Speaking with Xbox: The Official Magazine (via WCCFtech), CD Projekt RED discussed Keanu Reeves’ character, Johnny Silverhand, and revealed some additional details about him for their upcoming RPG, Cyberpunk 2077.
Story Director, Marcin Blacha, spoke about the process behind selecting Keanu Reeves for the role of Johnny Silverhand. Speaking about the relationship between the player character and Johnny,
“It’s a complex relationship, definitely something that will evolve and grow as you play. Johnny is an icon and a very powerful character, but—in their own way—so is V. Both will often butt heads, but I think they will also learn something from each other.”
Blacha continued, citing Keanu Reeves’ history of taking on roles with characters who fight for something beyond themselves,
“When we thought of an actor for this role, we didn’t approach it on a ‘who’s the biggest celebrity now’ basis —the actor had to have a connection with the character, so it made sense. Cyberpunk 2077 is not a game about Keanu Reeves, it’s a game about Johnny who is played by Keanu...A good actor, and Keanu is a great actor, will always infuse their character with a bit of their own special thing. I think, thanks to Keanu, Johnny is more relatable and complex, but at the same time has not lost any of his original rebelliousness and punch.”
