Hideo Kojima confirms cameos in a major live-action movie and anime: "I don’t like playing myself"

Hideo Kojima, the legendary creator of the Metal Gear series, the upcoming action-espionage game PHYSINT, and Death Stranding, has teased a few cameos in a live-action movie and an anime, but he hasn’t named anyone.

Apparently, because of Hideo Kojima’s larger-than-life persona and his cameo in games like Cyberpunk 2077 at Arasaka Corporation, directors have offered him multiple roles in live-action movies and anime. However, no titles or studios have been named.

No names just yet

More screen cameos are on the way, as revealed and confirmed during KOJI10, his own TBS radio show. During KOJI10, Kojima stated:

“I already shot a few other things,” referring to his appearances in Vivant and Zootopia 2, in which he played Officer Molebrandt in the Japanese dub. During the discussion, he talked about further cameos and appearances in movies and other media in the future and said:

“Directors and others have asked me to appear. One is a big live-action movie, and the other is a major anime title.”

While Kojima already has his hands full with two big AAA projects slated to arrive on Xbox, the horror game O.D. and his latest stealth-action espionage game PHYSINT, he says that he’s also done dialogue work on other projects behind the scenes, as well as a cameo in another unnamed game.

Kojima feels acting is a side hustle for him, and he doesn’t like playing himself on screen. He’d rather play a different role or persona. Kojima said, “I don’t like playing myself. That happens a lot. I’d rather play a detective or something.”

So far, Kojima has made no efforts to attend studio casting calls and has been offered roles by big-time creators. Disney Japan said that Zootopia 2 director Jared Bush made the offer himself, and Kojima decided to play the mole at the Zootopia Police Department in Zootopia 2, which opened on December 5, 2025.

On the Vivant set, Kojima appeared in the Season 2 opener as Superintendent General Ken Watanuki, but only in a picture with a CG adjustment to his appearance.