In a recent interview with IGN, Keanu Reeves offered a spark of hope that he may return as foul-mouthed rockerboy Johnny Silverhand in Cyberpunk 2, the currently in preproduction follow-up to Cyberpunk 2077. This is far from a confirmation, though, and the original game’s many ending permutations complicate the character’s potential return.
Asked if he’d be willing to reprise the character in Cyberpunk 2—formerly codenamed Project Orion—Reeves said: “Absolutely, I’d love to play Johnny Silverhand again.” And that’s it, that’s all he said on the matter. But it’s more than we had previously, and it also raises questions as to how CDPR could continue his story.
A very remote possibility is reflecting Cyberpunk 2077 choices through Witcher or Mass Effect-style save importing, but that doesn’t feel like a good fit. 2077 was a very personal, self-contained story, one where putting in that effort doesn’t particularly feel worth it. That’s also before you consider that we likely won’t even see Cyberpunk 2 before 2030—10 years after Cyberpunk 2077’s release—and that it’d be a pretty crazy ask to cut Keanu Reeves a check for content not all players will see.
More likely would be an appearance through some kind of flashback or braindance (Cyberpunk’s VR memory playback)-related cameo, or even the existence of a second “construct” or virtual copy of Johnny, like the one we see in 2077.
Revisiting the character through other media, like the Edgerunners anime, also seems like a sensible route, either instead of or in addition to a Cyberpunk 2 appearance. This is all just angels dancing on the head of a pin, though, barring an official announcement from Reeves or CD Projekt.
I was always taken with Reeves’ performance in 2077: He’s with you through the entire game, providing the commentary and character of an RPG companion without bumbling in your way like they so often do in first person RPGs.
I likened him to an asshole Greek Chorus in my review of the Phantom Liberty expansion, though he doesn’t seem to have been to everyone’s tastes. Silverhand hater and former PCG editor James Davenport dubbed him “John Prick” in their review of the base game, and even with my love of the character, I gotta concede that’s a generationally sick burn.
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