On the Beach – Destructoid

If you’re planning to dive into the world of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, don’t expect Cliff to be with you. According to creator and game director Hideo Kojima, Mads Mikkelsen (Hannibal) will not be returning for the 2025 sequel.

For those who need a quick reminder, Mads Mikkelsen played Captain Cliff Unger, the secondary antagonist, in the original Death Stranding, released in 2019. Throughout the game, Cliff would bring Sam into his war-themed Beach and attack him with BTs. Mads’ performance as the militant entity brought him critical acclaim, leading to several awards, including Best Performance at The Game Awards that year.

Why isn’t Mads Mikkelsen in Death Stranding 2: On The Beach?

Despite the overwhelming praise for Mads’ role in Death Stranding, Kojima explained both he and Mads believe that Cliff’s story was told the best way possible and want to close that chapter on the character.

While I was a fan of Cliff in the original, I wholeheartedly agree that the character shouldn’t come back. It feels wrong when any form of entertainment brings well-off characters back for nostalgia or shock value. I’m looking at you, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League with your Arkham Batman.

Regardless, Death Stranding 2: On The Beach looks like a wild ride. Its latest trailer at the recent State of Play was…interesting. Troy Baker’s Higgs is alive and looking like Gene Simmons and The Joker had a baby, and we now have a sentient puppet moving at 10 fps. Oh, and Mad Max director George Miller is here. I’m sure it’ll all make sense when the game releases in 2025, but it’s still crazy to think it could get weirder.

For fans of Cliff, don’t lose hope just yet. We may see the character done in live-action from the A24 adaptation of Kojima’s ‘Strand’ genre game. I wouldn’t put it past Kojima to cast everyone, even Mads, as their characters again. All we can do is wait and see.