Death Stranding 2 would’ve needed rewriting if Elle Fanning turned down her role

Hideo Kojima, as the auteur game designer that he is, often has a unique approach to creating something new. In the instance of Death Stranding 2, Kojima has revealed that he created Elle Fanning’s character specifically with the actor in mind.

According to Kojima, speaking on his Brain Structure podcast alongside Geoff Keighley and Elle Fanning, he was always a fan of her work as an actor and wanted to work alongside her long before going independent.

When it comes to working on Death Stranding 2, Kojima explains that Elle was always on the back of his mind, and later reached out to her, wanting to use “Elle’s talents and charm to create a character unlike any other.”

As for Elle’s role specifically, Kojima explains that he can’t share much, but does explain that the pair “built up the character together,” using new technology. “Even though I have the whole character set up, and the script is finished, I’ll take in observations I make about Elle and incorporate those characteristics.”

Kojima then later explains his concerns around Elle possibly turning down the role. “She’s a very, very important character, and yes, I created the character with Elle in mind. So, I was worried about her saying no.” Having crafted the script and this mysterious character around Elle as a person and how she acts, Kojima did have concerns, later sharing that, “I would have had to throw out the scenes that I had written, since she plays a major role.”

Elle Fanning’s character in Death Stranding 2 remains relatively mysterious for now, with very little having been revealed about her. Death Stranding 2 also doesn’t yet have a release date, although prior rumours have pointed to a 2024 release window. Are you looking forward to finally learning more about, and ultimately playing, Death Stranding 2?