The latest trailer for *Death Stranding 2: On the Beach* has unveiled a wealth of exciting details, stirring significant buzz with one character's casting that distinctly echoes the iconic Solid Snake from the Metal Gear series. This casting decision by director Hideo Kojima aimed to outdo the impact of a key character from the original *Death Stranding*.
On X/Twitter, Kojima shared insights into the casting process for Italian actor Luca Marinelli, who will portray Neil in the sequel. "During the pandemic, I was casting for DS2," Kojima explained. "Neil would be an important role that replaces Cliff from DS1. The fans would not be satisfied unless the casting would surpass Mads."
Kojima first noticed Marinelli in the Italian film *They Call Me Jeeg*, which led to further communication during the Japanese distribution of *Martin Eden*. Marinelli reached out to Kojima via email, expressing his admiration: "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 to the actor via email. They met after Marinelli finished filming *The Eight Mountains*. Upon learning of Kojima's search for someone to play Lucy, Marinelli introduced his wife, Alissa Jung, to the director.
"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, portrayed by Marinelli, has emerged as a standout revelation from the latest trailer. The trailer's finale showcases Neil donning a bandanna reminiscent of Solid Snake's style from *Metal Gear Solid*, while also commanding a squad of soldiers in a manner similar to Cliff from the first *Death Stranding*.
Death Stranding 2 Cast
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The casting choice and the imagery of Marinelli with the bandanna have been on Kojima's mind for a while. As early as 2020, Kojima noted, "I think if he donned a bandanna, he'd be a spitting image of Solid Snake!" While Neil is unlikely to be a multiversal version of Snake, the visual cues certainly evoke Kojima's legacy with the Metal Gear franchise. Hopefully, Kojima has indeed chosen the right person for the role.
For more in-depth coverage, 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, and will be exclusive to PlayStation 5.
