It looks like Hideo Kojima just can’t let go of his beloved Metal Gear Solid franchise—even after 10 years. The latest Death Stranding 2 trailer offers brief glimpses of his ongoing obsession with his prized tactical espionage series, bleeding into his newest project featuring Norman Reedus and his weird, funky babies.
One of the most prominent callbacks to Metal Gear in the trailer is Luca Marinelli’s character, Neil, who looks similar to Solid Snake. In the game, he is a smuggler who transports brain-dead pregnant women from South America to the U.S., as revealed in the lengthy, Kojima-edited 10-minute trailer.
After showcasing the game’s new weather system, locations, and characters, the trailer presents striking new footage of Luca’s other persona—a man wearing a bandana, leading a squad of armed men.
Kojima has been vocal about his admiration for Luca Marinelli as an actor, even tweeting that Marinelli would make a perfect Solid Snake in the future. Little did we know, Kojima had already cast him in Death Stranding 2, equipping him with a familiar bandana that unmistakably echoes the look of the original Solid Snake.
Fans of the original Death Stranding have also drawn immediate comparisons to Mads Mikkelsen’s character in the first game, fueling speculation about Neil’s significance in the sequel.
If we were to speculate, Neil’s role could mirror Solid Snake’s in Metal Gear Solid, with stealth as a primary gameplay mechanic. As a smuggler tasked with transporting illegal goods across borders, stealth naturally fits into his character’s gameplay design. This could all be a coincidence, but the connections are hard to ignore—especially given that Death Stranding Director’s Cut included a dedicated stealth section, complete with boxes to hide in. If that’s not a nod to Metal Gear, I don’t know what is.
Luca’s character isn’t the only Metal Gear reference in Death Stranding 2. Massive, metallic, robotic machines make a return, a fitting tribute to the iconic Metal Gear itself. Fragile and Sam’s ship, the DHV Magellan, transforms into a colossal Kaiju piloted by Heartman, and it also appears to serve as their main mode of transport—possibly taking them to South America.
I don’t know about you, but the DHV Magellan screams Metal Gear and Sahelanthropus to me.
Given all this, it’s clear that Hideo Kojima hasn’t fully moved on from his legendary stealth series—and honestly, who can blame him? As an auteur, he thrives on playing with his projects, blending nostalgia with fresh, intricate ideas. Death Stranding 2 is proof of that—something both fascinating and, for many, utterly perplexing.