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 the Metal Gear creator's games have always boasted a cinematic flair, Death Stranding is 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 Gear outing features not one, not two, but eight prominent actors who have each led impressive careers outside of video games.
With rumors of a Death Stranding sequel 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 previously inspired Metal Gear's protagonists—as Big Boss in Metal Gear Solid 3. However, the actor reportedly declined the role.
Nowadays, big film stars are more likely to appear in video games than 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 on Metal 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 a Death Stranding sequel, especially considering Kojima originally wanted Joosten in Death 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 in Toy Story, a talking tumbleweed in Spongebob, and Rockerboy Johnny Silverhand in Cyberpunk 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 that Keanu Reeves was considered for a role in Death 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 Mirren was curiously spotted at Death Stranding's launch 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 in Death Stranding's development.
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 for Death Stranding 2 one day but as a member of the cast.
Danai Gurira
Again, no direct link between Kojima and this performer, but Kojima adores Norman Reedus. If he's looking to draw further from The Walking Dead's talent 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 departed The Walking Dead last year.
Oscar Isaac
The anticipation for Dune is 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 particular Dune cast 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 the Metal Gear Solid movie. 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 Cut will launch on September 24, 2021 for PS5.
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