Just a day before February 2024, PlayStation’s State of Play reared its head and revealed a ton of surprises for gaming enthusiasts. One of them is a trailer for the upcoming sequel to 2019’s Death Stranding, a game that is also getting a movie adaptation from production company A24. In this first full trailer of the sequel, titled Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, we see recurring actors such as Norman Reedus and Lea Seydoux as protagonists Sam Bridges and Fragile respectively. There’s even the return of antagonist Higgs as played by Troy Baker, this time rocking a new look and an electric guitar.
However, among the familiar faces shown, there are some missing. Notably, fans have noticed an absence of Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, who played a prominent role in the previous game as Cliff Unger. In the first instalment, Mads’s character often plays opposite Sam, the player character. The player encounters him spread across the game in boss battles and emotional set pieces. Without Cliff, who will take his place in the sequel?
Not long after the reveal, Death Stranding’s game designer Hideo Kojima tweeted that he received many questions asking about Mads’s exclusion from the trailer. Kojima later explained in another tweet the exact reason, stating that Cliff Unger had played his part and his story had ended. Many fans echoed his sentiments, saying that it’s much better to let things run their natural course rather than bringing characters back to feed nostalgia. If Kojima thought his role would have made the game better, then surely he would include him and not waste a chance to work with Mads, who has since become his friend.
In his own words, Kojima stated, “Mads’ Cliff will remain in the story of Death Stranding and in your memories forever.” The relationship between Cliff and Sam was the heart of the first game, and with it, Mads’s performance has left a mark on the community. These are big shoes to fill, but Kojima reassures fans that Death Stranding 2 is in good hands, as he also brings in new faces like actor Elle Fanning. Death Stranding 2: On The Beach is coming out on PS5 in 2025, with a possible future release for PC.
Watch the State of Play trailer for Death Stranding 2 below.
Words by Marvel Mercurio
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