Hideo Kojima has said thatDeath Stranding 2will be a “different” kind of sequel, and that could mean a few things. For starters, players could be in for a morecombat-heavy gameplay loop inDeath Stranding 2, fighting regularly as opposed to delivering lots of packages. The story could be much darker than the first game, something that seems to be implied with the use of red strands and the new tagline. Lastly, players could be in store for a lot of new - and few returning - characters.
Though it is purely speculation, the lack of characters featured in the firstDeath Stranding 2trailer and the initial cast list suggests that players could be moving on from a lot of their old favorites. While this is understandable, as many stories were wrapped up and most of the old characters were directly tied to the original game’s theme of reconnecting, it would still be a bit of a bummer since much of the supporting cast was beloved. However, unless Hideo Kojima plans to slowly expand the cast list as more trailers are released, fans could be in for a story that more closely examines major characters like Sam and Fragile at the cost of leaving behind minor ones.
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First and foremost, it is worth mentioning how Heartman’s voice actor Darren Jacobs has seemingly said that he will not be reprising his role. In a deleted response to a Tweet asking whether Heartman will be making a return in the next game, Jacobs simply replied with a crying emoji, suggesting that the character will not be returning after all. Though director Nicolas Winding Refn, who provides the character model for Heartman, had previously stated that he would return,Hideo Kojimadid rewrite the script forDeath Stranding 2.As such, in that rewrite he may have decided to leave out Heartman’s character.
While this may seem devastating, as Heartman was one of the most beloved characters inthe originalDeath Stranding, players that kept up with the e-mails and interviews within the first game will know that his story was essentially finished. After Sam reunited America, Heartman decided it was time to move on from his search for his wife, assisting president Die-Hardman and even beginning to date another woman named Samantha. Though bittersweet, this is hardly a bad place to leave his character.
This logic extends to other characters, as there is little reason for most of the cast to appear again. Amelie being trapped on her beach makes any kind of role inDS2doubtful, Cliff’s story is fully finished, Lockne and Mama have reunited - the list goes on and on. Die-Hardman coming back would make sense given his new position as president, but there is even a reason to doubt that he will appear.
Tommie Earl Jenkins, the actor who portrays Die-Hardman in the originalDeath Stranding, is nowhere to be seen on the cast list. This goes for every other side character from the original game, with the cast list limited tonewcomers like Elle Fanningand Shioli Kutsuna as well as the actors for Sam, Fragile, and Higgs. Though there is a chance that Norman Reedus, Lea Seydoux, and Troy Baker are accompanied by their former colleagues further down the road, it is odd that the current cast list makes no mention of Tommie Earl Jenkins and other actors.
Though it would be a shame to lose out oncharacters like Die-Hardman, as it feels like there is more that can be done with his story, figures like Heartman and Deadman stepping away would not be too shocking. Given the presence of Old Man Sam in the first trailer forDeath Stranding 2, perhaps time has passed and some of the old characters are dead or retired. Right now, fans know too little to say for certain, but the lack of information about characters like Die-Hardman is a bit concerning.
