Kojima Introduces Neil as Solid Snake Homage in Death Stranding 2 Trailer

Kojima Productions debuted a 10-minute trailer for Death Stranding 2 at SXSW, showcasing familiar faces like Norman Reedus and Lea Seydoux, reprising their roles from the original game. The trailer introduces Luca Marinelli as Neil, a new character who echoes the iconic Solid Snake from Kojima’s Metal Gear Solid series.

Who is Luca Marinelli’s Character in Death Stranding 2?

Italian actor Luca Marinelli lends his voice and likeness to Neil in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. Known to English-speaking audiences as Nicky from Netflix’s The Old Guard, Marinelli has primarily starred in Italian films.

In the trailer, Neil appears in an interrogation room, accused of unspecified crimes by a suited man. Neil claims he was merely doing the man’s “dirty work” and seeks to end their arrangement. The man insists Neil has no choice but to continue.

The scene shifts to Neil speaking with Lucy, a Bridges employee portrayed by Marinelli’s real-life wife, Alissa Jung. Their conversation hints at a romantic connection and reveals Neil’s job: smuggling brain-dead pregnant women for the suited man.

What’s with the Brain-Dead Pregnant Women?

In the original Death Stranding, Sam Porter Bridges, played by Norman Reedus, carries a Bridge Baby (BB), a seven-month fetus removed from a brain-dead mother, creating a limbo state between life and death. BBs can sense Beached Things (BTs), malevolent spirits that trigger Voidouts—catastrophic explosions akin to nuclear blasts.

Before the first game, the U.S. government experimented with BBs to study Voidouts, which can destroy entire cities. After a BB experiment caused a Voidout that leveled Manhattan and killed the President, the research was officially halted. However, Neil’s smuggling suggests the government secretly continues this illegal work.

Is Solid Snake in Death Stranding 2?

The trailer closes with Neil tying a bandana around his forehead, strikingly resembling Solid Snake, the beloved hero of Kojima’s Metal Gear Solid series.

While Neil isn’t Solid Snake—the two franchises remain separate—the resemblance is deliberate. In a 2020 Instagram post, Kojima praised Marinelli’s performances in The Old Guard and Martin Eden, noting that with a bandana, he’d look like Solid Snake. The trailer brings this vision to life, paying homage to Kojima’s iconic character.

How Death Stranding 2 Echoes Metal Gear Solid

Neil’s bandana isn’t just a nod to fans. The trailer weaves Metal Gear themes throughout, with Neil becoming a Beached entity, his soul trapped in the living world, much like Cliff Unger in the first game. As a Beached soldier leading undead warriors, Neil’s story ties to a narrator’s mention of America’s resurgent gun culture.

This mirrors Metal Gear’s core theme: the destabilizing impact of weapons, especially nuclear arms. Kojima’s games often explore the moral cost of violence, with Solid Snake using weapons to prevent nuclear war, yet suffering its toll. Non-lethal playthroughs in Metal Gear reflect this anti-weapon stance, a theme echoed in Death Stranding 2.

Neil may also embody Solid Snake metaphysically, his Beached state symbolizing Snake’s “trapped” soul, as hinted by a skull flashing across Neil’s face in the trailer.

Beyond Neil, the trailer references Metal Gear when Heartman merges the DHV Magellan ship with a massive BT, forming a bio-robotic giant reminiscent of Metal Gear Solid 5’s Sahalanthropus. While Metal Gears launch nuclear weapons, the Magellan’s BT could trigger Voidouts, tying the two series thematically.

The trailer’s cinematic style recalls the 10-minute Red Band trailer for Metal Gear Solid 5, blending gameplay and cutscenes to spotlight Kojima’s vision.

Will Kojima Make Another Metal Gear Solid?

Kojima’s departure from Konami ended his involvement with Metal Gear Solid. Future titles, like the Metal Gear Solid 3 remake, will proceed without him. Yet, Death Stranding 2 shows Kojima’s enduring connection to Metal Gear’s imagery and themes.

The sequel expands on the original with diverse settings like rainforests and oceans, and a stronger focus on combat. While not a Metal Gear game, Death Stranding 2 channels Kojima’s creative roots, crafting a bold new chapter inspired by his past work.