Alan Ritchson Teases a METAL GEAR SOLID Movie Dream With Solid Snake Post
Fans of the Metal Gear Solid video game franchise might have gotten a fun little tease from Alan Ritchson this week. The actor shared a post on social media that instantly got gamers and movie fans talking, hinting at the possibility of stepping into the role of Solid Snake in a live-action adaptation of the iconic series.
Ritchson posted an image on Instagram featuring his character from his new sci-fi action film War Machine edited to resemble Solid Snake, the legendary protagonist of the Metal Gear Solid games. Along with the image, he wrote:
“The Dream. Next, La Li Lu Le Lo?”
For longtime fans of the franchise created by Hideo Kojima, that phrase, “La Li Lu Le Lo”, is a coded reference to The Patriots, the secret AI-driven organization pulling the strings of global power in the Metal Gear Solid universe.
The tease is especially interesting because Ritchson’s latest film already has some familiar thematic territory for fans of Kojima’s series. In War Machine, the story leans into a humanity-versus-AI conflict. The film follows an elite soldier and his team battling a futuristic robotic threat that’s hunting humans.
Ritchson plays Staff Sergeant 81, a physically gifted soldier undergoing the brutal training required to become an Army Ranger. His final training exercise quickly turns into something far more dangerous when his squad encounters a deadly war machine from another planet.
The movie is directed by Patrick Hughes and has already found success on streaming. War Machine debuted at No. 1 on Netflix’s global streaming chart, and both Hughes and Ritchson have hinted that a sequel could happen if Netflix decides to expand the story further.
Meanwhile, the Metal Gear Solid movie itself has had a long and winding development path. Jordan Vogt-Roberts has been attached to direct a live-action adaptation for more than a decade.
Back in 2020, Oscar Isaac was cast as Solid Snake, though the project has remained stuck in development ever since. As of March 2026, there’s still no production timeline or release date in sight.
The original PlayStation game introduced players to Solid Snake, a covert operative tasked with infiltrating a nuclear weapons facility, stopping a terrorist threat, and rescuing hostages. Its cinematic storytelling, stealth gameplay, and political intrigue helped turn it into one of gaming’s most influential franchises.
Whether Ritchson’s post is just a fun nod to the series or something more remains to be seen, but I like the idea of him taking on the roel of Solid Snake. The actor certainly has the physical presence to pull off the legendary soldier.
For now, Ritchson has plenty on his plate. Fans are also waiting for his return as the title character in Reacher, Prime Video’s massively popular action series. Season 4 is expected to arrive later this year, bringing more bone-crunching action and investigations with the fan-favorite hero.
Still, the idea of Ritchson sneaking through shadows as Solid Snake is a pretty cool one.