Physint Reportedly Casting for Villain Role Described as ‘Mads Mikkelsen in Hannibal But With Flair’

Kojima Productions is reportedly on the hunt for its next big villain after recently beginning the casting process for Physint.

MP1st shared details about what Hideo Kojima has in mind for his next tactical espionage action game, which is allegedly being worked on under the codename “Shimmer,” in a report published today. While most official information about the project remains under wraps, the site states motion capture company Pivot Motion, which aided on 2025’s Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, and casting director Mari Ueda are searching to fill several new roles with plans to shoot in June 2026.

The most interesting of the parts touched on in the report involves a villain character with a German accent. This same character is expected to have a slim complexion and a quiet personality, with other details describing them as “intense” but “confident in a psychotic sort of way.” One last description for the character says they are expected to be like “Madds Mikkelsen in Hannibal but with flair.”

It all sounds very Kojima, especially considering the Metal Gear Solid game developer previously worked with Mikkelsen for the original Death Stranding. Meanwhile, other details from the alleged casting call include a mother holding a baby, five teenagers, and two male individuals. Each role is said to revolve around some sort of bus hijacking incident, though details about how it may all tie together were not shared.

The man behind Metal Gear Solid teased in December 2025 that 2026 would see the team begin “casting actors, scanning, and performance capture shoots.” The first phase of that process allegedly began recently, though it’s worth noting that at least some major roles were filled months ago.

When Kojima revealed the first poster for Physint in September 2025, he also announced that Charlee Fraser, Don Lee, and Minami Hamabe had already signed on in some form. It also came with a sneak peek at what Hamabe will look like in-game, but additional details about every character in the new tactical espionage action game and its story are being kept tightly under lock and key for now.

With Death Stranding 2 having launched less than one year ago and Kojima Productions’ next game, OD, still very much without a release date, there’s no telling when Physint will sneak its way into players’ hands. While we wait to see what may come of the alleged casting calls, you can see how Kojima Productions chose to announce Physint. You can also catch up on everything announced during the studio’s 10-year anniversary broadcast last year.

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).