The latest trailer for *Death Stranding 2: On the Beach* has set the gaming community abuzz, particularly with the casting of Italian actor Luca Marinelli as Neil, a character whose appearance and demeanor echo the iconic Solid Snake from the Metal Gear series. Director Hideo Kojima shared insights into the casting process on X/Twitter, revealing his quest to find an actor who could outshine Mads Mikkelsen's performance as Cliff in the original *Death Stranding*.

Kojima first noticed Marinelli in the Italian film *They Call Me Jeeg*, and their connection deepened through 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." Impressed by Marinelli's performance in *The Old Guard*, Kojima extended an offer to him and later introduced Marinelli's wife, Alissa Jung, to the project for the role of Lucy.

Death Stranding 2 - Release Date Trailer Screenshots

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Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, Marinelli and Jung underwent performance capture, delivering stellar performances even without a complete script. Kojima praised their dedication, stating, "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 quickly become a highlight of the *Death Stranding 2* trailer. The character's use of a bandanna and leadership style reminiscent of both Solid Snake and Cliff from the first game has sparked excitement among fans. Kojima's vision for Marinelli as a potential "spitting image of Solid Snake" if he donned a bandanna was hinted at as early as 2020, showcasing the director's long-term planning for this role.

Death Stranding 2 Cast

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While Neil's character design and actions draw parallels to Solid Snake, it's clear that Kojima is weaving his legacy with the Metal Gear franchise into *Death Stranding 2*. The anticipation is high to see how Marinelli will bring this new character to life. For a deeper dive into the 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 scheduled to launch on June 26, 2025, exclusively on PlayStation 5, promising to deliver another captivating chapter in Kojima's unique narrative universe.