Kojima Productions' Death Stranding offered a bleak yet beautiful expanse to navigate in the shoes of Norman Reedus, whilst Mads Mikkelsen’s antagonist drip-fed the game’s narrative with a poignant sense of dread. Clifford Unger embodied a top-tier performance from Mikkelsen, and in case you’d like a visual reminder of his overbearing presence, Prime 1 Studio has just the statue for you to invest in.
There are respectable collectors and fans who will not indulge in high price tags for merchandise. This is why Prime 1 Studio’s ½ Scale Clifford Unger statue may not be for everyone with its $3,599 cost, but that doesn’t mean you can’t admire its craft. We almost had the great Keanu Reeves standing in as a 40-inch tall Unger statue, but it was revealed that Kojima turned down the actor in favor of Mikkelsen. As talented as Reeves is - going on to light up Cyberpunk 2077 as Johnny Silverhand - the game’s denouement may not have carried the same punch without Mikkelsen’s charisma.
Back to the statue with the eye-watering price tag, Prime 1 Studio has released Unger into the company’s High-Definition Museum Masterline Series, with stunning, intricate details that justify its cost. The mysterious Combat Veteran comes suited and booted with soldier gear as well as his Wellmax Assault Rifle, standing in the sewer scene with BB at his feet. The designers also accompanied Unger’s figure with “poseable, LED illuminated tendrils”, which glow around the statue. The character’s face has been made with silicone and synthetic hair to make the build more realistic, and the product is also part of a 250 limited edition line.
Prime 1 Studio’s statue is just as unique as Mikkelsen’s performance and the award-winning game itself. The actor spoke about his 23-year career - which included the continuation of his Casino Royale character in the video game - and admitted he had “never seen anything like” Death Stranding in his profession before. Mikkelsen’s performance was electric as the antagonist, and the actor’s enthusiasm for the role showed from the get-go after signing on without reading the entire script first.
The actor even inspired Kojima to add another character trait to Unger, after the director noticed Mikkelsen’s smoking habit. Prior to meeting Mikkelsen, Kojima had written Cliff Unger as a non-smoker, but seeing the actor’s demeanor whilst taking his smoking break soon changed that.