The mysterious character of Death Stranding 2 Neil has a solid serpent energy; Hideo Kojima explains the casting

Hideo Kojima opened on the casting of Death stranding 2: on the beach“The new mysterious character, Neil, who has aroused interest for the last trailer thanks to his extraordinary similarity Solid metalSolid snake.

While the trailer also revealed the release date of the game of June 26, 2025, most of the buzz focused on the Italian actor Luca Marinelliwhich interprets Neil. Now, Kojima has shared the story behind the casting of Marinelli and because it was the only choice for the role.

Kojima noticed Marinelli for the first time when he saw the Italian superhero film 2015 They call me Jeeg. A few years later, in 2020, he was asked to help promote Marinelli’s film Martin Eden In Japan, which led to the connection. Marinelli, a long time Metal gear fans, it was honored:

“I grew up with Metal Gear. I am a big fan of yours. I am very honored that you saw the movie in which I starred.”

So when the time came to launch the character Neil, Kojima already knew who he wanted: “I decided that Luca was the only choice for the role”.

The presence of Neil in the trailer immediately triggered comparisons Mads MikkelsenCliff of the first game. Kojima has now confirmed that Neil aims to play the same role in the sequel, but had a key requirement in mind during the casting:

“Neil would be an important role that replaces the DS1 cliff. Fans would not be satisfied unless the casting exceeds the Mad.”

This is a tall bar, considering that Mikkelsen is an incredibly talented actor and his cliff performance was one of the greatest salient moments of the original game. But Kojima clearly has full confidence in Marinelli’s ability to bring something new and powerful to the character.

Another important character introduced in the trailer is Lucy, who shares several scenes with Neil. Kojima revealed that Marinelli played a role in launching her, suggesting his wife, Alissa Jungfor the part.

With Neil and Lucy who seem to have a deep connection in the game, launching a real life pair seems to make sense. It is interesting to note that both actors engaged in the project before there was even a script: “They signed when we didn’t even have a script”.

Death stranding 2: on the beach sees the return of Norman Reedus, Léa Seydoux, Nicolas Winding RefnAND Guillermo del Torowhile introducing newcomers Elle Fanning, George Miller, Fatih AkinAND Kutsuna Siletus.

The Logline reads: “Eleven months after the birth of the UCA servers flank the beach. Deliveries were automated. A plate gate connects the continents. A new ship rides the tar currents. Currenti shocks the earth. A mysterious faction spreads. Chiralium deforms the environment. The sixth endless extinction. One last trip with the dead. “