Hideo Kojima drew inspiration from the movie Executive Decision to create the captivating plots of Metal Gear Solid and bring Solid Snake to life.
In 1996, Kurt Russell starred in the action thriller film Executive Decision. In this movie, the American actor and a team of elite soldiers must infiltrate a hijacked plane by terrorists. The atmosphere of the film, with its emphasis on infiltration and silence, bears a strong resemblance to the video game Metal Gear Solid.
One of Kurt Russell’s first major roles was that of Snake Plissken, a former soldier turned criminal, in John Carpenter’s film Escape from New York. This character greatly inspired the creation of the protagonists in Metal Gear, especially with his name, Snake, and his inclination for infiltration.
Later on, Kurt Russell declined to lend his voice to Snake, the main character of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. He mentioned that once a role is done, he prefers to focus on new projects rather than revisiting old ones.
If a Metal Gear Solid movie were to be made, Kurt Russell would be the perfect choice to portray Big Boss, a key character in the series. However, the similarities with Escape from New York might deter him from accepting the role.