Death Stranding Originally Had Plans to Add Keanu Reeves

Whenever he is not busy taking down mobsters for stealing his car and killing his puppy as John Wick, actor Keanu Reeves (Constantine, The Matrix) may decide to be a part of upcoming role-playing game Cyberpunk 2077 from CD Projekt RED.

It was recently revealed during a panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2019 that Reeves was very close to make an appearance in long-awaited PlayStation 4-exclusive action game Death Stranding by Hideo Kojima but ended up being replaced instead.

Kojima has shared a panel at SDCC 2019 with his friend and film director Nicolas Winding Refn (Bronson, Valhalla Rising) lately, sharing new bits of information regarding his highly-ambitious video game project along with several other details.

He started working independently on his new project that Kojima Productions developing after his controversial departure from Konami. Sony Interactive Entertainment approached him and expressed interest in becoming a partner/publisher.

In early phase of development, he was originally recommended that Keanu Reeves be cast in a pivotal role but he insisted on taking actor Mads Mikkelsen (Doctor Strange, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) on that role and thus, replacing Keanu.

Kojima enlisted celebrities like director Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy, Pacific Rim), French actor Léa Seydoux (Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Spectre) and Norman Reedus (Boondock Saints, The Walking Dead) for his upcoming project.

Reeves is doing pretty good these days with his smash-hit John Wick franchise that already has a fourth movie coming next year. He is also busy filming Bill & Ted Face the Music other than his role of Johnny Silverhand for Cyberpunk 2077 game.

He is on top of his game again after many years and fans find him breathtaking, so much so that he might get featured in a future project by Marvel Cinematic Universe because Marvel Studios' head Kevin Feige very much wants him to be in one.

Given his current height of success, many fans may think that Kojima made a big mistake by not considering him for Death Stranding but people familiar with Mikkelsen's work knows that he is capable to delivering an extraordinary performance.

Besides, Mads Mikkelsen was always a better choice for what Kojima wanted to make, as Death Stranding is a game shrouded in mystery and adopts a very ominous tone, which vastly reflects on in-game character Cliff, which is played by Mads.