The latest trailer for *Death Stranding 2: On the Beach* has fans buzzing with excitement, especially due to the casting of Italian actor Luca Marinelli as Neil, a character whose appearance and demeanor evoke the legendary Solid Snake from the *Metal Gear* series. Director Hideo Kojima has shared insights into the meticulous process of casting Marinelli, revealing that the role of Neil was designed to be as impactful as Mads Mikkelsen's Cliff in the original *Death Stranding*.
Kojima took to X/Twitter to detail his journey in finding the right actor for Neil. "During the pandemic, I was casting for DS2," he explained. "Neil would be an important role that replaces Cliff from DS1. The fans would not be satisfied unless the casting would surpass Mads." It was through Marinelli's performance in the Italian film *They Call Me Jeeg* that Kojima first took notice of the actor. Their connection deepened with the Japanese distribution of *Martin Eden*, leading to a direct email from Marinelli to Kojima: "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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Impressed by Marinelli's performance in *The Old Guard*, Kojima extended an offer via email. After wrapping up *The Eight Mountains*, Marinelli met with Kojima and even introduced him to his wife, Alissa Jung, who was 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 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."
In the trailer, Neil's character captures attention by donning a bandanna reminiscent of Solid Snake's iconic look from *Metal Gear Solid*, before commanding a squad of soldiers in a style similar to Cliff from the first *Death Stranding*. This visual nod to Kojima's past work has sparked discussions among fans, with Kojima himself commenting 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 direct crossover from the *Metal Gear* universe, the imagery and casting choices clearly reflect Kojima's storied history with the franchise. Fans are eager to see how Marinelli will bring Neil to life, and whether he can meet the high expectations set by Mikkelsen's performance in the first game. 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 slated for release on June 26, 2025, exclusively on PlayStation 5.
