Hideo Kojima has shared that he cast Margaret Qualley as Mama in Death Stranding after being captivated by her performance in a Spike Jonze fragrance advertisement for Kenzo. On April 25, Kojima tweeted the viral commercial, stating: "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 Fatboy Slim's iconic "Weapon of Choice" video, which showcased Christopher Walken's dance moves. In the Kenzo ad, Qualley engages in a unique and choreographed dance, characterized by shakes, grimaces, and spasms, including a segment where she fires lasers from her fingers and struggles to control her limbs. This captivating performance can be viewed in its entirety below:

I saw this and offered her the role of Mama (Lockne) in Death Stranding. https://t.co/UDJa2NjbO6

— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) April 25, 2025

In Death Stranding, Qualley portrays Mama, also known as Målingen, a brilliant scientist within the United Cities of America who, alongside her twin sister Lockne (also played by Qualley), developed the Chiral Network. This network serves as a vital communication system for Bridges, enabling instant data transfer.

Fans responded enthusiastically to Kojima's tweet, with one calling him a visionary, and another humorously suggesting they should be hired after performing similar morning routines.

Currently, Kojima is involved in multiple projects, including Death Stranding 2, set to release on June 26, 2025, a live-action Death Stranding film in collaboration with A24, the Xbox-published OD, which Kojima describes as a game he has always wanted to create, and a PlayStation exclusive action espionage project.