his wife, Alissa Jung, who was cast as Lucy. Despite the challenges of the ongoing pandemic, both Marinelli and Jung underwent performance capture, delivering exceptional on-set performances even without a complete script.

Kojima praised their efforts, noting, "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 highlight, culminating in a scene where he dons a bandanna reminiscent of Solid Snake and directs a squad of soldiers, echoing Cliff's role in the original game. This imagery has been on Kojima's mind since 2020, when he remarked, "I think if he donned a bandanna, he'd be a spitting image of Solid Snake!"

While Neil isn't a multiversal version of Solid Snake, the visual parallels to Kojima's Metal Gear legacy are undeniable. Fans are eager to see if Marinelli can live up to the high expectations set by this casting choice.

Death Stranding 2 Cast

14 ImagesFor a deeper dive into this casting 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.