It’s no secret that Hideo Kojima loves movies. One doesn’t have to scroll too far down his Twitter profile—the bio of which reads: “70% of my body is made of movies”—to see the famous developer shouting out his cinematic influences and giving his thoughts on the latest and greatest films. While theMetal Gearcreator’s games have always boasted a cinematic flair,Death Strandingis perhaps Kojima’s most blatant display of affection for the medium thus far, as evidenced by its star-studded cast. Kojima Productions' first post-Metal Gearouting features not one, not two, but eight prominent actors who have each led impressive careers outside of video games.
With rumors of aDeath Strandingsequel ramping up following Norman Reedus' suggestion that he may reprise his role as Sam Porter Bridges, it remains to be seen how this supposed follow-up will build off of the first game. But one thing is almost guaranteed: More actors are inbound. Of course, this raises another question. Who might Kojima collaborate with this time around?
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Kurt Russell
A Kojima game featuring Kurt Russell would be a first, but it wouldn’t be the first time the distinguished developer has approached the actor for a starring role. A long time ago, Kojima allegedly sought to cast Russell—whose role as Snake Pliskenn previouslyinspiredMetal Gear’sprotagonists—as Big Boss inMetal Gear Solid 3.However, the actor reportedly declined the role.
Nowadays, bigfilm stars are more likely to appear in video gamesthan ever before. Case in point:Death Stranding.With this in mind, now could be the perfect time for Kojima to collaborate with a figure foundational to his past creations.
Stefanie Joosten
Stefanie Joosten previously worked with Kojima onMetal Gear Solid 5,in which she portrayed Quiet. Despite the character’s loosely justified objectification, Quiet is often celebrated as one of the best characters in the game, in large part due to Joosten’s convincing nonverbal performance. It would be a treat to see her take up a role in aDeath Strandingsequel, especially consideringKojima originally wanted Joosten inDeath Stranding.
Keanu Reeves
If there’s one thing to gather from Keanu Reeves' recent acting credits, it’s that he likes to mix things up. He’s not just John Wick, he’s also Duke Caboom inToy Story,a talking tumbleweed inSpongebob,and RockerboyJohnny SilverhandinCyberpunk 2077.Suffice to say, adding another video game to his resume doesn’t seem like a stretch for this explorative actor.
It’s also worth noting thatKeanu Reeves was considered for a role inDeath Stranding,but Kojima opted for Mads Mikkelsen instead. Despite that, the developer still holds great admiration towards Reeves, who has previously visited the offices of Kojima Productions, as well as been the subject of a few of Kojima’s tweets.
Helen Mirren
This highly celebrated actress is linked to Kojima, but not through particularly direct means.Helen Mirrenwas curiously spotted atDeath Stranding’slaunch party in 2019, despite not appearing in the game. It turns out that she was out celebrating the game’s release due to her stepson’s involvement inDeath Stranding’sdevelopment.
As big of a film fan as Hideo Kojima is, there’s no way he doesn’t know who Helen Mirren is. One could only imagine he’d love to have Mirren attend a launch party forDeath Stranding 2one day but as a member of the cast.
Danai Gurira
Again, no direct link between Kojima and this performer, but Kojima adoresNorman Reedus. If he’s looking to draw further fromThe Walking Dead’stalent pool, the obvious choice would be Danai Gurira, whose role as Michonne has cemented the swordswoman as among the series' most iconic characters. Surely Reedus wouldn’t mind reuniting with his former co-star, who departedThe Walking Deadlast year.
Oscar Isaac
The anticipation forDuneis palpable—an assessment Kojima agrees with. The game developer has previously expressed his excitement for the star-studded movie via Twitter, but there’s one particularDunecast member that may be of interest to Kojima for a solid reason.
Not only is Oscar Isaac in the laundry list of celebrities who have done a photo op with Kojima, but he’ll also be playing the role of Solid Snake in theMetal Gear Solidmovie.Isaac himself is even a self-admitted fan of Kojima’s work; a collaboration between the two sounds like a match made in Outer Heaven.
Death Stranding: Director’s Cutwill launch on July 25, 2025 for PS5.
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