Hideo Kojima says he can see Furiosa actor Tom Burke as Metal Gear’s Solid Snake
In a recent post on social media site X, game director and major cinephile Hideo Kojima expressed his enjoyment of George Miller’s Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga movie. While leading actors Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth delivered strong performances as main protagonist Furiosa and antagonist Dr. Dementus respectively, Kojima was captivated by lesser-known characters May Jabassa (played by Charlee Fraser) and Praetorian Jack (played by Tom Burke). Kojima recognized Fraser from her debut in the 2023 movie Anyone but You, and Tom Burke’s performance made Kojima draw parallels between Praetorian Jack and one of his own creations – Metal Gear’s Solid Snake.
Hideo Kojima created Solid Snake based on Kurt Russell’s character S.D. Bob “Snake” Plissken from the 1981 movie Escape From New York and its 1996 sequel Escape From L.A. – both of which were directed by John Carpenter. A former U.S. Army Special Forces lieutenant, Snake was discharged from the military and became a criminal. Kojima makes a direct reference to Carpenter’s movies in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty by having Snake assume the title “Iroquois Pliskin” – an alias with a similar surname to Snake Plissken.
Going back to Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Praetorian Jack also bears similarities to Metal Gear’s Solid Snake. Praetorian Jack is a seasoned wastelander who is familiar with the lands overseen by the tyrannical Immortan Joe and his War Boys. His knowledge and experience behind the wheel earned him the title of Praetorian – the commander of the Citadel’s first War Rig that transports supplies between the Citadel, Gas Town, and the Bullet Farm. Metal Gear’s Snake is also an expert in his fields; being a seasoned spy, soldier, and mercenary. On a surface level, both characters speak in gruff voices, never lose their composure, and sport similar mullet hairstyles.
These characteristics must have contributed to why Kojima and others “could only see him (Tom Burke) as Snake.” After meeting Burke at a party, Kojima mentions that the actor was told by his coworkers how he (Burke) looked like Solid Snake on the first day of shooting Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Outside of playing a driver during an apocalypse, Burke’s other notable performances include his role as Athos in the BBC TV series The Musketeers, Cormoran Strike in the BBC TV series Strike, and Orson Welles in the 2020 biographical drama film Mank.
A Metal Gear movie has been in production hell for almost two decades now, with Hideo Kojima announcing the film adaptation back in 2006. Production companies have shifted over the years, as has the question of who will play Solid Snake. Multiple actors ranging from Christian Bale to Hugh Jackman have been associated with the role, with the latest being Oscar Issac in 2020. It is highly unlikely that Kojima still has a say in the Metal Gear film now that he has left Konami, but Tom Burke receiving a commendation from the franchise’s creator carries some weight to it.
Incidentally, Furiosa director George Miller recently commented that he would like to see Hideo Kojima direct a Mad Max game.
