Kojima Unveils New 'Solid Snake': Death Stranding 2 Nears Metal Gear Solid Experience

Kojima Productions recently unveiled an exciting 10-minute trailer for *Death Stranding 2* at SXSW, showcasing both familiar and new faces. Among the returning stars are Norman Reedus and Léa Seydoux, reprising their roles from the original game. However, the spotlight at the beginning of the trailer shines on Luca Marinelli, an Italian actor who is poised to become a central figure in the Death Stranding universe, reminiscent of Kojima's iconic character, Solid Snake.

Luca Marinelli lends his voice and likeness to the character Neil in *Death Stranding 2: On the Beach*. Although Marinelli is predominantly known for his roles in Italian cinema, English-speaking audiences might recognize him as the immortal mercenary Nicky from Netflix’s *The Old Guard*. In the trailer, we first encounter Neil in an intense interrogation scene, where he's accused of unspecified crimes by a man in a suit. Neil defends himself, claiming he was merely doing the "dirty work" assigned by this mysterious figure, indicating a tense and coerced working relationship.

The scene transitions to Neil conversing with Lucy, a Bridges employee played by Marinelli's real-life wife, actress Alissa Jung. Their dialogue hints at a romantic connection and reveals that Neil's job involves smuggling cargo—specifically, brain-dead pregnant women.

Wait, brain-dead pregnant women?

The concept of brain-dead pregnant women ties back to one of the most striking elements of the original *Death Stranding*: the Bridge Babies (BBs). BBs are seven-month fetuses extracted via cesarean section from brain-dead mothers, existing in a state between life and death. This unique condition allows BBs to communicate with the world of the dead, aiding their adult carriers in detecting Beached Things (BTs), malevolent souls that cause catastrophic events known as Voidouts.

Before the events of the first game, the US Government conducted experiments with BBs to understand Voidouts, which can obliterate entire cities. Although officially discontinued after a devastating Voidout in Manhattan, these experiments continued clandestinely. Neil's smuggling of brain-dead pregnant women suggests he's involved in this covert continuation of government research.

Is Solid Snake in Death Stranding 2?

Image credit: Kojima Productions

The trailer concludes with a striking image of Neil tying a bandana around his forehead, strikingly reminiscent of Solid Snake from Kojima's Metal Gear Solid series. While Neil is not Solid Snake, the visual cue is a deliberate nod to Kojima's past work. In 2020, Hideo Kojima expressed admiration for Marinelli, suggesting that with a bandana, he could resemble Solid Snake. This homage in the trailer reaffirms Kojima's penchant for referencing his own creations, even though the universes of Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding remain distinct.

How Death Stranding 2 connects to Metal Gear Solid

Neil and his undead troops. Image credit: Kojima Productions

The trailer for Death Stranding 2 doesn't just pay homage to Metal Gear with Neil's appearance; it weaves in thematic elements from Kojima's earlier series. Neil becomes a Beached Thing, his soul trapped in the living world, akin to Cliff Unger from the first game. Accompanied by undead warriors, Neil's situation mirrors the themes of soldiers and warfare, echoing the anti-nuclear proliferation messages central to the Metal Gear series. Kojima's work often delves into the destabilizing effects of weapons on humanity, a theme that continues in Death Stranding 2 with references to the re-emergence of gun culture.

Beyond Neil, the trailer features a giant bio-robotic creature formed by combining the DHV Magellan ship with a colossal BT, reminiscent of the Metal Gear machines from *Metal Gear Solid 5*. This parallels the series' focus on nuclear weapon threats, as the BTs can cause Voidouts akin to nuclear detonations.

The cinematic quality and length of the *Death Stranding 2* trailer also hark back to the epic 10-minute Red Band trailer for *Metal Gear Solid 5*, showcasing characters with the grandeur of movie stars and blending gameplay with cinematic sequences.

Will there be another Kojima Metal Gear Solid game?

It's unlikely that Hideo Kojima will return to the *Metal Gear Solid* series, having parted ways with Konami. Future *MGS* projects, like the upcoming remake of *Metal Gear Solid 3*, will proceed without his involvement. However, Kojima's creative vision continues to be influenced by the themes and imagery of his past work. With *Death Stranding 2*, he's not creating a *Metal Gear* game, but he's clearly drawing inspiration from it, expanding the scope and ambition of the *Death Stranding* universe with new environments, enhanced combat, and thematic depth that resonates with his previous successes.