The latest trailer for *Death Stranding 2: On the Beach* has stirred excitement among fans, particularly due to the casting of Italian actor Luca Marinelli as Neil, a character with unmistakable echoes of Solid Snake from the Metal Gear series. Director Hideo Kojima shared on X/Twitter the meticulous process of casting Marinelli for this pivotal role, which is meant to fill the shoes of Cliff from the first game. "During the pandemic, I was casting for DS2," Kojima noted. "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*, and their connection deepened during discussions around the Japanese distribution of *Martin Eden*. In an email to Kojima, Marinelli expressed 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 reached out with an offer. After wrapping *The Eight Mountains*, Marinelli agreed to the role and introduced Kojima to his wife, Alissa Jung, who was subsequently 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 praised. "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."
Death Stranding 2 - Release Date Trailer Screenshots
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Marinelli's character, Neil, has quickly become one of the most talked-about elements from the new trailer. In a striking scene, Neil dons a bandanna reminiscent of Solid Snake, before leading a squad of soldiers in a manner that recalls Cliff from the original *Death Stranding*.
Death Stranding 2 Cast
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The casting process has evidently been a significant focus for Kojima, particularly the visual of Marinelli in the bandanna. As early as 2020, Kojima remarked, "I think if he donned a bandanna, he'd be a spitting image of Solid Snake!" While Neil is not a direct multiversal counterpart to Snake, the visual cues undeniably pay homage to Kojima's work on the Metal Gear franchise. With such careful selection, fans are hopeful that Marinelli will bring a compelling performance to the role. For a deeper dive, 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 available exclusively on PlayStation 5.
