Editor's note: The below contains spoilers for Copenhagen Cowboy.
Nicolas Winding Refn is responsible for some of the most outrageous, disturbing, and divisive films of the past two decades; while films like Drive managed to break through with mainstream cinephiles that appreciated his craftsmanship, projects like Only God Forgives have been heralded by a more limited audience that claimed Refn’s indulgences were works of genius. While few would argue that Refn needs fewer restrictions when it comes to creative control, Netflix didn’t seem to give him any for his limited series Copenhagen Cowboy. The revenge noir is just as baffling as one might expect from Refn, particularly when it comes to a shocking cameo by Hideo Kojima in the final episode.
While most of Refn’s recent films have been in the English language, Copenhagen Cowboy returns him to the Danish language for the first time since Pusher 3. The miniseries follows the enigmatic renegade Miu (Angela Bundalovic) as she ventures through the mysterious Copenhagen underworld on a quest for vengeance. While Miu’s goal is to take down her arch-nemesis Rakel (Lola Corfixen), any Refn project is going to include a fair number of hypnotic surrealist sequences, extended fight scenes, and strange non-sequiturs. That being said, some may not have expected to see the creator of Metal Gear pop up just before the credits rolled in the series finale.
After Miu’s victory in the last episode, Miroslav (Zlatko Buric) seeks protection from a group of supernatural creatures. In the final moments, he holds a video conference in which Kojima (playing an unknown character) mentions that he must seek out the assistance of the Giants, as they are the only ones capable of defending him against Miu and her powers. Whether this is simply another abrupt ending from Refn or the tease of a potential follow-up is unclear, but it’s an amusing crossover between Kojima and Refn. In fact, it’s not the first time that the pair has paid tribute to each other in their respective works.
Who is Hideo Kojima?
Kojima is an artist in his own right, and like Refn, he’s broken barriers in his respective industry by not falling in line with popular trends. Although video game storytelling is now treated with far more respect than it once was, Kojima was one of the first “auteurs” who brought a distinctive voice and tone to his projects. Refn often talks about the importance of an individual filmmaker’s vision for crafting a story, so it makes sense that he and Kojima would be friends. Both artists have more versatile influences behind their genre-centric projects than one might expect; Refn cited Hans Christen Anderson as his inspiration for Copenhagen Cowboy, and Kojima’s work often references classic cinema like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Apocalypse Now.
Kojima was first hired by Konami to write 1987’s Metal Gear Solid, a highly influential project that spawned a successful franchise that continues to this day. He remains the steward of the Metal Gear franchise, but has also developed other successful games, including the Zone of the Enders franchise, Snatcher, and Policenauts; these games certainly feel more “cinematic” than those by many of Kojima’s contemporaries. Kojima created his own venture, Kojima Productions, which became fully independent from Konami in 2015. The studio’s first game, 2019’s Death Stranding, was released to critical acclaim and a sequel is in the works.
Kojima and Refn's Previous Collaboration
Given Kojima’s affinity for classic cinema, it’s no surprise that he’s taken a few cameo roles. Kojima is known for appearing in some of his own projects (including Policenauts, Death Stranding, and several installments in the Metal Gear series), but he had a brief role as an assassin in Refn’s 2019 miniseries Too Old To Die Young. Like Copenhagen Cowboy, Too Old To Die Young is a highly ambitious, sprawling crime epic with various bizarre characters, so having a yakuza played by one of the world’s most iconic video game designers is hardly the weirdest thing that happens.
Kojima apparently returned the favor, as Refn himself provided the motion capture performance and model for the character Heartman in Death Stranding. The pair made a joint announcement where they discussed their mutual affection for each other; Refn stated that both he and Kojima “take great pleasure in destroying good taste.” Ironically, Refn first suggested Keanu Reeves for the role, who had starred in his most recent film The Neon Demon. Refn was also responsible for getting Mads Mikkelsen, who starred in his film Valhalla Rising, to appear in Death Stranding.
What Are the Giants?
Copenhagen Cowboy allowed Refn to make many references to his past projects, so there’s always the possibility that the appearance of one of his close friends is just another way for Refn to homage his own influence. However, it’s possible that Kojima’s appearance may be more than just a fun nod to his history with Refn. It could set up the possibility of a continuation into future projects set in the Copenhagen Cowboy universe, as the series gradually got more supernatural as it went along.
Although Miu’s experiences with sexual trauma are treated with realism, her journey into the Copenhagen underworld features encounters with mythological creatures, demons, and figures of surrealist evil. It’s unclear how many of these are metaphorical, but Refn often blends the line between fantasy and reality. The reference to the mysterious “Giants” that Kojima’s character refers to suggests that if there is to be a follow-up or continuation in any way, it would lean more heavily into the supernatural elements than the first installment.
While the series was originally announced as a miniseries, its extension wouldn’t be the first time that a popular standalone season was stretched past its original vision. Shows like Big Little Lies and The White Lotus actually received Primetime Emmy Nominations for Best Limited Series before they were renewed. Even if Refn doesn’t create a second season of Copenhagen Cowboy, the Giants could be the subject of a different project. However, Netflix seems to be hesitant about renewing shows that aren’t massive overnight successes, so unless Copenhagen Cowboy drastically overperforms, it seems like this would be nothing more than a pipe dream.
Copenhagen Cowboy is now available to stream on Netflix.