CD Projekt Red is developing a sequel to Cyberpunk 2077, with the project entering pre-production earlier this year. The Polish studio has yet to reveal any details about the game’s story or setting, but Keanu Reeves, who played Johnny Silverhand in the first game, said he would “love” to reprise the role in Cyberpunk 2. CD Projekt Red has yet to confirm the actor’s involvement in the sequel, but Reeves will return as Silverhand in 2023’s Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Free expansion.
Keanu Reeves hopes to return for ‘Cyberpunk 2’
The actor, who is set to star in the comedy film Good Luck later this year, told IGN that he would love to play Silverhand in Cyberpunk 2. “Absolutely. I would love to play Johnny Silverhand again,” Reeves said.
Of course, the actor didn’t reveal whether CD Projekt Red had contacted him about a role in the sequel. Considering Reeves is the star of Cyberpunk 2077 and an important part of the game’s story, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him return to Night City.
Reeves provided his likeness and voice for Johnny Silverhand in Cyberpunk 2077, while also performing motion capture for the character. Silverhand, a rock star with a silver bionic left arm, died before the events of the game, but his consciousness survived on a military biochip. In Cyberpunk 2077, the player character is implanted with the same chip and can therefore see and talk to Silverhand throughout the game.
Reeves’ performance as Silverhand was well-received upon the game’s release and is considered one of the highlights of Cyberpunk 2077. At one point in the game, players can even play as Silverhand in flashback missions.
Reeves returns as Silverhand in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
Photo credit: CD Projekt Red
The Hollywood star reprises the role in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Free, a massive expansion pack that adds new story, map areas, and characters to the game. Idris Elba has also joined the cast of Phantom Free as FIA agent Solomon Reed.
“Cyberpunk 2” details
In early May this year, “Cyberpunk 2” gave up the “Orion Project” codename and entered the pre-production stage. CD Projekt Red confirmed at the time that the RPG’s development team had grown to 96 employees in April.
However, the developer’s main focus is The Witcher 4, which entered full production in November 2024 and had 422 employees involved in development as of April. The game, the first in a new trilogy of The Witcher games, has no release date yet, but CDPR says it won’t be released before 2027.
Cyberpunk 2, on the other hand, may be released further away, but its release schedule has not yet been confirmed. Details about the sequel are also scarce. In May, Cyberpunk creator Mike Pondsmith revealed that the sequel would feature a second city in addition to Night City from the first game. Pondsmith, whose Cyberpunk tabletop role-playing game inspired the setting, characters and story of Cyberpunk 2077, describes the new city as “Chicago gone wrong.”
The sequel to “Cyberpunk 2077” will be released in 2022 under the name Project Orion. The game is being developed at CD Projekt Red’s North American studio in Boston. CDPR said that “Cyberpunk 2” will “further advance the development of the Cyberpunk series and continue to explore the potential of this dark future universe.”