Hideo Kojima has revealed that he cast Margaret Qualley for the role of Mama in Death Stranding after being captivated by her performance in a Spike Jonze-directed fragrance advertisement for Kenzo. Sharing the viral commercial on X (formerly Twitter) on April 25, Kojima stated, "I saw this and offered her the role of Mama (Lockne) in Death Stranding."
The advertisement features Qualley dancing to a bass-heavy track reminiscent of Fat Boy Slim's iconic "Weapon of Choice" video, which starred Christopher Walken. In the Kenzo ad, Qualley executes a unique and choreographed dance routine, involving shaking, grimacing, and even firing lasers from her fingers, showcasing her ability to control her movements in an unconventional yet captivating manner.
In Death Stranding, Qualley portrays Mama, also known as Målingen, a brilliant scientist within the United Cities of America. Alongside her twin sister, Lockne, whom Qualley also plays, Mama is instrumental in developing the Chiral Network, a critical communication system that enables instant data transfer across the Bridges organization.
Kojima shared the advertisement on social media, prompting enthusiastic responses from fans. One fan praised him, saying, "You are a visionary, Kojima-san," while another humorously remarked, "I do this most mornings, Kojima-san. Hire me too."
Currently, Kojima is engaged in multiple projects, including Death Stranding 2, set to release on June 26, 2025, a live-action Death Stranding film in collaboration with A24, and OD, an Xbox-published game described by Kojima as "a game I have always wanted to make." Additionally, he is developing a PlayStation exclusive action espionage project.
