Keanu Reeves Asks to Return as Johnny Silverhand, Cyberpunk Creator Responds
▼ Summary
– Keanu Reeves has expressed interest in returning as Johnny Silverhand in the Cyberpunk series despite the character being long dead in the first game.
– Series creator Mike Pondsmith confirmed he has ideas for bringing Silverhand back and invited Keanu to contact him about it.
– Silverhand’s potential return is complicated by his established death and the multiple endings of Cyberpunk 2077, which could risk canonizing a player choice.
– Pondsmith praised the actors, including Idris Elba, for immersing themselves in their roles and being well-suited to the characters.
– Cyberpunk 2 multiplayer appears confirmed as CD Projekt Red is hiring for roles focused on building and optimizing online multiplayer systems.
The prospect of Keanu Reeves reprising his role as Johnny Silverhand in a future Cyberpunk installment has generated significant excitement among fans, especially after the game’s creator hinted at narrative avenues to make it happen. Despite the character’s established death long before the events of Cyberpunk 2077, Mike Pondsmith recently confirmed he has ideas for bringing the iconic rocker and rebel back into the fold.
During a CD Projekt Red stream, Pondsmith expressed his enthusiasm for the actors involved in the Cyberpunk universe. He directly addressed Reeves’s publicly stated interest in returning, saying, “Not that long ago, I saw that Keanu would like to find a way to come back from the dead and play Johnny again. I have ways to do that, Keanu, contact me.” This open invitation suggests that the creative team is actively considering how to reintegrate the fan-favorite character.
Integrating Silverhand into a new story presents a unique narrative challenge. The character has been physically deceased for decades, and the original game offered multiple endings that left his ultimate fate deliberately ambiguous. One popular theory suggests he could persist as an artificial intelligence beyond the Blackwall, though officially confirming any one ending could override player choices from the first game.
Pondsmith also took a moment to praise the casting of both Reeves and Idris Elba, who joined the franchise with the Phantom Liberty expansion. He humorously speculated about future star power, mentioning Scarlett Johansson and noting he had roles for her as well. More seriously, he highlighted two key reasons for the successful collaborations: “One, they worked really well for the characters. Two, they were people, actors, who wanted to play those characters so they immersed themselves in it.” This deep commitment from the performers is a major factor in the studio’s openness to having Reeves return for the sequel currently in development.
Separately, evidence continues to mount that Cyberpunk 2 will feature a multiplayer component. CD Projekt Red is actively seeking to hire an online engineer tasked with building “high-performance online experiences” and “optimizing multiplayer systems,” which strongly points toward a confirmed live-service or co-op element in the next chapter of the franchise.
(Source: Game Radar)
