Summary

  • Mads Mikkelsen will not reprise his role as Cliff Unger in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, disappointing fans of the character.
  • The trailers for Death Stranding 2 have revealed the return of important characters from the original game.
  • The plot of Death Stranding 2 will introduce new mysteries and concepts, with fans eagerly awaiting more updates on the highly-anticipated sequel.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach director Hideo Kojima has confirmed that Mads Mikkelsen will not be reprising his role as Cliff Unger from the first game. The latest Death Stranding 2: On the Beach trailer revealed more details about the upcoming game's story, along with some of its returning characters and new faces.

Death Stranding 2's cast includes Norman Reedus as Sam Bridges, Lea Seydoux as Fragile, and Troy Baker as Higgs all returning from the first game. Newcomers include Elle Fanning, who has an unspecified role in Death Stranding 2 at the time of this writing, as well as the Drawbridge Captain, whose physical appearance is based on Mad Max director George Miller, but who is voiced by Marty Rhone.

X Returning Characters in Death Stranding 2 Feature Image
Returning Characters Confirmed for Death Stranding 2

The Death Stranding sequel will see many familiar faces make a return. Here's who players can expect to see.

By 

The Death Stranding 2 trailers released so far have confirmed that some of the most important characters from the original game are showing up in the sequel, though Mads Mikkelsen's Clifford Unger won't be among them. Responding to fan requests to see Cliff in Death Stranding 2, Kojima confirmed that Mikkelsen is "not appearing" in the new game. Fans of the character will no doubt be disappointed by this revelation, but considering the events of the first game, others are likely not surprised.

Why Cliff Won't Be in Death Stranding 2

Death Stranding's plot is too complex to explain in brief, but without going into spoilers, there wouldn't necessarily be a reason for Mads Mikkelsen's character to appear in Death Stranding 2. Mikkelsen's character was one of the big mysteries of the first game, and the biggest questions about him have already been answered. Cliff's story in Death Stranding has a proper conclusion, and so it makes sense that the sequel is moving on to new things.

Death Stranding Cliff Unger Mads Mikkelsen
Death stranding cliff unger mads mikkelsen

Death Stranding 2 has been setting up big mysteries of its own that will hopefully be resolved over the course of the new game. Each new trailer provides more clarity about what the sequel is bringing to the table, while at the same time introducing concepts that fans will be theorizing about all the way to the game's eventual release in 2025. With a release date over a year away, hopefully fans of the original game and Kojima's work in general don't have to wait too long for more updates on the highly-anticipated sequel.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image
Death Stranding 2 On The Beach Tag Page Cover Art

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Display card tags widget
Action
Adventure
Display card system widget
Systems
PlayStation-1
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget
Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 95%
Display card main info widget
Released
June 26, 2025
ESRB
Mature 17+ // Violence, Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Strong Language
Developer(s)
Kojima Productions
Publisher(s)
Sony Interactive Entertainment
Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start
Death Stranding 2 On The Beach Press Image 1
24 Images
Death Stranding 2 On The Beach Press Image 1
Death Stranding 2 On The Beach Press Image 2
Death Stranding 2 On The Beach Press Image 3
Death Stranding 2 On The Beach Press Image 4
Death Stranding 2 On The Beach Press Image 8
Death Stranding 2 On The Beach Press Image 7
Death Stranding 2 On The Beach Press Image 6
Death Stranding 2 On The Beach Press Image 5
Death Stranding 2 On The Beach Press Image 9
Death Stranding 2 On The Beach Press Image 10
Death Stranding 2 On The Beach Press Image 11
Death Stranding 2 On The Beach Press Image 12
Death Stranding 2 On The Beach Press Image 16
Death Stranding 2 On The Beach Press Image 15
Death Stranding 2 On The Beach Press Image 14
Death Stranding 2 On The Beach Press Image 13
Death Stranding 2 On The Beach Press Image 17
Death Stranding 2 On The Beach Press Image 18
Death Stranding 2 On The Beach Press Image 19
Death Stranding 2 On The Beach Press Image 20
Death Stranding 2 On The Beach Press Image 24
Death Stranding 2 On The Beach Press Image 23
Death Stranding 2 On The Beach Press Image 22
Death Stranding 2 On The Beach Press Image 21
Display card media widget end

WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Franchise
Death Stranding
Platform(s)
PlayStation 5
Genre(s)
Action, Adventure