Someone new is doing the deliveries in the upcoming Death Stranding Isolations anime. Instead of the gruff Sam, portrayed and voiced by The Walking Dead star Norman Reedus, it will feature two new protagonists, one of whom is the focus of the teaser trailer.
In it, a blond-haired girl jolts awake after a nightmare about being consumed by Beached Things (BTs), tar-like souls of the dead stranded in the world of the living that are hostile to living creatures. The clip gives little away, but its official description teases a bemusing, fitting tagline referencing the voidouts, or explosions triggered when a BT consumes a human: “My mom became a crater.”
As previously reported, the series is billed as an original story driven by its “own unique ensemble of characters,” so fans shouldn’t expect appearances from Sam, Fragile, and more. It will follow another male protagonist and is set right after Sam reconnects North America through the Chiral Network, with creator Hideo Kojima serving as executive producer.
“In this tumultuous new landscape, there are some who walk a different path to the one chosen by Sam and his Bridges comrades: a wise old man who connects people through a method that defies all reckoning; a female soldier ensnared in a cycle of war and destruction; a boy who seethes with rage at the absurdity of his life…and of course, the girl who chose to sever all ties with the outside world…Fate has other plans for her, however, and chance encounters see her launched headfirst into a world she does not recognise,” reads the rest of the synopsis.
E&H Production, a relatively new studio founded by MAPPA veteran Sunghoo Park, is handling the animation. Takayuki Sano, whose credits include Jujutsu Kaisen and Attack on Titan Final Season, has been tapped to direct, while Psycho-Pass 3 scribe Tow Ubukata is attached as writer.
Death Stranding Isolations will hit Disney+ sometime in 2027. It won’t be the only project in the works for Kojima’s post-apocalyptic universe, which includes a prequel film adaptation from Michael Sarnoski (A Quiet Place: Day One) — set to begin shooting next year as well — and an anime movie with an original story, penned by Raised by Wolves writer Aaron Guzikowski.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
