Death Stranding 2: On the Beach – Neil’s Actor Originally Thought He Was Being Cast as Snake

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In the debut trailer for “Death Stranding 2: On the Beach,” released in March, the introduction of the character Neil, played by Luca Marinelli, sparked immediate comparisons to Hideo Kojima’s other main franchise protagonist, Solid Snake from “Metal Gear Solid.” During a recent discussion at Sydney Film Festival, Kojima himself acknowledged these similarities, stating that Marinelli even thought he was playing the role of Snake when he was cast as Neil.

According to GamesRadar’s report, Kojima clarified to Marinelli that he wasn’t the character known as Snake; instead, he was wearing a bandana on his head, similar to Snake. This comment was made after Marinelli expressed joy about being associated with the character Snake, initially thinking she had been cast as Neil.

Kojima stated that he required an actor capable of surpassing both Mads Mikkelsen and Cliff. He believed Luca was the right choice due to his exceptional acting abilities. When Léa Seydoux or Norman Reedus entered, they often seemed preoccupied with their phones. However, when Luca began performing, everyone set aside their phones and focused intently.

Initially, when it was disclosed that Marinelli joined the cast for “Death Stranding 2: On the Beach”, Hideo Kojima shared his reasons behind choosing the actor. In an extensive social media post, he detailed how he became familiar with Marinelli due to his villainous role in the Italian film “They Call Me Jeeg”. Eventually, they connected in 2020, leading to Marinelli expressing his admiration for the “Metal Gear” series to Kojima.

During the pandemic period, Kojima mentioned he was auditioning for Death Stranding 2. Neil is slated to play a crucial role that will replace Cliff from Death Stranding 1. The fans expect this casting choice to outshine Mads Mikkelsen’s performance in the original game.

In the course of their online conversations, as Marinelli was engrossed in his work on “The Eight Mountains”, Kojima proposed the idea of a sequel to “Death Stranding” to the actor.

Later in the day, I hopped on a call with Luca over Zoom once he got home. I floated the concept of him playing DS2, and to my delight, he was game. When I mentioned that I needed someone for the character Lucy, he kindly introduced me to his talented actress-filmmaker wife, Alissa. We managed to do their 3D scan and performance capture during the peak of the pandemic, but their on-set acting was nothing short of stellar.” – Your Gaming Self.

“The digital analysis reveals insights from the brief trailer clips, for which I’m grateful to Luca and Alissa for agreeing to act before we had a completed script.”

This version maintains the original meaning but is written in a more conversational style that is easy to read and understand.

As the release date for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach on June 26th draws near, Kojima Productions has given us a fresh video to refresh our memories about the original game’s storyline. This trailer clocks in at a concise 6 minutes, but it skillfully condenses the narrative of Death Stranding, ensuring that those who choose to replay the game will still find plenty of unforeseen twists and turns along the way.

For now, let me share with you some ideas about how Death Stranding 2: On the Beach could potentially recreate the Metal Gear adventure we’ve long anticipated.

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2025-06-20 14:11